Pregnancy Week - 8 Weeks Pregnant

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Pregnancy Week 8

**Please note- Your Due Date is calculated from your last menstrual period, which corresponds to our Pregnancy Week by Week articles.

Week 8

Your Baby's Growth and Development
Your baby is doing a lot of growing during pregnancy 8 weeks. Up until this point in time your baby had a small tail... that starts to disappear this week, and your little one will soon have eyelids to cover their blossoming eyes. While the arms and legs are also lengthening, the fingers and toes are likely to still be webbed. Your baby's brain is also maturing during pregnancy week 8, as nerve cells begin to connect with one another, forming the groundwork for communication later in life.

Did you know the tip of your baby's nose is even formed by pregnancy 8 weeks? The lungs are also working hard at maturing by pregnancy week 8, though they won't be fully mature until near term. However, tubes leading from your baby's throat to the lungs begin to form branches.

By week eight your baby should also have distinct elbows, which allow the arms to curve around the chest. Your baby's organs continue to develop with lightning quick speed. Before you have time to even blink an eye your little one will resemble a miniature human being, complete with ten fingers, ten toes, skin and all the body parts we all have!

Your Growth and Development
You are definitely starting to grow by 8 weeks pregnant inside as your uterus continues to expand, however it is likely that you still are not showing much on the outside. This is particularly true of first time moms, though as we mentioned you will likely start feeling some tightening along your waistline. You may want to start looking for maternity jeans.

Your healthcare provider might tell you that your uterus is now about the size of a grapefruit by pregnancy at 8 weeks. That is a lot of progress from its pre-pregnancy state, where it was smaller than a plum!

Women who have been pregnant before often report showing sooner than they did with their first pregnancy. While it is not uncommon to not start showing until the fifth month the first time around, many moms report that they started showing as early as eight weeks with their second and third pregnancies. If you are carrying twins or triplets, you will start showing sooner than your singleton peers, as your babies will be taking up a lot more room in the uterus.

Changes in You
During pregnancy at 8 weeks it is very likely that you have started to notice some breast changes. Aside from some tenderness you may notice that your breasts appear slightly enlarged. Most women will experience some breast growth during pregnancy week by week, particularly near the end of pregnancy when the breasts prepare to make breast milk for the baby. You may even start thinking of looking into nursing clothing basics.

Your waistline may continue to seem thick to you, though onlookers will not be able to tell you are pregnant. You are probably consumed with fatigue, and still battling some nausea. Remember that the symptoms associated with early pregnancy pass with time, and most women go on to find their pregnancies rewarding and enjoyable.

If you are having a particularly rough time with sore breasts, consider purchasing a supportive maternity bra. You should consider buying one a size or two bigger than your normal size, as you will need room to grow during pregnancy. A maternity bra may in fact be one of your very first purchases, even before you buy any maternity or baby clothes!

Some women notice some mild abdominal cramping midway through their first trimester. This is a very common experience and may continue for several weeks. The cramping is usually mild and does not cause any harm. Your physician may recommend you rest and stay off your feet if you are having abdominal cramping. Remember that your body is also accommodating a growing fetus, and your uterus is stretching, a process that might cause some discomfort over time. If you have any unusual abdominal pain or cramping however that is persistent and worrisome, or if you experience any cramping accompanied by bleeding be sure to contact your healthcare provider's office right away.

You may be having a lower backache by now. This is common and is a result of the pressure the uterus is applying to the low part of the spine. You may be experiencing a sharp pain in your buttocks and along the side of your thigh as well. This is due to the uterus placing pressure on the sciatic nerve that innervates the buttocks and side of your leg. If these discomforts are troublesome, you may be asked to rest and have physical therapy.

Pregnancy Pillow
A Must Have For Alleviating Back Pain during Pregnancy

If you are like most pregnant mothers at some point during your pregnancy you'll experience some back pain. Back pain is felt as your expanding uterus places pressure on your lower back. Back pain can also result from postural changes during the day while you constantly shift to accommodate your growing baby.

Fortunately, Snoozer Pregnancy Pillows offer tremendous relief for mothers to be experiencing back pain. They help provide added support and comfort in the months leading up to delivery, and even provide comfort after the arrival of your newborn baby! If you want to improve your back pain, or simply get a good night's sleep, you should try a pregnancy pillow today!

Maternity Clothes
Swimwear That Splashes

You can be pregnant AND look great during the summer, even when wearing swimwear! In times of old swimwear designed for expectant mothers was often bulky and almost tent like. Don’t want to look like a tent during your pregnancy? Fear not!

Today’s Swimwear at Destination Maternity is stretchy, elegant, sexy, fun and even sporty. Whether you want a one piece to cover your belly or a daring two-piece that shows off your baby to be, you are bound to find what you are looking for and more when shopping for swimwear during your pregnancy! Most swimwear is designed with ample room in the hips, bottom and chest, so moms-to-be don’t have to be self conscious about their expanding and bountiful bodies! If you are expecting, why not show off your new curves in a snazzy and well fitting piece of swimwear from one of several tremendous collections?

Common Problems Seen in Pregnancy
Morning sickness is a very common symptom of pregnancy affecting the majority of pregnant women sometime during their pregnancy, although not every woman will experience it in the same way and to the same degree. Some women may feel it in the morning and some more at night, while a majority of women experience it throughout the day. Others might find their morning sickness triggered by certain things, such as when they position their body a certain way or smell a particular scent. Others may have only fleeting, passing moments of it.

If there's any positive aspect to dealing with nausea and vomiting, it may be the fact that research shows that women who have these symptoms, appear to experience fewer complications with their pregnancy and with the birth of their child overall. Why is that? Researchers are not certain, just as they are not quite sure of the underlying causes of these symptoms to begin with, but they have noted this correlation. As to the cause of these symptoms, it is believed that the body's adjustment to changes in hormone levels may be one of the factors contributing to these symptoms.

For a smaller percentage of women, morning sickness comes in a more severe, chronic form, which makes pregnancy a less than glamorous journey. They may experience frequent and more severe cases of vomiting, and will often find themselves losing weight because of this chronic problem, which is termed Hyperemesis gravidarum. Women who suffer from this will need to be careful not to become dehydrated since there is a tendency to not want to drink and eat when one is experiencing nausea and vomiting to a heavier degree.

Pregnant women should check in with their OB/GYN or regular physician if they experience cramping or abdominal/pelvic pain, cannot keep food or liquids down for 12 hours or more, if they are chronically vomiting or if blood is spotted in their vomit, and if they are showing any signs that they are suffering from dehydration, which may include: feeling lightheaded, golden or brown colored urine, and an inability to urinate. It is important to note that it is quite possible that a late onset of nausea and vomiting could be caused by something other than a woman's pregnancy, so this is also something to be aware of. In this case, your doctor will check for symptoms such as: pain in the abdomen, diarrhea, constipation, high blood pressure, fever, headache, and an enlarged thyroid.

For women who are eager to alleviate their symptoms, it's important to note that there is no way to totally eradicate the symptoms of morning sickness, but there are ways to minimize their effects. Here are a few tips:

• Eat and drink frequently, but in small amounts as soon as you are hungry or thirsty. An empty stomach is more likely to get "upset" than one that is full.
• Avoid foods that are spicy.
• Drink clear cold liquids (such as lemonade, ginger ale).
• Take vitamins that trigger nausea at bedtime rather than at the start of the day.
• Cook with ginger (which has been found to alleviate nausea and vomiting).
• Try acupuncture, hypnosis, or acupressure.

If you are really struggling through your pregnancy because of your bouts with nausea and vomiting, medications are indeed an alternative. There are certain medications that may alleviate all or some of these symptoms and which are considered relatively safe to both you and your baby during your pregnancy. Speak to your physician about the various alternatives and their potential side effects and risks. Some of these medications include: Doxylamine, Promethazine, Metoclopramide, and Ondansetron. For those women who develop heartburn during pregnancy, there are also antacids to help curb reflux symptoms, which may trigger morning sickness symptoms.

Pregnancy is a wonderful journey although it may present you with various challenges along the way. Be sure to see your OB/GYN as scheduled during your pregnancy and to keep him or her up-to-date as to how you are feeling. Especially if you are feeling miserable, it's important to let your doctor know how you are doing as there are various strategies that can be employed to help make your pregnancy less taxing until you are ready to deliver your little bundle of joy.

Pregnancy Health Tips
Many women worry about miscarriage during the early weeks of their pregnancy. Unfortunately usually there is little that can be done to prevent miscarriage. Usually a miscarriage occurs in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. An embryo simply would not be able to survive outside the uterus unless it is born past 24 weeks or more.

Miscarriage is actually somewhat common, occurring in about 15% of pregnancies. Most women will miscarry in the early weeks before they even realize that they are pregnant. Some common causes of miscarriage include chromosomal abnormalities, which indicate that the fetus wouldn't be able to survive outside the womb anyway. External factors, including environmental ones however, can also impact your fetus and influence your likelihood for carrying a pregnancy to term. Thus, you should do everything possible to avoid exposure to harmful toxins and environmental hazards.

Not all bleeding is a sign of miscarriage. In fact, bleeding early in pregnancy may simply be the result of strenuous physical activity or irritation of the cervix after sexual intercourse. Resting and abstaining from intercourse may be all that is needed to stop the bleeding. In some cases bloody discharge may indicate a threatened rather than a true miscarriage. Some signs to look for include bleeding followed by cramping. The more cramping you are having along with vaginal bleeding the more worrisome the possibility of a miscarriage. Your healthcare provider will perform an ultrasound to evaluate the well being of your fetus if you have bleeding accompanied with cramping. If your baby's heart is beating and no sign of bleeding behind the afterbirth is noted, your physician will likely try to reassure you that everything is going to be alright. Your healthcare provider may recommend bed rest until the bleeding stops.

Unfortunately the ultrasound can also reveal that there is no fetal heart beat, and when this happens it can be devastating. In some cases you may go on to have a spontaneous miscarriage that is complete, meaning you will pass the pregnancy with no intervention. However, in some circumstances it is necessary for your healthcare provider to perform a procedure referred to as a dilation and curettage or D&C because your body may not have expelled the fetus entirely (referred to as an incomplete miscarriage). A D&C is necessary in this case to preserve your fertility and health.

A miscarriage can be devastating. It is important that you know that most women will go on to have a normal pregnancy after a miscarriage. In fact, most women will have a miscarriage at one point in their life or another. If you have a history of repeated miscarriages be sure you consult with your healthcare provider who can work with you to attempt to determine a cause. Remember that a miscarriage is not your fault. If you have shared your pregnancy with friends and loved ones, lean on them for support and encouragement. While it is hard not to worry about potential problems, keep in mind that most pregnancies go off without a hitch, and you have just as much chance for a lovely and safe pregnancy as the next person. A happy heart and a positive spirit are half the battle!

Read About Pregnancy Week 9