By pregnancy week 8, your baby is anywhere from 14 to 20mm long. This is comparable in size to a boysenberry. Though it is hard to believe, one day your tiny boysenberry will grow into a full size baby!
Up until this week, your baby had a small tail, which has begun to disappear, and your little one will soon have eyelids to cover his or her developing eyes. The tip of your baby's nose has already formed at this point in your pregnancy, as well!
While the arms and legs are continuing to lengthen, your baby's fingers and toes are likely to still be webbed. Your baby may have distinct elbows at this point, which allow the arms to curve around the chest.
Organs are continuing to develop at lightning speed. Your little one's lungs are working hard at maturing. The tubes leading from your baby's throat to the lungs have begun to form branches, though they won't be fully mature until closer to term.
The brain is also maturing this week, as nerve cells begin to connect with one another, forming the groundwork for communication later in life. 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 you have!
You are definitely starting to grow by 8 weeks pregnant. Though your uterus continues to expand, it is likely that you still are not showing much on the outside. This is particularly true of first time moms, though 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 show until the fifth month the first time around, many moms report that they started showing as early as 8 weeks pregnant 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.
At 8 weeks pregnant, your waistline may seem thick to you, but onlookers won't be able to tell that you're pregnant. If you're a first-time mother, you won't be showing until your second trimester. Women who have given birth before, or pregnant women carrying twins or multiples, might be showing a little at 8 weeks.
Though you're not showing a bump yet, you'll be struggling with many uncomfortable early pregnancy symptoms at 8 weeks pregnant. It's common for pregnant women to be struggling with fatigue, some nausea or vomiting, and breast changes this week.
Helpful Tip: As you're struggling with pregnancy symptoms at 8 weeks, just try to remember that the second trimester is round the corner. Early pregnancy symptoms will go away with time, and you will feel better soon.
Breast changes are a common pregnancy symptom at 8 weeks pregnant. Your breasts are most likely feeling pretty tender and sore to the touch. They may have even increased in size by 8 weeks pregnant. (Some pregnant women will go up an entire bra size by the time they hit the second trimester.) Although your breasts are tender and uncomfortable, hormonal changes are preparing them to produce breast milk for your baby.
Mild abdominal cramping is a normal pregnancy symptom at 8 weeks pregnant. Although cramping is always concerning, especially for women who have never been pregnant before, mild abdominal cramps aren't anything to worry about. Light cramping is caused by the physical stretching of your uterus that occurs in pregnancy. As your uterus stretches, you might have mild cramps occasionally.
Since abdominal cramping at 8 weeks pregnant is worrisome, make sure that you discuss any cramping with your midwife or physician at your next prenatal visit. In most situations, your physician will recommend that you stay off your feet and rest when you can.
In general, if you have unusual abdominal pain or cramping that is painful or persistent, or is accompanied with bleeding, contact your doctor right away. This may be a sign of a miscarriage or another serious pregnancy problem.
Lower backaches are another common pregnancy symptom at 8 weeks. You can blame the pressure of your growing uterus on the low part of the spine. You may also experience 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. All of these discomforts are common, and just a side effect of carrying a baby in your womb.
Food aversions are also a normal symptom at 8 weeks pregnant. Food aversions often accompany morning sickness. If you're finding that you're quite nauseous, you may find that the smells of certain foods make you gag. Even the thought of eating specific foods might make you want to throw up.
On the other hand, if you are one of the lucky ones and you're not struggling with morning sickness, you may start to experience food cravings. You may find that you're starving all the time, and you can't wait to dig into that tub of ice cream. Food cravings are a fun part of pregnancy, so enjoy this pregnancy symptom if it strikes you!
Your weight gain at 8 weeks pregnant is roughly one to three pounds. Some women will gain more, and others less. Remember that just like each individual baby is different, each pregnancy is different.
During pregnancy week 8, your morning sickness might make it hard for you to gain the weight you desire. Don’t fret – once you reach the second trimester, this nausea and vomiting will go away and you will start to steadily gain a pound with each passing week.
Morning sickness is a very common symptom of pregnancy affecting the majority of pregnant women, 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 pregnancy complications. Why is that? Researchers are not certain, just as they are not quite sure of the underlying causes of morning sickness, it is believed that the body's adjustment to changes in hormone levels may be one of the factors contributing to morning sickness.
Hyperemisis Gravidarum
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 severe cases of vomiting, which results in these women losing weight. This severe morning sickness is termed Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Women who suffer from this will need to be careful not to become dehydrated since they tend not to want to drink and eat.
At 8 weeks pregnant, expecting mothers 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.
Tips to Lessen Morning Sickness Symptoms
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 they 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 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.
Many women worry about miscarriage during the early weeks of their pregnancy. Unfortunately, there is little that can be done to prevent miscarriage. Usually a miscarriage occurs in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
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, 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 miscarriage 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 baby 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. 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!
Pregnancy Week by Week
Pregnancy Explained A to Z
Pregnancy Blog
Ask Our Doc - Pregnancy Q & A 
Share Your Pregnancy Pictures
Follow us on FaceBook
Follow us on Twitter
You are definitely starting to grow by 8 weeks pregnant. Though your uterus continues to expand, it is likely that you still are not showing much on the outside. This is particularly true of first time moms, though you will likely start feeling some tightening along your waistline. You may want to start looking for maternity jeans.
At 8 weeks pregnant, your waistline may seem thick to you, but onlookers won't be able to tell that you're pregnant. If you're a first-time mother, you won't be showing until your second trimester. Women who have given birth before, or pregnant women carrying twins or multiples, might be showing a little at 8 weeks.
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.
Many women worry about miscarriage during the early weeks of their pregnancy. Unfortunately, there is little that can be done to prevent miscarriage. Usually a miscarriage occurs in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. 