8 Weeks Pregnant: What to Expect?

You are probably not showing at 8 weeks pregnant, but you probably feel pregnant.

At 8 weeks pregnant, you are probably experiencing all of the specific symptoms that come with the first trimester of pregnancy, including morning sickness. In addition, your clothes are probably starting to become tighter and tighter, and your curiosity about the little baby inside of you is growing and growing as each day passes by.

Things are in motion at 8 weeks pregnant, and you can expect more and more changes as each week of your pregnancy passes by. Here is what you can expect at 8 weeks pregnant.

Physical pregnancy symptoms during week eight of early pregnancy

Week eight will bring some new pregnancy symptoms while still presenting those from the week before. Some of these pregnancy symptoms are good, some are bad, but they are all worth knowing in advance, just to be and stay prepared.

Here is what a pregnant woman can expect at 8 weeks pregnant when it comes to changes in and with her body:

• Cramping in the uterus
• Dizziness and fatigue caused by the pregnancy hormones
• Frequent urination caused by a higher blood volume pumped by your heart
• Breast changes, including breasts, feeling larger, heavier, and areolas becoming darker
• Morning sickness
• Heartburn
• Difficulty falling and staying asleep
• Mood swings and emotional swings caused by hormone levels changing

What happens to the baby during week eight of pregnancy?

Just like we have mentioned before, the little baby inside of you is growing at an amazing rate, especially during the first trimester. At 8 weeks pregnant, your little baby has now grown to be about the size of a raspberry, which is a massive change from being just a little blueberry last week!

The baby’s development is now occurring at about the rate of a millimeter per day, and those growth spurts are happening all over the baby’s body, in the baby’s arms, legs, back, baby’s abdomen, and other parts!

At 8 weeks pregnant, the baby stops looking like a blob and starts looking more baby-like. A close-up view of the baby’s growth will reveal webbed hands and feet, the baby’s fingers and toes that are just starting to form, an upper lip, the protruding tip of the nose, and tiny eyelids.

At 8 weeks pregnant, the baby’s heart is now beating roughly twice as fast as an average adult’s, at about 150 to 170 times per minute. The baby’s heartbeat can be heard during your first visit to the doctor. It is too early to feel the baby’s movements, but the baby’s tiny limb buds are making spontaneous movements and twitching during your eighth week of pregnancy.

Pregnancy Checklist

Pregnancy can be quite a hectic and stressful experience for most women, especially for the women that are becoming mothers for the first time, and for the couples that are welcoming their first baby. Being responsible and keeping up and following the advice can be tricky, so we have compiled a list to simplify.

Here is what you need to get to at 8 weeks pregnant:

• Keep your SPF close
  The surges in pregnancy hormones can, for many women, cause melasma or dark spots on the body and the face. During pregnancy, your skin, freckles, and moles can start to become darker and darker. You might also notice something called the linea nigra, which is a dark line going down the center of your abdomen. The good news is that the melasma might be prevented by wearing sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher whenever you leave your house (even on a cloudy day) and wearing a wide-brimmed hat. Also, a skin-friendly diet including adequate amounts of vitamin D is likely to help.
• Keep track of your weight gain
  It is completely normal and rather expected to gain weight during your forty weeks of pregnancy. The catch is that the weight should be gained gradually and evenly, at a steady rate that might change through trimesters. You may not gain more than two or four pounds during the first trimester, or maybe nothing at all, especially if the morning sickness is bothering you. Make sure to keep track of your ponds because that information can be useful to your healthcare provider.
• Ease into exercise
  If you have not worked out in a while, do not get back into fitness by overdoing it right out of the gate since that can lead to injury, overheating, and some serious nausea, which you do not need more of right now. Stay active but ease into it and take it slowly.
• Continue taking prenatal vitamins
  Continue taking 400 µg of folic acid that you have been taking for all of the previous weeks of your early pregnancy journey, as prescribed by a healthcare provider.
• Talk to your partner and doctor about genetic testing
  It is a bit too early for genetic testing at eight weeks pregnant, but it is an important subject that should be discussed with your partner at an early stage, as well as with your doctor during the prenatal visit. Testing should also be planned and scheduled with your healthcare provider in the next few weeks.
• Turn to stretchy pants and get your bra fitted again
  As the baby grows and your uterus expands, do not be afraid to embrace the comfort of comfortable clothing that will be your best friend on your fitness journey. If you are experiencing sore breasts during your eighth pregnancy week and your bras are feeling tight, get your bra re-fitted or turn to sports bras that provide enough room and are not putting pressure on the area.

What to avoid or begin to avoid?

To make sure both you and your little baby are safe, at 8 weeks pregnant, make sure to avoid:

• Smoking, drinking, drugs
• Heavy lifting or carrying
• Long working hours
• Being exposed to toxic substances
• Eating raw or undercooked meat, fish, chicken, eggs, cheeses from unpasteurized milk, and unpasteurized dairy foods.