8 week pregnancy

We would like to discuss what is taking place currently. Therefore, the 8 week pregnancy is linked to the 1st trimester, which is especially important for the growth of the unborn baby, as it is during the 8-9 weeks of gestation that the creation and progression of your infant’s organs and systems takes place. Astonishingly, during this period your baby grows to 1.27 cm in length, growing 1 mm per day.

Body changes at 8 week pregnancy

At week 8, your body is still the same as before. This is because your uterus is approximately the size of a lemon.

The 8 week pregnancy may be marked by the appearance of new sensations, the cause of which is a change in your body’s hormonal status. The size of the mammary glands is associated with an increase in the level of hormones responsible for maintaining your pregnancy. Breast augmentation is necessary and is a step in preparation for breastfeeding your baby. Early hormonal changes can cause you to feel new sensations in your belly due to bloating, similar to the feeling some women experience before their period. That is why your clothes may look tighter than usual at the waist, even at an early stage when your uterus is still very small and cannot give an increase waist circumference.

Things you need to know

You may have frequent urges to urinate which is currently due to hormonal changes. This could continue in the future but will be due to the enlargement of the uterus. For optimal sleep, try to drink plenty of clean drinking water during the day and cut back on liquids after 6-7pm. This will help avoid having to get up during the night to urinate and will prevent feelings of exhaustion and fatigue in the morning. When it comes to the digestive system, you may start off with a feeling of heartburn, which could last throughout your pregnancy. This is usually linked to the heightened progesterone level and a change in the tension and contractions of the muscles in the digestive tract.

8 week pregnancy toxicosis

Signs of toxicosis may appear during the 8 week pregnancy, and their seriousness can differ from person to person. Not having any indications at all is normal, particularly if you exercise regularly and are physically active. Usually, symptoms such as lethargy, fatigue, sleepiness, nausea, and vomiting will be much less obvious or not present at all.

On the contrary, if you lead a sedentary lifestyle or you are overweight, then the symptoms of toxicosis will visit you with a greater degree of probability.

You may experience feelings of nausea and vomiting only in the morning, which can be distressing for the rest of the day. It is likely that these pregnancy symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, will lessen by 12-14 weeks and you will have some reprieve. Once the placenta is formed, the symptoms should largely reduce or vanish, bringing your comfort level back to normal.

At the 8 week pregnancy, it is essential to focus on your well-being. This means that you should be taking more rest during the day and making sure to get a good night’s sleep to manage both your physical and emotional exhaustion.

It is essential to recognize the fluctuations in your mood and accept it, address your anxiousness and tension related to forthcoming modifications to your social activities, regular routine, and strive to stay composed, take good care of yourself and unwind as much as you can.

Size of fetus at 8 week pregnancy

It is interesting to note that the baby’s size will double the following week of your pregnancy. At this time, the embryo is situated in the amniotic sac and all its nutritional needs are provided for by the yolk sac, forming its various structures.

An important feature of this stage of pregnancy is the active form of the placenta since it is the placenta that will later take on all the work of delivering nutrients and oxygen to the baby, as well as removing metabolic products.

Here are the main features of the development of the fetus and body change in 8 week pregnancy:

8 week fetus development

Let us discuss in more detail organogenesis, i.e. the formation of various organs of your crumbs. Imagine your baby’s heart beats in the right rhythm at a speed of 150-150 beats per minute. And your child’s respiratory system is at the stage of formation and consists of the so-called breathing tubes, which will later become light. 

The signs of the nervous system we are familiar with is the nervous network, which covers the body, establishing connections not just between them but also with muscles, other tissues, and organs like eyes and ears.

At this stage, the formation of the baby’s face, eyes, and eyelids takes place. Though the eyes are not yet visible, the retina has begun to form – the main structure which will give the baby their vision in the future. The photographs display the arms becoming longer, the fingers beginning to form, and the legs increasing in length, although individual parts such as shins, hips, and knee joints cannot yet be distinguished (photo 5-10). By the 8 week pregnancy, your little one’s genitals begin to develop and the umbilical cord is now visible.

Pregnancy test at 8 week

A positive pregnancy test result requires you to visit an obstetrician-gynecologist for an examination, an ultrasound of the pelvic organs, and a hCG (the main pregnancy hormone at this time) assessment. Registration for antenatal clinics must take place when you reach 7-8 week pregnancy, either at the antenatal clinic near your residence or the one you had planned to attend beforehand.

Registering a pregnant woman promptly (up to 12 weeks) offers a variety of social benefits, such as the provision of funds when a woman registers for her pregnancy and then obtains a disability certificate for pregnancy and childbirth.

When signing up to a medical clinic for pregnancy and childbirth, you will go through a comprehensive medical and laboratory evaluation to gauge your level of health. This primarily consists of blood tests including a general blood test (emphasizing hemoglobin, erythrocytes, and platelets), a biochemical blood test (for monitoring blood sugar and liver function), and a correlogram (to measure blood coagulation or hemostasis). Additionally, mandatory tests for HIV, viral hepatitis B and C, and RW (syphilis test) are required, as well as other tests your doctor may suggest, depending on your health history and current condition.

Symptoms at 8 week pregnancy

Since a lot of changes that are invisible to the eye occur with the mother at the 8 week pregnancy, the sensations can also be very different:

1. Drowsiness and weakness are eternal companions, especially in the first trimester. A pregnant woman’s body switches to a new mode of operation, the purpose of which is the development of the baby and its safety. A woman’s weakness is, in fact, a defensive reaction, forcing her to behave less actively, which means less risk to the child’s health.
2. Morning sickness (and some people have more than just morning sickness). Toxicosis at the 8 week pregnancy can intensify. Try to drink more at this time because the body is dehydrated.
3. Almost 8-9 pregnant women out of 10 have symptoms of toxicosis. The reason is the weakening of the sphincter between the stomach and esophagus due to the action of progesterone which is the horizontal position of the stomach due to compression of the pregnant uterus and many others.
4. Irritability and tearfulness due to hormonal imbalance.
5. Frequent urges to urinate will occur throughout the entire period.
6. Pain in the chest, pulling pains in the lower abdomen – if they are transient and do not cause you suffering, you should not worry.

Tips for 8 week pregnancy

The expectant mother needs to know that vitamins and microelements are important for the proper formation of the embryo in order to prevent primary malformations. At 8 week pregnancy, the structures of the nervous system are actively formed, and folic acid is known to prevent neural tube defects (future nervous system). 

The World Health Organization suggests that you take 400 micrograms of folic acid each day during the first three months of pregnancy and two to three months prior to conception if you are planning on becoming pregnant. Iron is also a key component of fetal growth, and its presence can influence the pregnancy, delivery and health of your baby after birth. Additionally, iodine is essential for both the mother and baby; it helps create the correct level of thyroid hormones in both the mother and the unborn child.

Since organogenesis actively occurs at 8-9 weeks of pregnancy, colds or other diseases are highly undesirable during this period. Therefore, it is necessary to approach the simplest hygiene measures carefully.

In particular, wash your hands after visiting public places, work, wear a face mask if you communicate with a large number of people at the workplace, limit your visits to public places, and wear a face mask when visiting clinics.

The preventive effect of vaccination during pregnancy, for instance, against influenza, should be kept in mind if the first trimester coincides with a spike in respiratory infections. 

Remember that you are at the very beginning of a wonderful journey, rich in positive emotions, new impressions and sensations because motherhood is one of the main resources that can make a woman happy every day and every minute.

Do’s and Don’ts of 8 week pregnancy

At the 8 week pregnancy, there are clear restrictions for a woman. It is necessary to strictly follow the instructions so that the baby is born healthy and the mother’s body does not weaken after bearing the fetus.

Do’s of 8 week pregnancy

• Drink plenty of fluids, provided that there is no swelling. About two liters a day will allow you to better remove toxins from the body and speed up your metabolism.
• Establish a daily routine and allocate enough time for sleep.
• Walk in the evening before going to bed.
• Add daily activity if previously the lifestyle was sedentary.
• Change the nature of nutrition, and prepare tasty and safe meals for pregnant women enriched with vitamins and minerals.
• To have sex, if the doctor has not forbidden sex life – this does not harm the child in any way but adds positive emotions to the mother.
• Avoid crowded places, as you can become infected with dangerous diseases.
• Choose a maternity hospital, midwife and gynecologist if this has yet to be done.
• Swim in the pool and do not stop playing sports if there are no contraindications (taking into account the exclusion of strength exercises).
• Sign up for fitness for pregnant women – this will allow you to stay active and control body weight.
• Start caring for the skin of the chest, abdomen and thighs as the risk of stretch marks increases.
• Treat teeth safely so as not to face a sharp toothache later.
• Prevent varicose veins and hemorrhoids.
• Do a relaxing massage, the techniques of which are allowed during pregnancy.

Don’ts of 8 week pregnancy

• Play sports if the doctor has forbidden physical activity.
• Drinking alcoholic beverages, smoking.
• Eat raw foods such as milk, eggs, and raw fish in sushi.
• Buy vitamin complexes on your own – the correct composition should be prescribed exclusively by a gynecologist.
• Eat for two, as this leads to weight gain – it will be more difficult to give birth and then get rid of extra pounds.
• Engage in extreme sports.
• Drink strong coffee and cool brewed green tea.
• Use pills without consulting a doctor – some drugs have a teratogenic effect.
• Steam in the bath, go to the sauna.
• Dye your hair, and use harmful chemicals during a manicure.
• Lifting weights, exercising with weights in the gym.
• Work in a hazardous enterprise associated with prolonged standing and inhalation of vapors of chemical reagents.
• Walk in high heels.

Proper nutrition for 8 week pregnancy

The 8th week of pregnancy requires careful attention to the nutrition of a pregnant woman. It is very important that all foods are fresh, properly processed, and contain all the necessary nutrients for a child’s healthy development.

At the 8 week of pregnancy it is recommended to:

• Develop a diet taking into account the onset of toxicosis – food should be such that it is easy to digest, and not provoke vomiting, so a woman needs to analyze which foods irritate and are not perceived by the body and which are easier to tolerate.
• Exclude salty and smoked dishes from the list of products – due to the high salt content in foods, water is retained in the body, which contributes to an even greater increase in puffiness, which can be difficult to cope with.
• Adjust the drinking regime with severe vomiting and dehydration, add water, and if edema appears, reduce its consumption.
• Add high-fiber foods to the diet. These are primarily vegetables and fruits that will help cope with constipation.
• Choose fruits from the regions of residence. Since an allergic reaction may develop to an unfamiliar product, adding seasonal products to the diet is best.
• Be sure to consume sufficient calcium dairy products, which will help enrich the baby’s body with this element, and the mother will also maintain healthy teeth, hair, and nails.
• Exclude frying and salting as cooking methods – at high temperatures, oils emit harmful substances, and when salted, there is a risk of infection with pathogenic bacteria.
• Eat fractionally so as not to provoke morning vomiting and constipation. You can eat 5-6 times a day with snacks.
• The calorie content of a pregnant woman’s diet is about 2500 kcal per day, but during pregnancy with twins, the calorie content is increased by 300 kcal.
• Do not eat raw fish, homemade milk, cheeses, or cottage cheese – all products in doubt should be thermally processed. 
• Purchase a steamer to cook the safest and most delicious food.
• Plan meals so that protein foods are mainly consumed in the morning and lighter foods in the evening.
• Do not include in the diet foods that have not been tried before, as an allergic reaction may develop. The same applies to citrus fruits – they should be eaten in small quantities.

Checklist for the 8 week of pregnancy

1. Visit the gynecologist. If this has not been done yet, find out the exact gestational age, the expected date of delivery and the date of maternity leave.
2. Undergo an ultrasound examination. If it has not been done before, ensure the pregnancy is proceeding normally.
3. Do not take risks – refrain from riding, or snowboarding, as any traumatic type of recreation can result in a fracture or other injuries.
4. Eliminate toxins – change aggressive household chemicals, refuse to dye your hair and ask for safer work at the enterprise.
5. Ventilate the room and work area. Take a break for 10-15 minutes to walk around.
6. Choose comfortable underwear, namely a bra and panties, because they should not constrain the body and bring discomfort.
7. Do a simple warm-up at home every morning if you don’t exercise or go to the gym.
8. Get in the habit of weighing yourself weekly to control your weight gain.
9. Pay attention to chronic diseases so as not to provoke relapses.
10. Avoid stress and control your emotions – excessive irritability at this time brings only negative feelings that mom does not need.
11. Avoid places where people smoke – people around you inhale almost the same amount of smoke as a smoker.