By week eight, you will notice a slight increase in your waist because of the rapid growing uterus. However, your baby bump will not be until the second trimester. Changes in your body such as morning sickness will continue to intensify and take complete control of you. The baby’s organs developments are nearing maturity so that the second trimester will be mainly about weight gain.
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Baby’s growth and development in week eight
By the close of week eight, the baby will be about 0.63 inches which is an equivalent of a boysenberry. The head becomes differentiated and separated from the other parts of the body. It appears relatively bigger and out of proportion with other parts of the body. This is because of the rapid brain development. However, as other parts of the body continue to grow in the coming weeks, the body will become proportional.
By the middle of the eighth week, the baby’s yolk sac starts shrinking so that the placenta takes over the food supply functions. The main connection between the mother and baby is the umbilical cord that supplies all the nutrients while taking away wastes. The development of the embryo is used to signify three important things;
- The transport system of the baby especially blood vessels and other important links are working.
- The brain is functional and can control various activities in the body.
- The heart is operating effectively to help move all nutrients and waste through the body and away.
The baby’s ears and nose develop further by close of the week so that the nose tip is visible while ears bulge lightly on the sides of the head. Notably, the ears are functional because the sensory nerves have already been formed. The eyes are also developing, and eyelids are starting to shape up and then cover the eyes in the coming weeks.
Notably, while other organs such as heart, brain, and liver are first to develop, the lungs take longer. It will not be until the 37thweek that they will mature because their function is limited since the baby’s body is fully enclosed. Despite this, the lungs continue developing throughout the week.
Notably, the tail that makes the baby look like a “tadpole” will start shortening in this week. Besides, the legs and hands will continue lengthening so that fingers and toes are visible though still webbed.
Size of Baby at 8 Weeks Pregnant
Your baby is about the size of a kidney bean.
The baby is about 1.6 cm(0.63 inches) and weighs 1 gram(0.04 ounces).
Changes to expect in Mom’s body during week 8
During the eighth week, many pregnant women keep complaining about severe morning sickness. This is because the pregnancy hormones are almost hitting the highest point in the first trimester. Often, they are triggered by the smell of certain foods and sleeping in certain positions among others.
How do you deal with morning sickness? Though the cause of morning sickness is associated with pregnancy hormone, scientists still indicate that other causes are still unknown. Here are some suggestions on dealing with morning sickness.
- Take frequent portions of meals and drinks.
- Make sure to avoid food triggers as much as possible.
- Make a habit of taking cold fluids and foods when least nauseous.
- Use prenatal vitamins at bedtime as opposed to when waking up.
- Regularly use ginger tea and include it as a flavoring for most of your foods.
Because the developing uterus is exerting a lot of pressure on your part of the spine, you may experience lower backache. You may also experience some pain in the buttocks because the sciatic nerve is subjected to extra pressure.
Breast soreness and growth is a common change that many women experience in this week. The breasts become very tender and extra sensitive to touch. The tenderness can be equated to the way you feel some days before your period. Apart from soreness, the breasts become equally large and difficult to fit in your regular bra because of additional milk sacs. You might consider going for a maternity bra that supports them even at night.
Things to do during the 8th week
- Make sure to continue taking your daily dose of 400 mg of folic acid throughout the week.
- Continue filling your daily pregnancy diary and reading all the details carefully to understand what they mean. For example, you might want to know the reason for delayed baby bump, a sudden shift in moods or fading of one type of body change.
- Make sure to be very observant of the entire body so that any unusual change is discussed with your doctor. For example, you must keep checking the nature of discharge coming from your vagina to ensure that it is milky-whitish. In the case of any signs of blood, get the attention of your doctor as immediately as possible.
- Consider reviewing your diet and fitness plans with an expert so that they are in line with the emerging body demands. For example, depending on medical tests, if the doctor recommends that you require additional vitamins, consider sourcing the right fruits, vegetables, and minerals that supply them. Besides, you might need to shift the nature of fitness exercises depending on the nature of back pain.
- Start visiting kids’ products stores and buying some of the most important products. For example, you might decide to buy a plum and other baby feeding products. However, make sure to avoid buying sex-specific baby products until the child’s sex has been confirmed.
- Hold a candid discussion with the doctor about what to anticipate during the remaining trimesters. Of particular focus is how to handle the trimesters effectively so that pregnancy becomes fun.
- Start shopping for baby shower products or contract a professional event’s organizer to assist you. It is critical to factor the baby shower now because in the coming days you might not be in a position to work on everything.
- Avoid stress as much as possible and keep communication between you and significant other very effective. To do this, make sure to relax more and take every available moment sharing and talking about the pregnancy. Often, men start complaining that their partners are not giving them ample time after falling pregnant. However, if you talk, share the experiences, and let him understand that everything is temporary, he will understand. For example, if you are very moody in the morning, consider making love in the evening when you are blissful.
