8 Weeks Pregnant

While you’re not showing on the outside, a lot is happening inside. Your baby’s busy developing, and you might feel some new uncomfortable symptoms as a result. Let’s take a look at what you may feel this week, how your little one is growing, and how to keep yourself and your baby healthy.

Your 8-week-old now has all the signs of being a human baby, including a face and four limbs. He’s closing in on the line between embryo and fetus at a whopping rate of 0.04 inches (1 millimeter) daily. 1

He’s already about the size of a kidney bean or raspberry, measuring just under 0.65 inches and weighing about 0.04 ounces. 2

The ultrasound during your first prenatal exam will show your little bean’s arms, legs, and even his hammering heartbeat, as he thrives in the grapefruit-sized world of your uterus. 3

Your baby’s face

While your baby’s development still has a way to go, his face is really starting to take shape:

• Eyes: Your baby’s eyes are visible, and his eyelids are starting to form. The pigments in his eyes are also beginning to form, but your baby’s eye color won’t finalize until he’s 1 year old. 1
• Taste buds: You’d better start practicing your cooking—your baby’s taste buds are taking root. He’ll be ready to taste long before he leaves the safety of your womb. 4
• Nose and ears: His nose is becoming more distinct, and his inner ears are developing. 5 6

Your baby’s organs

On the inside, your baby is developing his vital systems and organs, such as his:

• Respiratory system: His breathing organs, including the tubes (bronchi) between his windpipe and developing lungs, are forming. 7
• Heart: Your baby’s heart has started beating and is now one of his most developed organs at week 8. That being said, you’ll probably have to wait until week 12 until you can actually hear your baby’s heartbeat with a fetal Doppler. 8
• Kidneys and pancreas: His kidneys and pancreas are forming and will start functioning before he’s born, at around 9–12 weeks. 9 6
• Sex organs: Around 7–8 weeks, your baby will start the process of developing his sex organs. However, you’ll still need to wait a bit longer before you can determine his sex on the gender scan (anatomy ultrasound). 10

Your baby’s limbs

In preparation for a lifetime of cuddling you (and probably a little dog-piling, too!), your little one’s limbs are starting to take shape.

• Buds to limbs: His four “buds” are morphing into real limbs. His arms and legs will be visible by the end of the week. 5
• Webs to fingers and toes: The webbed digits at the ends of your berry-sized baby’s arms and legs are also beginning to transform into fingers and toes.
• Tail: Say goodbye to your little tadpole. Your baby’s tail will disappear right around this time. 11

Your uterus is expanding and filling with amniotic fluid—the essential fluid your baby needs for breathing, protection against bumps, and temperature changes outside your body.

During your first prenatal visit, your doctor will check your blood type and hormone levels, and screen you for infections. They’ll also take a urine sample and possibly do a pap smear to screen for cervical cancer if you’re due for one 12

Changes to your body

Unless you’re one of the lucky few who don’t get pregnancy symptoms at 8 weeks, this may be a turbulent time. Your hormones are running the show, and you’ll likely see some changes to your body this week.

• Breasts: Your breasts may become tender, sore, and heavy. You may see dark veins appear and notice that your nipples are now darker. 13 The lumps on your areolas (the dark patches around the base of your nipples) will become more visible, too. 5
• Bloating & heartburn: You might feel bloating in your stomach or even suffer from heartburn. 14
• Weight loss: As a result of morning sickness, you may lose a little weight in the first trimester. This is normal and won’t harm your baby, but your doctor will keep an eye on you to make sure you don’t lose too much. 15 16
• Skin changes: You might find yourself getting brown or gray patches on your face, known as melasma or pregnancy mask. 17

How much weight should you gain?

If you had a healthy body mass index (BMI) before you got pregnant, you should put on 1–5 pounds during the first 3 months, and a half a pound to a pound per week after that. 18 However, your doctor will offer you tailored advice on how many pounds you should pack on during pregnancy.

Food, smells, and morning sickness

Better keep your toilet seat up—chances are that morning sickness will cause you to pay it a visit more often than you’d like this week (and not just in the mornings, despite the term “morning sickness”).

The exact cause of this symptom isn’t clear, but your hormones—particularly human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), progesterone, estrogen, and GD15—are largely to blame. 19 20

Related symptoms

You may also have:

• Sensitive smell: Your erratic hormones will give you a sensitive nose. Because of this, certain foods may make your stomach turn.
• Food aversions: Similarly, harmless meals may seem like your enemy. You may find, like three-quarters of America’s pregnant women, that just the smell of them sends you running to the restroom with your hand over your mouth. 21
• Food cravings: Fortunately, your body won’t react this way to all food, and you might even get strong cravings for certain things. At the extreme end of this spectrum lies pica, a condition that can cause you to crave non-food items, such as stone, clay, or soil. 22 Be sure to report pica to your doctor, as it could mean you’re lacking certain nutrients. Otherwise, it’s usually OK to indulge your cravings—in moderation.

Digestion, constipation, and gas

One of the functions of progesterone and relaxin (another pregnancy hormone) is to loosen your muscles and ligaments so they can accommodate your growing fetus and prepare for birth. 23

These hormones also cause your blood vessels to relax and expand to accommodate the increased blood flow your baby needs. 23 Your digestive system won’t dodge this bullet, and consequently, it will slow down a little, which may make you constipated, bloated, or gassy. 24

Vaginal discharge

The estrogen in your body, which is considered a sex category hormone, sends more blood than usual to your pelvis.

This causes the mucous membranes there, which help protect your birth canal from infection, to secrete a faint-smelling milky vaginal discharge during pregnancy called leukorrhea. 25

If you’re still having sex while pregnant, you may also get light bleeding after. 26

Sleep, dreams, and emotions

You’re sharing your energy reserves with the life growing inside you. This comes with challenges:

• Exhaustion: Increased hormonal activity, not sleeping properly, and your body adjusting to your pregnancy burn fuel. 27 This will tire you out and make you feel like napping during the day. You may feel even more tired if you’re carrying multiples. 28
• Strange dreams: Dreamland isn’t the sanctuary it used to be. Your hormones may give you strange and vivid dreams. If you’re feeling extra anxious, this can also contribute to these otherworldly episodes.
• Mood swings: You may swing from feeling excited and happy to worrying about every little detail about your pregnancy. Unfortunately, this is par for the course during the early days. 29

Most of your symptoms at 8 weeks won’t require more than a little rest and some dietary or lifestyle changes. However, you should keep an eye out for certain symptoms. It’s time to call your doctor if:

• You vomit out everything you eat and drink and lose 5 pounds or more
• You’re running a fever of 100.4°F or higher, which suggests that you have an infection, food poisoning, or the flu 30 31
• You have abdominal pain and bleeding, which could mean your fetus is in the wrong spot (this is known as an ectopic pregnancy) 32
• You’re passing dark urine with a strong smell, which could mean you’re dehydrated or have a urinary tract infection

Don’t panic if you’re dealing with any of these symptoms. They have many possible causes, some of which are relatively minor. Still, it’s better to get your doctor to give you a once-over.

If your symptoms are causing you grief, you’ll be pleased to know that you can relieve at least some of them by yourself with a few changes to your lifestyle.

Constipation

Combat constipation early on, before it increases the chances of hemorrhoids forming. You can do this by making some adjustments to your diet during pregnancy.

Eat plenty of fruit, veggies, and whole grains to get your fiber intake up, and stay adequately hydrated. Aim for 8–12 glasses of water per day. 33 Light exercises like walking can also help your digestive system move things along. 34

You can speak to your doctor about over-the-counter stool softeners if changing your diet and exercise doesn’t work.

Headaches

Many women suffer from headaches during their early pregnancy days. Headaches can come about from:

• Hormones and high blood volume: This causes dull pain that can be treated with natural remedies like prenatal massages, relaxation, and cold compressions. 35
• Low blood sugar and dehydration: These usually follow nausea and vomiting. You can treat low blood sugar with a little candy, soda, or juice. As always, make sure you’re drinking enough water, too. 36

If neither of these solutions works, you can try certain non-prescription drugs. You may be able to take Tylenol (acetaminophen) while you’re pregnant, although some research has raised concerns about this, so check with your doctor first. 37 38 39

Avoid painkillers like aspirin and ibuprofen. You should also ask your doctor before using any other pharmaceutical drugs. 40

Nausea

Now that you’ve made the connection between nausea and your hypersensitive smell, you can control it by:

• Avoiding an empty stomach: Eat small meals frequently and keep plenty of bland pregnancy-friendly snacks (like crackers) on hand.
• Snacking on ginger: Ginger is great for calming your sensitive stomach. You can also try protein-rich snacks, complex carbs like grains and legumes, or nutritious fluids like smoothies. 41 42
• Opting for medicine: Your doctor may prescribe medications like Doxylamine or Vitamin B6 if holding down food and liquids is impossible. 43

Your body is working hard to accommodate the tiny human inside you, so make sure you show it some love this week by:

• Getting enough sleep: Make going to bed early a priority and set a relaxing bedtime routine.
• Maintaining a healthy diet: No matter how good that bag of potato chips looks, give into your cravings only in moderation. Brightly colored fruits and vegetables are better snacks; they’re full of nutrients that help your body fight chronic diseases. 44
• Protecting your skin: Your skin is extra sensitive when pregnant, so wear a hat and smear on sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. 13
• Avoiding hot tubs and saunas: Raising your body temperature can harm your baby, especially in the early months. That’s why hot tubs with a temperature of 102°F are unsafe. Anything below 100°F is acceptable, but only if you do not use them for more than 10 minutes at a time.

Keeping busy at 8 weeks pregnant

Pregnancy can stir up a lot of anxieties, but you can mitigate this by keeping busy. This week, you could:

• Document your bump: While you’re probably not sporting a prominent baby bump yet, you can start a weekly photo or video journal to track your progress from square one.
• Start a baby registry: It’s not too early to think about what you want for your baby, so you can start making that wishlist for your friends and family.
• Catch up with friends and family: Pregnancy can be challenging at points, but it doesn’t have to be lonely. Call or meet up with your friends or family members. If you’re feeling low, sometimes a little fresh air and good company are all you need.

Though the road is still long and winding on your pregnancy journey, you’ve done great making it to 8 weeks. The good news is that your nausea and fatigue should subside as you approach your second trimester. Many women claim that the second trimester is the best, thanks to a boost of energy and less debilitating symptoms. 45

This week, try to rest up, reach out to your loved ones, and know that your doctor is always just a phone call away. Keep your chin up and show those pesky hormones who’s boss!