Pregnancy Week 8
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Inside Pregnancy Week 8
Are those Daddy’s or Aunt Helen’s ears? You can’t tell yet, but the ears are developing right now, both internally and externally. The baby’s heartbeat is 150 beats a minute, about twice that of an adult. The intestines have made the journey from the umbilical cord to inside the abdomen now. The tongue is forming and cartilage, the precursor to bone, is also developing this week. The fingers and toes are growing, but are still webbed at this point. The little muscles are now able to contract. The baby’s home is cushioned with amniotic fluid that increases by a couple tablespoons a week. The tip of baby’s nose is now visible. The baby is taking a more “baby-like” shape, with the body continuing to straighten and the embryonic tail disappearing. The baby is now 1.6 cm. and weighs about a gram. The size of a bean. This marks the end of the embryonic period and begins the fetal period in baby’s development.
Symptoms You May Feel During Week 8
The uterus is now the size of a large orange. The blood volume in your body has gone up by 40-50%, and you may notice more pronounced veins running especially in your chest area. You probably have outgrown your bras by now, and are beginning to feel a bit snug in some of your other clothes, especially your pants. Sometimes that’s due to the bloating more than baby or uterine growth. Either way, you are starting to feel decidedly different in your own skin.
Skin is something else that might be changing dramatically for you now. The increased oil production in your glands might be causing some acne. Or for some, that pregnancy glow. If your skin is taking on a dark discoloration, and it is over the face in a symmetrical pattern, you might have the mask of pregnancy, or melasma. This condition can also occur from birth control pills or hormone therapy, and with pregnancy, the condition may improve after the birth of the baby. If not, there are treatments available.
Visit With the Obstetrician
At this visit, why not get a list of all over the counter medications that are allowed for pregnant women, and those that are no-no’s. Be sure to find out the generic names too, and ask questions if you don’t understand anything your doctor tells you. Ask about what to do for indigestion or heartburn, allergies, colds, diarrhea, aches and pains, and so on. It’ll be easier than trying to find out after symptoms occur. These lists change regularly, so what your cousin Lucy took a couple years ago might be off limits now. Always check with your doctor before taking any medication, including those for acne, or other topical preparations, as they are medicine too!
Preparing for Baby
While your clothes may only be starting to fit badly, it’s time to start planning for that pregnancy wardrobe. Maternity clothes can be expensive, but having a plan and enlisting help can really take the crunch off the budget. Borrowing is a pregnant woman’s blessing. Talk to those who were pregnant roughly the same seasons. No sense getting a lot of big stuff for winter if your baby is due in July. Shop consignment shops for good deals. And don’t forget those same places when you are finished wearing your maternity clothes, as you could sell them and buy for baby all at once. If it’s yard sale season, watch the ads and follow the signs! This can be a great place to load up on everyday maternity items. Use the internet, and shop around. If you live far away from stores that sell maternity items, and not that many do these days, the internet can be a great way to find clothing at a good price. Plus you may get a larger selection and you won’t feel like you are wearing the same “pregnant uniform” as every expectant woman in your neighborhood. For around the house things, consider borrowing from daddy’s closet. However, do plan on buying a few favorite new pieces. It will be crucial later for your mood and self-esteem to have a few outfits you actually like and feel good in!
Pregnancy Lifestyle
Early in pregnancy, you might want to go to your local library and check out special exercise DVD’s for pregnant women. This is of course, after your doctor has given you a thumb’s up on an exercise program. Try out the exercise DVD’s before buying to see which ones you actually like enough to stay with. No sense buying something that you hate doing. Try them out and maybe choose a couple, so you don’t get bored with just one. This may be something else you find at a yard sale or resale shop, or can borrow from friends or family.
Personalized Pregnancy Week by Week Calendar
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I'm 8wks and this is my 3rd pregnancy.i hve so little symptoms i sumtimes forget i'm pregnant.very mild cramps now and then.i knw i should count myself lucky but i get so worried wen i dnt feek flutter in tummy(i do get dat wen i lay down or sit still).hopefully evrything ok until i go for u/s in couple of weeks.
This is my first pregnancy, 8 weeks-3 days! been tired, napping, waking up at 3-4 am then going back to sleep until 11 am. managing to get through work. sick when i have an empty stomach, but as soon as i eat it subsides. cramping on and off since 6 weeks.
I am a little over 8 weeks and my 4th pregnancy. with my other 3 kids i had maybe a week of sickness felt good up until the end when i got all swollen. this time around am a lot older, i am 35. i am sick alllll day. food smell makes me sick. i am extremely tired and cant get enough sleep:) my breast are so super tender and hurt to the touch. and i cant forget the awful bloating:)) i am hoping that it will smooth out soon! but after all that, i feel truly blessed:) i cant wait to see our baby!
Too much weight gain! i quit smoking the day i found out and haven't cheated once...that was 5 weeks ago, i am 8 weeks and one day and have gained 13 pounds! a weight gain calculator just called me obese! what do i do? how do i slow down the weight gain? i feel so nauseous without food in my stomach....i promise i am snacking healthy!
I'm 8 weeks 4 days. definitely tired and feel particularly bloated by the end of the day. my second pregnancy and i'm really worried about weight gain. i gained 20 with my first and lost it easily but everyone has me scared that you always get fatter with the second and don't lose it as easily or at all. hate when women are negative naysayers!
Don't worry. i only gained 20 with my first and heard the same thing with my second. mainly from the women who were jealous i had shed the weight so fast with my first lol at first i believed them because i did gain more/faster. but let me just tell u i am on baby number 3 and i lost the weight with baby number 2 fastwr than with one. to much in fact! i was so busy breast feeding one and making lunches for the older that i was having trouble remembering to sit down and feed myself lol. forget what "they" say. everyone is different and i'm sure u will be fine if you set your mind to it:)
I agree. i lost weight quicker with my second one between breastfeeding the baby and chasing big brother around. i'm on baby #3 and hoping for the same outcome this time too!
I am 7wks 6 day pregnant and have had alk day sickness going on my second week. i also, am very tired have to take a 2 hour nap everyday. my husband and i are soo happy but i can't wait until the sickness ends!!
First pregnancy. i'm 8 weeks and i've already gained 2 pounds. i'm scared i'm going to be over my recomended wt. gain. i'm feeling ok. i'm more tired than ussual and pee 1-3 times a night. i exercise about 5 times a week but become fatigued faster. anyone else in the same boat?
I was finally able to get out and drive today. i have been pretty much bedridden for two weeks. i looked and felt horrible in public. i'm sure people noticed but i had to run an important errand. i am feeling a little better today than on previous days but still uncomfortable. i sure am sick of being sick and not being able to eat. i can only drink so much ensure.
I'm 8 weeks and i feel tired all the time. plus i can't stop spitting. it's also beginning to show gradually.
Hi there. my last lmp was 20th november 2012, a transvaginal discovered a mature egg on 3rd december 2012, had sx with partner the next day and have had sharps cramps 6dpo with lower backpain, what could this mean? pregnancy?
Im 8 weeks pregnant today and ifeel horrible i got back pain and plus im light headed
I am 8 weeks 1 day. have pain in my abdomen, my throat is always dry. had an ultrasound, after i noticed bleeding - saw baby and heard heartbeat. i thank god the baby is well. first pregnancy by the way
Anybody else's symptoms just stop around 8 weeks???
Yes, i was having every symptom in the book short of throwing up in my fifth week and half way through my sixth week...and then it all just stopped and i feel fine. my boobs are still sore, and i get tired here and there but other than that i don't even "feel pregnant", but i still am...guess it's an on and off thing for some women
Thank goodness for @themeg87 response...i was going to ask the exact same question (started to get a lil worried). blessing to both of you on a healthy pregnancy :)
I'm 8 weeks and 1 day and i feel very tired and fatigued all day long. other than that i feel great!
@manal@diane i am 8 weeks and this is my first pregnancy i have not such a good start its been a rough pregnancy so far i to have been having a lot of pain in my abdomin my doctor told me alot of it is gas pain but i am also taking nausea medication cause about a week ago i was hospitalized for dehydration bc i was not able to even keep down a peppermint or a sip of water the nurse told me the nausea medication can cause constipation so she perscribed me a stool softener and it has helped alot with my pain so maybe ask your doctor about a stool softner it might just be the answer
Hey i'm cree . i'm 9 weeks & like 2 days . i have been feeling horrible . feeling sick to my stomach . can't even stand the smell of the food my mom cooks . what do you think i should do . i'm kinda afraid theirs something wrong with my baby . first pregnancy by the way .
Hi all mommies 2 b i am 8 weeks today and i am very excited. i have been having some cramps and because this is my first pregnacy i am very nervous evry little thing freaks me out but no bleeding so that's good. !
I am 8 weeks along with my second pregnancy, and i have felt so sick (throwing up repeatedly) for a couple weeks now. this week has been the worst for it though. still, i am thrilled. just a little concerned that aside from vitamins, i don't feel i'm eating enough nutritious foods.
Hi mommys im 8wks and 4 days with my 3rd im excited but i just dont know how to tell my mom....0_o
I'm 8 wks and between fatigue and pytalism (excessive salivation), i'm doing great by god's grace. thankful that i am able to bring another child into this world. it's truly a blessing!
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Hey. i'm 8 weeks and 4 days pregnant with 1st baby due xmas day :) im so tired i have to have a 3-4 hour nap a day (i'm sure thats too long to count as a nap lol) and when i'm awake i have little energy. tender breasts. i'm struggling to breath starting few days ago never heard of this symptom before until i googled it but lying in a reclined position insted of flat or sitting is wonderful not the most comfturble in bed though but least i can breath. people say you wee alot but never expected it to be this much. keep getting lightheaded. and sick if i eat anything sweet. everything aches and i started with back pain today (which could be from not lying flat) not wanting to wish my pregnancy away but i can't wait till week 12 when all this is supposed to get easier! i've started getting a mini bump and keep feeling fluttering for past 10days some people have said thats baby and i have heard thats what its supposed to feel like but others have said its way too early to be feeling baby? is anyone else feeling flutterings and what are you putting it down to?
Oh my! i had to reply. i too have a christmas baby on the way! listen, i'm totally wiped out. i was a work out fanatic. i did an hour and a half of cardio nearly every day! i literally bounced everywhere i went. now? i'm like a gigantic slug! i barely have the energy to walk for 20 minutes. it's totally nuts. lol. pregnancy is a crazy thing! i'm loving every minute of it!
Hi i a about 8.5 weeks pregnant with my second child and having very much the same as yourself only on my first pregnancy i never experienced any like that. the worst for me is feeling sick lying on my back.i too am feeling flutterings but its great especially as have have been tired and sicky for a while. still loving it though!
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