Week 8

Well, the fruit is raspberry!! By the time you are eight weeks pregnant, the baby can be called as fetus. It is 1 cm long and is finally losing its tail. You are hyper sensitive to smell, and still peeing and nauseating a lot. You should stay away from toxins, drugs, chemicals which might affect in the baby’s development. You want to have food, but don’t really feel like it. You might not just be looking pregnant but certainly feeling so. Everything inside you is developing at an amazing pace. You might be having an ultrasound now, if you haven’t had it before, and will probably see your baby for the first time! You might also know if its twins you are carrying!

Physical and Emotional You

• The uterus might look like a plum. 70-80 % of women experience nausea till the first trimester. Try to avoid blood sugar levels dropping by having regular meals and healthy snacking between meals. Nausea is worse on empty stomachs.
• Morning sickness continues (yes, that’s bad), and you will be wondering why is it called morning sickness when it lasts the entire day (fact!)
• You might experience heaviness around your lower pelvis and even worse when you have had your meal or want to pee.
• However long you might be sleeping at night but you feel tired as have not had proper sleep. Try getting a sleep during the day. Weird dreams are common.
• You may now experience back pain, this is caused due to the enlarged uterus pressing your lower spine. It also comes and goes during pregnancy depending on the hormone levels.

Emotionally you might feel irritated and moody it might become difficult to tolerate some people or situations. You could use this as an excuse in many situations, isn’t that funny?? This is normal in pregnancy.

Your Baby At 8 Weeks

This week marks the end of the embryonic period and begins the fetal period in the baby’s development. The baby is 1 cm long and finally losing its tail. The head may be still look larger with a broad forehead and a little body. In the next coming week the limbs will start taking shape and grow.

This week the tip of the nose is formed. Taste buds are being developed and the ears are growing. The intestine has travelled from the umbilical sac to the lower abdomen. Its toes, figures, lips, eyelids, legs looks more defined. There is a web like structure formed in the legs and hand, and though you may not know, the baby is moving them fiercely. Fingers have appeared and if looked closely enough, you could count them as well.

The passage from which the air flows (air pipe / trachea) from throat and lungs is formed. The fetus is still inside its amniotic sac. The placenta continues to grow and forms villi that help it to attach with the womb.

Things to do

• Try wearing comfortable bra, to support your enlarged and tender breasts.
• Maternity wear, you will be needing them soon hon!
• Prioritise and do work which is important, do not strain yourself, find time to take rest.
• You have skipped two cycles now, and have probably not put on a lot of weight except on your boobs.
• Buy a supporting pillow which is long or rectangular in shape. You can use them till delivery. These support the tummy and also help in back pain.

PS: Every baby grows differently in the womb and outside it. The information presented here is on generic terms, and it does not necessarily holds true for everyone.
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