Your Baby At Week 8 Of Pregnancy
In the previous week of pregnancy, many important fetal body systems were developing: brain, heart, lungs, and others. At the same time, your fetus grew in size until it was as long as a whole centimeter. This may not seem like much, but consider that not so long ago it was the size of a poppy seed.
So whats going on with your baby this week?
Week 8 Pregnancy Care
Now is a good time to start thinking about your options for birth. If you are a first-time parents-to-be, this is something youve never needed to consider before.
Choosing the right healthcare provider and birthplace, however, is very important.
Your choices should reflect the type of birth you want.
Spend time discussing this with your partner to make sure youre on the same page. Share with each other your hopes and expectations for your babys birth.
You both might like to readHow Do I Choose A Care Providerfor more information.
Its not uncommon at this stage for parents-to-be to realize how little they know about birth.
Ask yourselves plenty of questions. Whats most important to you? Do you have any concerns or fears about birth that need to be addressed?
Are you high risk and, if so, how will this affect your choices for your birth?
Do some research on the options available in your area.
Some popular options, such as birth centers and private midwives, have long waiting lists, so dont leave it too late.
This will be one of the most important days of your life. Plan to have the best people there to support you.
See our article about your options when giving birth for more information.
How Does Carrying Multiples Affect My Due Date
Expecting twins or triplets is different than expecting one baby in many ways, including the due date. If youre pregnant with multiples, your doctor will use your last menstrual period and an ultrasound to determine your due date. However, every pregnancy is unique and your doctor may recommend delivery prior to the estimated due date. Talk to your provider about when you can expect to deliver twins or triplets.
Don’t Miss: Early Pregnancy Implantation Rash
Is It Normal To Be Exhausted At 8 Weeks Pregnant
At this point, you might feel like taking a nap under your desk most days. Its quite common for women to feel very tired and fatigued in early pregnancy.
Being 8 weeks pregnant isnt easy. Although from the outside, it might seem like not much is happening, youre growing a tiny human being and that takes a lot of energy.
Pregnancy fatigue is no joke. Most of us are not used to the feeling of having no energy, and it can be very frustrating at times. You might not feel able to manage even the most basic of chores or routines.
Dont worry. This is very normal in early pregnancy, especially around about now.
Try to rest as much as you can. Go to bed early, learn to take naps, and listen to your body. Be kind to yourself.
Block out some me time throughout the week. Make it a priority. Self-care is key.
Your body has some very important work to do over the next few weeks.
Your due date might feel a long way away. But trust me, soon youll be into the second trimester. Youll have more energy and you can let that pregnancy glow shine through.
Convert Weeks Into Months How Does This Work
The Weeks into Months Pregnancy Calculator converts the amount of time youve been pregnant from weeks into the equivalent number of months. If you want to find out how far along into your pregnancy you are, the Weeks into Months Converter is the most efficient tool for calculating and recording your pregnancy.
To use the Weeks into Months Pregnancy Converter, simply fill in the required fields of the Pregnancy Calculator with the length of your pregnancy in weeks. Once youve pressed the calculate button, youll immediately be shown how far along you are in months!
Don’t Miss: Is It Okay To Use Vagisil While Pregnant
Third Trimester: Week 29 Week 40
The third trimester is the final stage of pregnancy. Discomforts that started in the second trimester will likely continue, along with some new ones. As the baby grows and puts more pressure on your internal organs, you may find you have difficulty breathing and have to urinate more frequently. These problems are normal and should go away once you give birth. You may notice other physical changes, including:
- Swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face
- Shortness of breath, heartburn, and difficulty sleeping
Other changes are happening in your body during the third trimester that you can’t see. As your due date approaches, your cervix becomes thinner and softer in a process called effacement that helps the cervix open during childbirth. Your doctor will monitor the progress of your pregnancy with regular exams, especially as you near your due date.
If you notice any sudden or extreme swelling or if you gain a lot of weight really quickly, call your doctor right away. This could be a sign of a serious condition called preeclampsia.
Week 32
Your baby now gains about ½ pounds a week, weighs about 4 to 4½ pounds, and is about 15 to 17 inches long.
- Your baby’s bones are soft but fully formed.
- Movements and kicking increase.
- Your baby’s eyes can open and close.
- Although the lungs have not fully formed, practice “breathing” movements occur.
- Your baby’s body begins to store vital minerals, such as iron and calcium.
- Lanugo begins to fall off.
Week 36
Week 37-40
How Do I Calculate My Due Date
You can calculate your due date by using:
The date of your last period
You can calculate your due date if you know the first day of your last menstrual period before you got pregnant. Your due date is 40 weeks after the day you started your last period.
This method is a good way to estimate when your baby is due because many women remember the day they started their period. But it might not always be accurate, especially if you have an irregular menstrual cycle or are on birth control.
The date you conceived
If you know the exact day you conceived, you can use that information to figure out when your baby is due. Count ahead 38 weeks from the day you got pregnant. That day is your due date.
This method is only accurate if youre sure about the day you got pregnant. You may only know the specific day you got pregnant if you know when you ovulated. Ovulation happens when your ovaries release an egg. Usually, women ovulate about 14 days after the first day of their period. You can track your ovulation by:
- Taking your basal body temperature around the time when you think you might be ovulating.
- Tracking your ovulation symptoms, such as ovulation pain and cervical mucus.
- Using an ovulation predictor kit. These kits use your urine to detect when youre ovulating.
Recommended Reading: Braces While Pregnant
Can My Due Date Change
Yes, your due date can change. While its definitely not a reason to worry, your doctor may change your due date for a number of reasons as your pregnancy progresses.
It may be that you have irregular periods and your early ultrasound dating was off, or that your first ultrasound was in the second trimester.
It could also be because your fundal height is abnormal, or your levels of alpha-fetoprotein , a protein made by the baby, are outside the usual range. Talk to your practitioner if you have any questions or concerns.
Why Am I Showing Already At 8 Weeks
Congratulationsyouve just learned that youre pregnant! You may be wondering when everyone else will begin to learn of your condition by themselvesthat is, when will you begin to show? Before long, your body will begin to change shape. The changes will be most noticeable in your tummy, which will expand to accommodate your developing baby. Watching your stomach grow is a part of pregnancy that you may find as nerve-wracking as it is exciting. Some are 8 weeks pregnant and are already showing and they wonder if this is normal.
Also Check: Can I Drink Breakfast Essentials While Pregnant
What Is A Due Date
It takes about 38 weeks for human babies to develop fully in the womb. Your due date is the day youre expected to give birth based on this 38-week gestation process.
But keep in mind that healthcare providers consider a pregnancy to be full-term anywhere between 37 and 42 weeks. Babies can be born at any time, and many factors play a role in determining when you go into labor and when your baby will actually enter the world.
How Does The Pregnancy Due Date Calculator Work
- Add 280 days to the first day of your last menstrual period .
- Your menstrual period and ovulation are counted as the first two weeks of pregnancy. This is why a pregnancy ovulation calculator is helpful to pinpoint the exact ovulation cycle.
- If you deliver on your due date, your baby is actually only 38 weeks old, not 40.
Read Also: Is It Ok To Use Vagisil While Pregnant
How Soon Can You Take A Pregnancy Test After Ivf Or Icsi
Your doctor should schedule a blood test to confirm your pregnancy.As for a home urine test – in this case, patience is a virtue. The longer you wait, the higher probability that your result is real, and not a false-positive. To calculate the estimated date when your pregnancy test should turn positive, the pregnancy calculator on this page will serve you well.
The theory:
IVF and ICSI were a major breakthrough in medicine. A patient undergoing IVF treatment receives multiple treatments, which completely changes her hormonal environment.
At the beginning of an IVF cycle, we need to induce the development of multiple eggs – we can achieve this with artificial hormones. After the body begins to respond to this, we need to supply other hormones to prevent ovulation, allowing for the eggs to mature. We harvest the eggs after 36 hours. That is the moment where the eggs are fertilized with sperm.
After fertilization, we can transfer the embryo into the woman’s body after 2 or 3 days or 4-6 days . The doctor decides after assessing the quality of the embryos.
During IVF, the whole process of eggs development is accelerated. That is why high levels of hCG can be detected earlier than with a natural conception, which means that you will get a positive pregnancy test earlier. Keep in mind that there is a small chance of a false positive result!
Fun fact: women at the time of the embryo transfer, in theory, instantly become 2 weeks pregnant!
How To Calculate Due Date By Conception
If you happen to know the exact day you conceived, you could calculate your baby due date by counting 38 weeks from the date of conception . But figuring out an accurate due date based on conception date is easier said than done: Unless you were really deliberate about tracking your ovulation or were able to make a baby in one shot , knowing which day was the big one isnt clear cut. Even if you had sex only once during your six-day fertile period, you may not have actually conceived that day unless you happened to be ovulating. Conception happens when your egg is fertilized, but since sperm can live inside your fallopian tubes for up to five days waiting for an egg to be released, you could conceive up to five days after having sex. Its enough to make a mom-to-bes head spin. Thats where a due date calculator, also known as a pregnancy calculator, helps.
You May Like: Nutraburst Side Effects
What To Expect At 8 Weeks Pregnant Checklist
Heres your week 8 pregnancy checklist with the only arrangement:
- Now might be a good time to start wearing a more supportive bra. Your breasts are going to feel increasingly heavy and uncomfortable as time goes on. A well-fitting, supportive bra will increase comfort and minimize later sagging.
Its not uncommon for women at this stage of pregnancy to find the experience overwhelming, even if they have the support of friends and family. Take a moment to acknowledge how far youve come and how well youre coping! In fact, one of the best ways to care for your growing baby is to take care of yourself.
This means taking time out of your day to rest and relax this will make it easier to deal with tiredness and nausea. Make sure that your diet is nourishing and healthy. And if possible, try to incorporate a little exercise into your daily routine. A short walk or a few laps in the local swimming pool will make a world of difference to how you feel!
Dont be shy to call upon the support of others around you. Let friends and relatives know that youd really appreciate their generosity in helping you out around the house or with personal tasks. Tell work colleagues how youre feeling and see if theyre willing to make adjustments in the office to make things easier for you. And of course, make sure to reach out to your trusted healthcare professional for expert medical advice.
How Many Weeks Pregnant Am I
As you probably know by now, pregnancy is counted in weeks, rather than months.
Every pregnancy is divided into three equal parts called trimesters:
- The first trimester is week 1 through the end of week 12
- The second trimester is week 13 though the end of week 26
- The third trimester is week 27 to the end of the pregnancy
You can probably expect certain milestones to occur during each trimester. For example, many women experience nausea and vomiting during the first trimester. Those symptoms fade for some women when the second trimester rolls around, and they start to feel a little more energetic. Second trimester is also when most women begin to notice little fluttery movementssigns that yes, theres actually a baby in there. Your doctor may also perform an anatomy scan around 20 weeks of pregnancy during the second trimester, and you can find out your babys sex.
When the third trimester gets underway, your due date will probably loom large in your mind, as you may start the countdown toward delivery and meeting your new baby. Your provider will want to monitor you more closely as your due date approaches, in case any interventions need to happen. That due date will come in handy for making those types of decisions.
Read Also: Giving Plasma While Pregnant
Pregnancy Term & Due Date
Pregnancy is a term used to describe a woman’s state over a time period during which one or more offspring develops inside of a woman. Childbirth usually occurs approximately 38 weeks after conception, or about 40 weeks after the last menstrual period. The World Health Organization defines a normal pregnancy term to last between 37 and 42 weeks. During a person’s first OB-GYN visit, the doctor will usually provide an estimated date at which the child will be born, or due date. Alternatively, the due date can also be estimated based on a person’s last menstrual period.
While the due date can be estimated, the actual length of pregnancy depends on various factors, including age, length of previous pregnancies, and weight of the mother at birth.1 However, there are still more factors affecting natural variation in pregnancy terms that are not well understood. Studies have shown that fewer than 4% of births occur on the exact due date, 60% occur within a week of the due date, and almost 90% occur within two weeks of the due date.2 As such, while it is possible to be fairly confident that a person’s child will be born within about two weeks of the due date, it is currently not possible to predict the exact day of birth with certainty.
What Do I Need To Know About Using A Pregnancy Due Date Calculator
A due date calculator may not be completely accurate. This is especially true if you arent exactly sure when you had your last period, you have irregular periods or you dont know when you conceived. You should see your provider for a more precise test, such as an ultrasound, to confirm your due date.
Recommended Reading: Can I Get Lasik While Pregnant
How Soon Will A Pregnancy Test Read Positive
The pregnancy test should read positive a few days after implantation, usually around 14 days after ovulation in naturally conceived pregnancies.
Keep in mind that if your periods are irregular, it might be quite challenging to predict your ovulation date and moment when you’ll receive a positive pregnancy test result!
As for IVF treatment, even though you may expect your results to be positive a little bit earlier on, keep in mind that hCG used in the procedure may influence some of the results, creating a false-positive.
Role Of Fundal Height
Your midwife or doctor may measure your fundal height at your pregnancy well-checks. The fundal height is the measurement in centimeters from your pubic bone to the top of your uterus. It should grow at a predictable rate as your pregnancy continues.
After 20 weeks, your fundal height in centimeters will typically be the same as the number of weeks you are pregnant. In other words, at 21 weeks pregnant, your fundal height should be around 21 centimeters .
Sometimes, the fundal height won’t match perfectly. Slight variations are normal, but if you are measuring much smaller or larger than expected, your primary care provider may want to investigate with another ultrasound.
While useful, the fundal height is not an accurate measurement of gestational age and would not affect the estimated due date in any way.
Also Check: Why Can’t You Donate Plasma While Pregnant
