Pregnancy Week 8 - Pregnancy Week by Week - Pregnancy Calendar

You have probably scheduled the first office visit by now. Some practitioners do not want to see you for your first visit until after you've missed two periods. This will decrease the numbers of false pregnancies and miscarriages. Many things will take place at the first prenatal visit.

Every practitioner has a different schedule and each visit will not be as lengthy as this initial visit. This is a good time to ask any questions that have come up or to go over the list of questions for choosing a care provider.

• 8 Week Bellies
• Talk to Other Moms!

Your baby will be about 8-11 mm CR by the end of the week. The baby's hind brain is clearly visible. This week the baby's gonads will become either testes or ovaries. And spontaneous movement begins! There are a lot of things that we do know about life before birth.

Bones and joints this week have many things going on. Elbows appear and the process of ossification (hardening of the bones) begins. Toe rays become present, almost ready for you to count!

• Fetal Development Pictures - Week by Week
• Week 8 Ultrasounds

At 8 weeks, I fit on the end of mom's finger. I bet she can't wait to hear my heart beat. Soon! http://ow.ly/53G0d

Looking for a way to treat her? Why not fix dinner and offer her a nap in the afternoon? The fatigue of the first trimester is really hard on most women, particularly if they normally are very active. Getting extra rest helps. If a nap isn't possible perhaps you could tuck other children in bed or close the house up for the night while she runs to bed a bit earlier. Or the opposite, you can get everyone up or fix breakfast, allowing her to sleep in for a few minutes. These will be much appreciated.

Sharing the news of your pregnancy is a lot of fun for most people. The question can be who do you tell first? Do you tell your best friend first because she can help you plan a great surprise announcement? Do you share the news with your husband or partner first? What about that phone call to your best friend?

Who did you tell first and why?

Indigestion, heartburn and other gastrointestinal problems can start earlier when there is more than one baby. This caused by both the greater expanse in the uterus at this point as well as an increase in hormones from a single pregnancy.

Pregnancy Day by Day: The Expectant Mother's Journal by Sheila Kitzinger
A great journal with space for thoughts and thought provoking question, aside blurbs of information.
Click Here to Order

<--- Previous Week | Next Week --->

_{Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 |}

Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 |

Week 16 | Week 17 | Week 18 | Week 19 | Week 20 | Week 21 | Week 22 |

Week 23 | Week 24 | Week 25 | Week 26 | Week 27 | Week 28 | Week 29 |

Week 30 | Week 31 | Week 32 | Week 33 | Week 34 | Week 35 | Week 36 |

Week 37 | Week 38 | Week 39 | Week 40 | Week 41 | Week 42

There will be slight differences in everyone's growth and fetal development. Any problems should be reported to your practitioner.

_{Photo © S. Lazier}