Your 8th Week of Pregnancy
Your baby is about the size of a grape. It now measures about 15mm. It is still very small and weighs a gram and a half. At this point, it still closely resembles other mammal embryos. The accelerated evolution of an entire species is taking place in your very own body!
BABY DEVELOPMENT
Your baby is getting to be quite the human being! His fingers and toes are fully formed and he is able to touch his thumb to his forefinger. His intestine is still growing - it will reach 3 metres at birth, which is pretty impressive in someone so small, and his genitourinary tract is on its way as well. As for the sex of your baby, although it is already genetically defined, it isn’t visible yet. At the end of the eighth week, baby’s heart and vascular systems will be in place. By the time you get your next ultrasound, the pounding of his heart should be audible, beating at an impressive rate of 80 bpm (beats per minute)!
YOUR BODY
It’s around week 8 that you may start to notice your figure changing. Some women may lose a little weight while others are already starting to gain some. Pregnancy often shows surprisingly early.
You stand on the scales and see that the pounds are melting away, even though there is a child on the way? Don’t worry if you do not put on weight in the first few weeks of pregnancy, losing it instead. Hormonal changes, along with lack of appetite or nausea, are to blame. The weight changes do, however, vary a lot from one woman to another.
NUTRITION
Time to get drinking! You should be putting away plenty of water while pregnant.
It is an essential component of your blood, of which the volume has increased significantly since the beginning of your pregnancy to ensure you pass on the necessary nutrition for your baby. It is therefore essential to avoid dehydration while maintaining this increased blood volume. Drink at least 1.5 litres of water a day, and even more in hot weather. Avoid sugary drinks and sodas with caffeine, to limit passing the excitants on to baby.
TIPS
“I am 8 weeks pregnant and I've put on 5 kilos. What’s up with that?” Whether that’s your story or not, it’s good to know that weight gain naturally varies among women in pregnancy. That said, an early, rapid weight gain should be reported to your doctor, because it is rather unusual for it to happen so soon. If your weight before pregnancy was lower than average, you probably have no reason to worry. But if you were a normal or heavy weight before pregnancy, your doctor might want to monitor your diet.
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