So you’re eight weeks pregnant…

pregnancy week 8 brain nerve cells square

The second month of pregnancy is coming to a close, and it’s probably beginning to feel more real that you are, in fact, pregnant. You may even be gaining weight already, and for the average healthy female there may be a gain of 1-5 pounds in the first trimester before the weight gain becomes more regular further into pregnancy.

You’ll likely be having your first prenatal appointment with an OB soon, in which case you may receive a first-trimester ultrasound to verify the pregnancy is in the uterus and see how far along you are.

This first appointment may involve some various testing, including blood tests (checking hormones, looking for STDs, etc), urine tests (looking at the protein and glucose levels) and possibly a pelvic exam to check for any infections or potential issues.

Baby’s Development

week8kidneybeanIn your eighth week of pregnancy, baby is the size of a kidney bean! Baby weighs about .04 ounces and measures .63 inches long, growing about a millimeter per day.

Facial features are becoming increasingly defined, such as the upper jaw and nose, and eyelid folds beginning to cover the eyes. Just look back at the last week of pregnancy to see the huge change in baby’s shape, including that tail disappearing and ridges developing on the hands, showing where those fingers will be!