Development of the Baby
At 8 weeks of pregnancy, your baby is about to complete her transition from embryo to fetus, and her growth rate has quadrupled in the last 2 weeks.
The bone structure is still in the form of cartilage tissue. The fingers and toes have formed, but they are still not completely separated from each other, and they are also very short. His wrist, elbow, and knee joints are visible.
In the 8-week-old baby, the details of the face continue to develop even more prominently: the nose, lips and ears become more prominent. The eyelids will almost take their final shape. Eye structures also continue to form. Your eyes are getting bigger and starting to color.
All four chambers of the heart were formed in the 8-week-old baby in the womb. His heart gets stronger every day.
The forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain have almost completed their development.
Along with the central nervous system, the development of major organs such as lungs, pancreas and intestines continues.
In the 8th week of pregnancy, the baby’s skin, despite its formation, is transparent.
The tooth and palate structure began to form at the end of the 8th gestational week.
Ultrasound Image
The ultrasound image of the 8-week-old baby is exciting because you can see your baby moving this week. Some babies may even have arm and leg movements. The expectant mother will not feel these movements yet.
The 8-week-old baby still stands in an inverted C-shape in the womb. His head, which is more erect than last week, is still large for his size and almost the same size as his body. The baby’s heartbeat can be seen on ultrasound this week. Arm and leg formations and eye part can be seen more clearly in 8-week ultrasound images.
Sexual organs began to form even more prominently in the eight-week-old baby in the womb. However, it is not clear whether it is a girl or a boy, usually it is not seen on ultrasound before 16 weeks.
Changes in the Mother's Body
Changes in the mother at 8 weeks of pregnancy are as follows:
– For the safe development of the baby in the womb, the mother’s cervical plug has completed its formation. The uterus is almost the size of an orange. In the eighth week of pregnancy, the uterus rests on the bladder. This can cause a feeling of frequent urination, even if your urine is low. This will disappear during the middle months of pregnancy, but in the last months of pregnancy, the uterus will again weigh on the bladder,
– In the 8th week of pregnancy, there may be some changes in your skin due to the effect of pregnancy hormones. Acne, dryness and itching may occur on the skin,
– Your doctor may recommend that you discontinue folic acid supplementation at 8 weeks of pregnancy. Because by this week, the development of the canal (neural tube development) where the brain and spinal cord are located in the baby has been completed,
– At 8 weeks of pregnancy, the function of the hormone responsible for the development of the inner layer of the uterus where the baby is placed will be transferred from the ovarian tissue to the structure called the placenta, which is responsible for the nutrition of the baby. At this stage of transfer, some expectant mothers may have spotting-style bleeding,
– In addition, you may have cramp-like pains and sometimes even spotting-style bleeding similar to menstrual pains on the dates corresponding to your menstrual period in the 8th week. Although this is normal for some pregnant women, if you encounter bleeding at 8 weeks of pregnancy, do not forget to inform your doctor immediately,
– Eight weeks of pregnancy symptoms include feeling tired in the previous weeks, excessive desire to sleep, frequent desire to urinate, swelling, pain and tenderness in the breast area. Your waist starts to thicken,
– You may have headaches. It is stated that the most important reason for this is the increased blood volume in the body,
– Nausea may continue at 8 weeks of pregnancy, you may start to suffer from heartburn and indigestion,
– At 8 weeks of pregnancy, some or all of these pregnancy symptoms may not be seen in some expectant mothers. These pregnancies also usually progress in a healthy way. Nevertheless, these expectant mothers should also have their routine examinations, be careful not to feed and not to make excessive-sudden movements and not to lift heavy.
Points need to be considered
During the 8th week of pregnancy, you may experience some concerns due to hormonal reasons. Negative emotions may also be based on the expectant mother’s fear of looking ugly and sexually distancing herself from her partner as the pregnancy progresses. It will be a great relief for you to share these concerns with your partner and take some precautions. For example, if it is a planned pregnancy, it is a good solution to dye the hair natural color before pregnancy. Although no scientific research has been conducted on this subject, needs such as hair dyeing should be paused during pregnancy. Or, if the expectant mother has a lot of white and is uncomfortable with this situation, she can only apply mascara to the front of her hair daily.
You should take the following precautions against possible skin problems that you may experience at the 8th week of pregnancy:
– Eat a balanced diet,
– Drink plenty of water,
– Get B6 support by consulting your doctor,
– Clean your face several times with a natural or organic cleanser,
– Again, use a natural or organic moisturizer.
In order to avoid heartburn and indigestion during the 8th week of pregnancy, you can pay attention to the following:
– Try not to gain too much weight,
– Swallow food slowly and chew a lot,
– Do not consume spicy, bitter foods. Stay away from delicatessen products. Take care not to consume chocolate and coffee,
– Do not wear tight clothes,
– Do not consume junk food and fast food. Make yourself healthy snacks at home.
Take care to move safely throughout the pregnancy. At 8 weeks, the baby will gradually grow in your belly and you may sometimes feel like you are losing your balance. For this reason, be sure to maintain your balance and walk calmly while walking. Always wear your seat belt when traveling. Do not do heroic things in the kitchen or housework: Do not climb stairs or stools. Try not to reach on high shelves and make movements that stretch your belly up. Pay attention to wet floors in your home, garden, or sidewalk. Be careful when taking a bath. Do not overdo sports. If you have one, try not to hold your first child or children in your arms while they are standing.
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