Week 8 of pregnancy | First Trimester

As Week 8 rolls around, you may be really astounded to realise that you are already one fifth of the way through your pregnancy. Though still a little uncomfortable with morning sickness, the excitement of a new life is no doubt getting you and your husband through this.

MOM
You might find that your favourite pants are feeling a little tight by now, and that you need to loosen the top button from time to time. Don’t be alarmed, you aren’t putting on weight because of that extra slice of cake you ate! Your uterus is actually the size of an orange right now, and your waistline is expanding. Your breasts may also be feeling especially heavy and will grow by a cup size during the course of your pregnancy.

BABY
While we’re comparing the uterus size to an orange, we can also compare your baby to the size of a grape at 11mm CR. This week your baby’s gonads will develop into either testes or ovaries, and spontaneous movement will also begin. Elbows appear and bones begin to harden, while toes start to grow – although it’s not time to count ten of them just yet. Baby’s liver is churning out large amounts of red blood cells and will continue to do so until bone marrow forms and takes over this particular function. Other interesting developments are that intestines start to form in the umbilical cord, while teeth start to form in the gums.

The following image is courtesy of standupgirl.com

DAD
At this point in time, you might be starting to stress about the financial and psychological responsibilities of being a parent. Don’t be afraid to talk to your partner about the concerns that you have, as she is no doubt feeling the same way. Make decisions and plans together, and pay a visit to your local bookstore to do a little reading on parenting in order to put your mind at rest.

This week has produced much growth in both Mom and Baby – who are both sprouting at quite a speed. Next week we’ll give you some news on your baby’s size and weight, which might just surprise you.