← Back to All Weeks
🌱First Trimester•Weeks 1-13
Week 8 of Pregnancy
Your baby is the size of kidney bean
📏
Length
0.63 inches
⚖️
Weight
0.04 ounces
🍎
Size Comparison
Kidney bean
👶 Baby Development
- •Webbed fingers and toes are forming with distinct ridges that will become fingerprints
- •The tail-like structure has completely disappeared
- •Eyes are more visible and have some pigment, though eyelids are fused shut
- •Breathing tubes (bronchi) extend from the throat to the developing lungs
- •Nerve cells are rapidly branching out throughout the body to form the nervous system
- •The upper lip and nose are forming, and taste buds begin developing
- •Elbows appear and arms can flex at the wrist and elbow
💭 Common Symptoms
- •Heightened sense of smell that can trigger instant nausea
- •Strong food aversions to previously enjoyed foods, especially meat and fish
- •Noticeable breast enlargement as milk ducts expand and prepare for breastfeeding
- •Occasional mild cramping as your uterus continues expanding
- •Increased clear or white vaginal discharge (leukorrhea) due to increased estrogen
- •Possible weight loss if morning sickness is severe
- •Visible veins on your breasts and abdomen due to increased blood flow
🥗 Nutrition Tips
- •Continue taking prenatal vitamins daily, switching to a gummy version if pills cause nausea
- •Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds for brain development
- •Include 3-4 servings of dairy per day (milk, yogurt, cheese) or fortified alternatives for calcium
- •Snack on nuts and seeds which provide protein, healthy fats, and vitamin E
- •Try eating cold or room-temperature protein sources if hot meat triggers nausea
- •Include iron-rich foods with vitamin C to enhance absorption
- •Eat zinc-rich foods like beef, pumpkin seeds, and lentils
✅ To-Do This Week
- •Stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the day, even if you're experiencing nausea
- •Get plenty of rest and nap when possible - fatigue is still intense
- •Start thinking about maternity clothes as your regular pants may feel tight
- •Continue completely avoiding alcohol, tobacco, and all harmful substances
- •Consider using a belly band to extend the life of your regular pants
- •Take photos of your changing body to document your journey
- •Research childbirth classes offered in your area
💡
Did You Know?
By the end of week 8, your baby graduates from being called an "embryo" to a "fetus"! This marks the end of the embryonic period when all major organs have begun forming.