Pregnancy Week Eight

Welcome to week eight of pregnancy! This week your baby is the size of a large raspberry. Can you believe he or she grows about a millimeter a day? Your little one is beginning to look a lot more like a baby this week, as his or her facial features, legs and back continue taking shape. His or her little fingers and toes are webbed right now. Your bundle of joy's heart is beating twice as fast as yours! Plus he or she is twitching and moving right now, though you still can't feel it.

As for you, your hormones are still driving you nuts and your symptoms are probably increasing in numbers and intensity.This week you're probably bloating, experiencing morning sickness and tired! Don't worry many early symptoms dissipate by your second trimester.

Right now, you're probably fully fed up with these awful hormones. You probably have morning sickness, mood swings, fatigue... the works! Even though at eight weeks you're not showing, you still might experience some bloating. Its just one of the many symptoms of pregnancy you can look forward to for the next few weeks.

You might be worrying about how your baby is feeling, considering you're feeling terrible. Don't worry, he or she is just fine despite all your symptoms. Oddly enough, many of these symptoms are signs that your pregnancy is going well! For now just eat often, drink lots of water and sleep; and you'll be back to your old self again in about a month!

But remember, if you are genuinely concerned about anything, contact your doctor immediately. There's nothing more powerful than a mother's intuition. You'll know when something's wrong, if you pay attention to your body.

Can you believe your baby is already about eight to eleven millimeters? He or she is moving and twitching inside of you right now, though you won't be able to feel it till around week seventeen to week twenty four. This week your baby's lips, tongue, nostrils and little buds for his or her teeth are taking shape to create your little one's adorable baby facial features! His or her arms, legs, elbows and knees are all growing and developing. Soon you won't see a tail anymore. He or she has little webbed fingers and toes which are now visible.

Also this week the process of ossification will occur, which is when your baby's bones begin to harden. Nerve cells inside his or her brain are branching out to create his or her first neural pathways. So no alcohol! And finally If you go to a doctor this week, you will be able to hear your little one's heart beat through an ultrasound.

Advice
Dehydration is a common occurrence during pregnancy. It's extremely important to make sure you're getting plenty of fluids. Water to be more specific. Here's a little tip on how to tell if you're getting enough fluids. Check your urine. It should be a light color. If it's dark, it's time to double up on your water intake. Remember, you're not just hydrating yourself, you're hydrating your baby as well! Don't slack with your water intake.

Suggestion
Fruit should be your best friend during your pregnancy. It has the essential vitamins your baby needs as well as yourself.Fruit will also keep your bowel movements regular and consistent. This is important as constipation is very common for pregnant women. Even better news is that the right fruit can substitute any vegetable. So if you are not into veggies, then pick up some fruit (that's what I did). Just as an example, apricots can stand in for broccoli! Here's a tip, the darker the color, the strong the nutrient and mineral content. Don't be fooled by the outside of the fruit either, sometimes it's what's inside that matters. Stock up on your fruits this week, you can't go wrong!

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