Seven Weeks, Two Days - The Eighth Week

Time for the weekly update. Important thing happening this week is my doctor's appointment complete with ultrasound. At this point I think I'm more excited than nervous, but will definately relax once we know everything looks o.k. Only five more days.

The Baby
By your 8th week of pregnancy, the crown-to-rump length of your baby is 0.56 to 0.8 inch (14 to 20 mm). This is about the size of a pinto bean. Your baby is continuing to grow and to change rapidly during these early weeks. Eyelid folds are forming on the face. The tip of the nose is present. Ears are forming, internally and externally. In the heart, the aortic and pulmonary valves are present and distinct. Tubes leading from the throat to the functioning part of the lungs are branched, like the branches of a tree. The body's trunk area is getting longer and straightening out. Elbows are present, and the arms and leggs extend forward. Arms have grown longer. They bend at the elbows and curve slightly over the heart. The digital rays, which become fingers, are notched. Toe rays are present on the feet.

Your embryo is about 8mm long, and an ultrasound done now would detect the tiny thumping of the heart. Although all her major organs have formed, they are not fully developed or functional.

Your baby is constantly moving and shifting, although you won't be able to feel it for many more weeks. The arms now bend at the elbow and curve slightly; the hands are now flexed at the wrist and meet over the heart area. The legs are lengthening, and the feet may be long enough to meet in front of the body. It's still impossible to tell whether you're having a boy or a girl.

Your baby will be about 8-11 mm CR by the end of the week. The baby's hind brain is clearly visible. This week the baby's gonads will become either testes or ovaries. And spontaneous movement begins! There are a lot of things that we do know about life before birth. Bones and joints this week have many things going on. Elbows appear and the process of ossification (hardening of the bones) begins. Toe rays become present, almost ready for you to count!


The Mom
Your uterus is getting bigger, but it probably still isn't big enough for you to be showing, especially if this is your first pregnancy. You will notice a gradual change in your waistline and the fit of your clothes. Your healthcare provider will see that your uterus is enlarged if you have a pelvic exam. Before pregnancy, your uterus was about the size of your fist. After 6 weeks of growth, it is about the size of a grapefruit. As the uterus grows, you may feel cramping or even pain in your lower abdomen or your sides. Some women feel tightening or contractions of the uterus.

Your waistline may begin growing this week, though you're probably not showing. If you press your abdomen, you may feel your enlarged uterus -- it's about the size of a softball.

Though you haven't gained much weight yet, parts of you are certainly growing — like your breasts. Less obvious is the increase in blood volume; by the end of pregnancy, you'll have 45 to 50 percent more blood running through your veins to meet the demands of your baby. Take your prenatal vitamins to make sure you're getting the extra iron you need.

You have probably scheduled the first office visit by now. Some practitioners do not want to see you for your first visit until after you've missed two periods. This will decrease the numbers of false pregnancies and miscarriages. Many things will take place at the first visit:

Urine Sampled (protein, hCG, etc.)
Blood Pressure (baseline)
Weight (baseline)
Pelvic Exam (size of uterus, cysts, coloring of cervix)
Pap Smear (some practitioners do this now, others wait)
Blood (Rh factor, iron levels, immunities, specifically rubella)
Family History (complications that may be predictable)

Every practitioner has a different schedule and each visit will not be as lengthy as this initial visit. This is a good time to ask any questions that have come up or to go over the list of questions for choosing a care provider.