Pregnancy Calendar – Week Eight

Your little embryo is about five eights of an inch long this week! The heart is beating stronger each day, and the liver is producing large amounts of red blood cells—this will continue until the bone marrow forms and takes over this function. The skeleton is forming, and the arms and legs have gotten longer. The knee and elbow joints have formed as well, and the hands are now flexed at the wrist. In the next few days, foot plates with the beginnings of toes will appear. The brain continues to mature during this week, and nerve cells begin to connect with one another, forming early neural pathways. The intestines start to develop in the umbilical cord, but will later move back into the abdominal cavity.

You may have noticed you are having trouble sleeping through the night. Some women experience insomnia during their entire pregnancy. Hormones contribute to this by causing an increase in both your heart rate and your urine production (so you have to get up to go to the bathroom more during the night). You may feel uncomfortable as the uterus gets larger and presses on different organs and nerves. Some nights you may be excited or even anxious when thinking about the coming changes in your life. You may also be experiencing breast tenderness. An increase in hormones causes more blood to go to your breasts, making them sensitive to the touch. If your breasts are sore at night, try wearing a cotton sleep bra. Cut out caffeine from your diet as much as possible. Make sure you avoid filling up with fluids or eating a full meal within a few hours of going to bed at night because this can lead to indigestion when you lie down. Most women find it helpful to get into a routine of going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. 

When you are able to sleep, you may have strange, vivid dreams. The physical and hormonal changes in pregnancy play a large part in this. Another reason for unusual dreams is that your pregnancy represents a big transition in your life, and dreaming is a way of expressing anxiety you may be having. Your dreams help you adjust to the physical and emotional changes that pregnancy brings. Paying attention to your dreams could give you more insight into what concerns you may have about your pregnancy. Some women find it helpful to discuss their dreams or to write about them in their journal. (To explore this more, visit DivineCaroline’s Body & Soul section: Dreams.)


Hot Topic: First Prenatal Visit

Your first prenatal appointment with your doctor or midwife will take place around this time. You will want to write down a list of questions to take with you. Here are some things to expect at the first visit: