Week 8
Mum:
This is usually the time when you go to your first visit to your gynecologist. It is a good time to discuss and clarify any queries and difficulties you might have at this point in time. By this week your digestive process would have slowed down to allow your bloodstream to better absorb the nutrients that are then passed on to your baby. As a result you might experience indigestion and bloating. You might find relief by eating small, frequent meals, chewing your food thoroughly and avoiding high fat foods. No matter how uncomfortable such symptoms make you feel, rest assured that your baby is oblivious to your pain. As long as you keep on eating healthy meals your discomfort is 100% harmless to your baby.
Baby:
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! Your baby’s head is quite big, due to the rapid growth of the brain. Your baby’s heart begins to separate into four chambers, and blood is circulating throughout the body. Intestines form within the umbilical cord, but will later migrate back into the abdominal cavity. The cells that will become either testes or ovaries start developing, but there is no obvious sign of gender yet. Muscle contractions are beginning, but these early “movements” are not yet perceptible. By the end of this week your baby will be about 8-11 mm.
Dad:
Looking for a way to pamper your pregnant love? The fatigue of the first trimester is really hard on most women, particularly if they normally are very active. Getting extra rest helps, and fixing dinner or tucking other children to bed helps a great deal.
