Pregnancy Week 8

Learn From the Specialists

What Your Baby is Doing This Week

Your baby is forming fingers and toes this week. Also, you can't feel it but your baby is already flexing his arms at the elbows and wrists. The eyes are looking more like eyes although if you could see your baby's face, the eye area would still just be a large dark spot on your baby's every maturing face.

This week, magic is happening in the digestive tract and your baby's intestines are growing longer. Your baby's abdomen is not large enough to hold the intestines so until around week 12, they will protrude forward into the umbilical cord.

Also, the gender although determined at conception by an X or Y sperm, is now making its appearance but it will be a short while before you can know if your baby is a boy or a girl.

What Your Body is Doing This Week

You're probably already experiencing pregnancy systems such as a missed period, nausea and tight clothes from the swelling of your uterus. Most women will take a home pregnancy test around this week and the positive result will have you making your first prenatal doctor's appointment. This is the time to make the choice of the type of health care professional you wish to work with during your pregnancy. For various reasons women may choose an obstetrician, nurse practitioner, midwife, or their family doctor. If your pregnancy is considered high risk (for example, if you have had multiple miscarriages, are older than 35, or have a history of pregnancy complications), your doctor may want to see you as early as possible and more often during the course of your pregnancy.

Getting the best prenatal care possible is extremely important for your health and the healthy, safe delivery of your baby. Make your first prenatal appointment as soon as you know your expecting and make the appointments a top priority.

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