You at 8 weeks pregnant

Physical symptoms at 8 weeks of pregnancy

Your uterus is about the size of a tennis ball. It’s putting pressure on your bladder, so you might be feeling the need to go to the toilet more often.

Your body is making a lot of hormones to help your baby grow. Nausea peaks around this time, so you might feel quite sick.

Emotional signs at 8 weeks of pregnancy

You might also feel more emotional, and you could be happy or grumpy at a moment’s notice. Or you might feel like you have a lot of energy.

Either way, emotional swings are normal when you’re pregnant.

If you’re not sure when you became pregnant, or if you’ve had a previous miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, your doctor or midwife might recommend an ultrasound scan in very early pregnancy, often at 8-10 weeks. This ultrasound scan can check for the baby’s heartbeat and work out the age and due date.

Your baby when you’re 8 weeks pregnant

This is what’s going on with your baby, which is called an embryo at this stage of pregnancy.

How big is your baby at 8 weeks of pregnancy?

The embryo is about 1.2 cm long.

What does your baby look like at 8 weeks of pregnancy?

• Eyes have formed underneath a layer of skin.
• The nose is starting to show.
• The upper jaw and roof of the mouth are coming together.
• The inner ear and tongue are developing.
• Webbed fingers are taking shape.
• The reproductive organs are developing, but it’s too early to tell whether you’re having a girl or a boy.
• The embryo’s tail is getting smaller – it will eventually disappear.

Our Pregnancy for partners section has tips and information for your partner, if you have one. It covers essential topics like antenatal classes, relationships and feelings, wellbeing, birth support and early parenting.