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As you continue your pregnancy week by week, morning sickness may become a nightmare during pregnancy week 8. You probably can't wait until this pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting stops! It is estimated that between 50 to 90 percent of all pregnant women experience some level of morning sickness. Some women may just feel nauseous; others experience bouts of severe vomiting.
Despite it's name, morning sickness can occur at any point during the day. It may be worse in the morning, but it can continue throughout the afternoon and night. Some pregnant women feel nauseous all the time. By 8 weeks pregnant, your morning sickness is around its peak. Morning sickness tends to start between pregnancy week 5 or 6 and it peaks at 9 weeks pregnant. For most women, it will go away in the second trimester.
Though morning sickness can make pregnancy unbearable, mild cases won't harm your baby. In fact, researchers have linked morning sickness with a decreased risk of miscarriage!
Causes of Morning Sickness
Doctors aren't sure what causes morning sickness, but it may be due to your rising levels of the pregnancy hormone, hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), which is released by the placenta to help support your pregnancy.
How to Cope with Morning Sickness
To help you cope with morning sickness during pregnancy week 8, you may consider:
- Eating small mini-meals during the day. Instead of three full meals, eat six smaller meals throughout the day.
- Drink plenty of fluids. Consume more fluids during the hours that you are least nauseous. Seltzer and sparkling water may help calm your stomach.
- Take a supplement of vitamin B6, but no more than 100 mg daily. Vitamin B6 has been linked to decreasing nausea in early pregnancy.
- Ginger has also been shown to help reduce nausea in pregnancy. You may want to snack on ginger cookies or ginger tea. If you are up for it, you can even nibble on fresh ginger.
- Avoid food triggers. If certain smells make you sick to your stomach, try to avoid them.
- Stick to eating bland foods.
- If your prenatal vitamins make you nauseous, try taking them before bed.
Severe Morning Sickness
Morning sickness often subsides after week 12 of pregnancy. In the cases that your nausea and vomiting does not go away, you may have a condition called "hyperemesis gravidarum," or severe morning sickness. This condition is rare, affecting only 1 or 2 percent of all pregnant women.
Hyperemesis gravidarum is more common in women expecting multiples, though it can occur in women carrying single babies too. You are at higher risk if you have a family history of hyperemesis gravidarum, you're carrying a girl, and you have a history of morning sickness or migraines. Women who have experienced this condition in past pregnancies are more likely to have it again.
Symptoms include severe and persistent nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, lightheadedness, and fainting. You may be unable to keep any food or liquids down, so you end up losing weight and becoming very dehydrated.
In very severe cases, women with hyperemesis gravidarum may need to be hospitalized to restore hydration, electrolytes, vitamins and nutrients that they've lost due to excessive vomiting.
At 8 weeks pregnant, you may not be able to tell whether you have typical morning sickness or hyperemesis gravidarum. You should not worry, unless you start to lose weight. Do not take any medications to treat your nausea without speaking to your doctor.
You should always consult your healthcare provider if you are concerned!
Weight Gain During Pregnancy - Week 8
Your pregnancy weight gain at 8 weeks pregnant may be one or two pounds. Every woman gains weight differently in her pregnancy week by week. If you have been suffering from morning sickness, you may find it difficult to keep gaining weight. Fortunately, the first trimester only lasts another five weeks, so you will soon get relief!
At pregnancy week 8, your baby is now 0.63 inches from crown to rump—roughly the size of a large bean. His or her head is huge relative to the rest of the body, due to rapid brain development. As you go through your pregnancy week by week, your baby will slowly become more proportional.
Your waist and tummy continue to pooch slightly this week, as your baby grows larger in utero. During pregnancy week 8, the baby's yolk sac is shrinking, because the placenta is starting to take over. The umbilical cord is also beginning to transport nutrients to the baby and removing wastes.
By pregnancy week 8, your baby's nose and the ears are developing. The tip of your baby's nose is already formed by now! If you were to peek inside your uterus, you'd see a few small bulges on the side of the head, and these will eventually form your baby's outer ear.
Your baby's eyes are becoming larger and pigmenting. The eyelids are in their beginning stages this week, but it won't be long before they cover his or her beautiful eyes.
Your baby's lungs continue to develop this week. They will continue to mature throughout the length of your pregnancy. The lungs are the last organs to mature. In most babies, they don't mature until 37 weeks of pregnancy. That's why so many premature babies require respiratory care.
Up until now, your baby had a small tail (which is really the spinal cord). This "tail" starts to disappear during pregnancy week 8, as the baby's spine is starting to straighten.
Your little one's elbows are now distinct, and his or her arms and legs are lengthening. Fingers and toes are beginning to form, but they are still webbed.
During the early weeks of pregnancy, you may have noticed that your breasts or nipples felt sore and tender to the touch. As you approach pregnancy week 8, your partner may remark with great glee that your breasts are gradually enlarging. It's not uncommon for breasts to increase by two inches or three pounds during pregnancy!
If you have larger breasts, pregnancy may make them drag or droop. Unfortunately, you may never go back to your pre-pregnancy firmness, but many women embrace this fact as a side effect of having their beautiful baby.
As you continue your pregnancy week by week, your breasts will continue to grow. By the end of the first trimester, don't be too surprised if you've grown an entire bra cup size! Your husband or partner may be very happy with this new growth, but touching may be off-limits as your breasts will continue to be very tender to the touch. Breast tenderness is often described as similar to how your breasts may feel before you have your period, only more swollen, tingly, and sensitive.
By the time your baby is born, your large breasts will be engorged and be full of delicious milk!
At 8 weeks pregnant and beyond, you may want to start thinking about pregnancy maternity bras. They have extra clasps in the back and larger cups to accommodate your growing size. These bras may be more comfortable than traditional bras with underwire. A nighttime maternity bra is also a good idea to help support your breasts during the nighttime hours.
Pregnancy Stretch Marks
As your breasts grow and become heavier, your skin might feel itchy. You may even develop stretch marks on your breasts. Though no one knows why some women develop stretch marks while other women do not, it is thought that genetics may play a factor.
There is no surefire way to prevent these unattractive marks, but lotion may help reduce the appearance of them. You may consider buying some pregnancy stretch mark creams, such as Belli Skincare products. These products are made with natural products that are safe for pregnant and nursing mothers.
Another Breast Change: Montgomery's Tubercles
Pregnancy doesn't just affect your breast size. Your nipples and areola (the darker skin around the nipple) will also change. Both your nipples and areolas may get bigger and darker. Pretty soon, you may start to notice little bumps on your areolas becoming more prominent. These are called "Montgomery's tubercles," and they become very noticeable during pregnancy. After pregnancy week 8, you may also begin to notice that you can see blue veins underneath the skin of your breasts.
Pregnancy hormones are to blame for these pregnancy breast changes. During pregnancy, your breasts are preparing for breastfeeding. The fatty layer of your breasts is thickening as the number of your milk glands increases.
Though your breasts may feel very sore and uncomfortable at pregnancy week 8, just keep in mind that they are changing for your baby! After all, breast milk is the "perfect food" for babies. It contains many of the vitamins and minerals your newborn baby needs, and it is also better digested by the baby's digestive system than formula. Plus, it's free and convenient! It also offers skin-to-skin contact between you and your new baby, so you have a chance to bond more easily with your little one.
Read About Your Pregnancy Week by Week - 9 Weeks Pregnant
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