You are 8 weeks pregnant. 1-3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 Born & Birth stories

By the end of your second month of pregnancy, your baby is about the size of a pinto bean and is approximately 14 to 20 mm long. If this is your first pregnancy, you still probably will not be showing yet. However, if this is not your first pregnancy you might be able to tell that you are pregnant. You will notice a slight change in how your clothes fit and your doctor can tell that your uterus is larger than normal. Before you were pregnant, your uterus was about the size of your fist. However, by 6 weeks of pregnancy, your uterus has grown to the size of a grapefruit!

Your baby is developing at an amazing rate during these early weeks. Eyelid folds and ears are forming. Your baby\'s eyes are still very wide apart on the sides of her head, but will eventually center themselves out. The tip of the nose is actually present at this time as well. On ultrasound you can see that the aortic and pulmonary valves of the heart are present. The tubes that lead from the throat to lungs are branching and your baby\'s torso is getting longer and beginning to straighten out. Just a few weeks ago, your baby\'s arms were tiny buds. Now the elbows are actually present and the arms and legs extend forward and have grown longer. Fingers and toes are becoming visible also.

One of the symptoms that you might feel around this time of your pregnancy is cramping or pain in your lower abdomen or side as your uterus grows. Some pregnant women feel tightening or contractions of the uterus. Do not get alarmed if you do not feel this though. If tightening of the uterus or contractions is accompanied by bleeding, you should contact your healthcare provider immediately. Many pregnant women also experience an occasional pain that begins in their buttocks and radiates down their back or legs. This is known as sciatic nerve pain and can be extremely painful at times. More than likely the pain is caused by the pressure on the nerve and it is best to lie on the opposite side to relieve the pressure.


The tiny person growing inside of your uterus is protected by the amniotic sac, filled with amniotic fluid. Inside, the child swims and moves gracefully. The arms and legs have lengthened, and fingers can be seen. The toes will develop in the next few days.

The umbilical cord contains 3 blood vessels which link your baby\'s system to yours. The big one supplies your baby with blood which is rich in oxygen. The two smaller blood vessels return blood to the placenta. This blood is low in oxygen, and full of waste materials. At birth, umbilical cord can be two to four feet long.

See also Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms

See also Prenatal Vitamins