Week 8

By 8 weeks of pregnancy, your cardiac output has increased by 20% to support the changes in blood volume needed to support pregnancy.² This increase may result in having a higher blood pressure reading, and you may also notice your heart beating faster.³

If you start to feel unwell, or are concerned about these symptoms, contact your healthcare provider.

Another change you may notice around 8 weeks is an increase in vaginal discharge, also known as leukorrhea. It should be a thin, milky-white discharge, with no foul smell.

Leukorrhea is crucial for maintaining a healthy balance of bacteria in the vagina, protecting the birth canal from infection.¹

• Nausea (with or without vomiting) known as “morning sickness” but can occur at any time of the day¹
• Breast tenderness¹
• Increased vaginal discharge¹
• Fatigue¹
• Food cravings or aversions¹
• Bloating and gas¹
• Constipation¹
• High blood pressure³
• Faster heartbeat³

By 8 weeks, those arm and leg buds have grown longer and have now got paddle-like structures that will eventually become the hands and feet.⁴

By now, your baby is growing 1 mm per day, so should now roughly measure the size of a raspberry.¹

Whether the sperm was X-coded (girl) or Y-coded (boy) is starting to become clear, as cells are now differentiating into the corresponding genitalia, although you won’t be able to determine the sex of the baby on a scan until around 17 weeks.¹

• Consistently taking folic acid is recommended,⁵ or if you haven’t already, consider taking a prenatal supplement that has the recommended amounts of vitamin A and D, iron and calcium⁶
• Staying active and keeping a healthy weight can help support fertility and overall health⁷
• Try to avoid alcohol consumption and smoking – both are known as risk factors for miscarriage^8,9
• Nourish your body with pregnancy-safe foods (if nausea and morning sickness allow)  
  You should try to avoid foods high in mercury, such as mackerel and tuna, raw seafood, undercooked meat, poultry and eggs, unpasteurised foods and cheese with a mould rind such as brie, unwashed fruits and vegetables, and any type of herbal tea¹⁰
• Limit caffeine consumption to no more than 200 mg per day¹¹           
  As a guide:           
  1 mug of coffee contains 100 mg of caffeine           
  1 mug of tea contains 75 mg of caffeine           
  1 can of cola contains up to 40 mg of caffeine           
  1 bar of chocolate contains up to 50 mg of caffeine   

During your first antenatal appointment, your healthcare provider will want to evaluate your overall health, any family medical history or risk factors that could affect your pregnancy, and they will also establish how many weeks pregnant you are using your last menstrual period. This is referred to as the gestational age.^11,13

If you have any concerns, or are struggling with any pregnancy-related symptoms, this appointment is a great time to speak to your healthcare provider as they can provide additional support, if needed.

Your healthcare provider may also ask about your mental wellbeing during your first antenatal appointment. It is important to be honest about how you’re feeling as hormones have a huge effect on mood and depression during pregnancy affects 12–13% of women.¹⁴