8 Weeks

How your baby's growing: Your baby is now 5/8 of an inch long, about the size of a kidney bean. She's constantly moving and shifting, although you won't be able to feel these womb wiggles for several weeks yet. Her embryonic tail is disappearing, and her eyelids practically cover her eyes. Still slightly webbed, her fingers and toes are growing longer. Her arms have lengthened, too, and her hands are now flexed at the wrist and meet over her heart. Her knee joints have formed, and her feet may be long enough to meet in front of her body. With her trunk straightening out, her head is more erect. Breathing tubes extend from her throat to the branches of her developing lungs. The nerve cells in her brain are also branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. Though you may be daydreaming about your baby as one gender or another, the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl.* Note: Experts say every baby develops differently — even in the womb. This developmental information is designed to give you a general idea of how your baby is growing.How your life's changing: You haven't gained much weight yet, but parts of you are certainly growing — like your breasts. You'll soon need bigger bras with better support than your old ones. You may notice your waistline expanding as well, forcing you to pack away your favorite jeans. Less obvious is the increase in your blood volume; by the end of your pregnancy, you'll have 40 to 50 percent more blood running through your veins to meet the demands of your baby. Your need for iron increases with your blood volume. Take your prenatal vitamins to make sure you're getting the extra iron you need so that you don't become anemic.Feeling tired? Hormonal changes, in particular, can cause you to feel sluggish. And it's not uncommon to be having trouble getting a good night's sleep at this point, especially if you're uncomfortable at night or getting up to use the bathroom repeatedly. Frequent nausea and vomiting can certainly cost you energy, too. If you can, try to get between nine and ten hours of sleep at night, or take naps during the day.Pregnancy Tip: Walking to beat fatigue "Taking a short 15- to 20-minute walk helped me cope with the overwhelming fatigue that hits you in the first trimester. It was the only way I made it through a day at work without a nap!" --Gabriela