Your pregnancy - week 8

Week 8

At roughly 1.6 cm long, your baby’s eyes, mouth and nose are becoming more and more defined and the buds of their milk teeth are beginning to form. Their organs are now in place and cartilage is being replaced by growing bone cells and joints, they even have their own set of unique fingerprints forming. All of these developments mean your baby is now medically considered a ‘foetus’ - which is Latin for ‘young one’ or ‘offspring’.

Morning sickness affects two out of three pregnant women during early pregnancy. Although nausea may be more noticeable in the morning it can occur at any time. It’s usually worst around now and for another few weeks, but by 12 to 14 weeks most mums feel no further symptoms. For others it can take a while longer, although symptoms may come and go throughout pregnancy. It’s worth remembering that nausea and morning sickness feelings are completely normal during a healthy pregnancy.

These remedies are said to ease morning sickness:

• Try to get a good night’s sleep and plenty of rest during the day
• Eat a dry cracker, toast or plain biscuits before getting out of bed
• Eat little and often to keep something in your stomach
• Drink plenty of fluids. If drinking is proving difficult, ice lollies, home-made fruit-juice ice cubes or simple sips of whatever you can stomach will keep you hydrated
• Motion sickness bands can prove effective for some. They are worn on the wrist and positioned to press on an acupuncture point

What works for one mum might not work for another, and something that works one week might not work the next, so don’t give up – try more than one remedy. If you’d like some help with this, our Careline team has some great tips, and because they’re mums or professionals and they’ll know what you’re going through at this stage – give them a call on 0845 623 628 or you can try our instant messaging service, Live Chat . But if you are being sick all of the time and can’t keep anything down, get in touch with your midwife or doctor.

Thrush is also common in pregnancy. If you develop thrush, or wish to minimise your chances of getting it, avoid using perfumed soap or shower gel, wear natural fibre underwear and loose clothing which will help your skin breathe. Not all thrush treatments are safe for pregnant women, so speak to your midwife or doctor who will be able to prescribe a suitable treatment. If you can’t get in to see them soon enough, your pharmacist should be able to advise you.