8 Weeks Old

     Well, today is the 8 week mark; 2 months down and 7 left to go. As most of you who are keeping up with my blog already know, my first prenatal appointment was rescheduled for Friday, because the doctor was sick yesterday. I was a little bummed at first but then a sweet friend made the point that at least me and the baby couldn't catch whatever he had...so that made my day and outlook better. Anyways, I know I am closer to 8 weeks, 2 days, but since I started posting each Wednesday, I'm going to keep that up until I go for my visit on Friday and can know my exact due date. :-) Anyways, here is what is going on with little Baby J. this week. 

Week 8 of Pregnancy: Looking Like a Baby

At a length of about half an inch right now, your baby has graduated from blueberry-sized to raspberry-sized. Baby is growing in your womb about a millimeter each day, and is looking a lot less reptilian and more baby-like, as lips, nose and eyelids take shape.

How's your baby measuring up this week? At a length of about half an inch right now, your baby has graduated from blueberry-sized to raspberry-sized. But weekly growth is getting a bit hard to estimate, and here's why: Growth occurs at about the rate of one millimeter each day, but that growth isn't necessarily just in height.  Spurts can occur in the arms, legs, back, and other parts of your baby's body. So, big changes will be occurring every which way in the coming months.

What else is changing at 8 weeks pregnant? A close-up view of your little embryo (say cheese!) would reveal a more baby-like appearance (and thankfully, a less reptilian one). You'd see an upper lip forming, the protruding tip of that cute button nose, and tiny (and very thin) eyelids. And check out those hands and feet! Your baby's webbed fingers and toes are differentiating now, so give your baby a round of applause.

All this growing is exciting for your baby too. How do you know? His or her heart is beating at the incredible rate of 150 times per minute. (That's twice as fast as your heart beats.) Your baby's digs are growing, too. Amniotic fluid increases at a rate of about two tablespoons per week to accommodate your womb's growing tenant.

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