8 Weeks Pregnant: Baby Size, Development and What to Expect

Quick answer

At 8 weeks your baby measures roughly 1.4 to 2 centimetres from head to bottom, about the size of a raspberry, and weighs around a gram. Fingers and toes are forming, eyelids are appearing, and the heart is beating at roughly 150 to 170 beats a minute. You will not be showing yet, because your uterus is still inside your pelvis.

Key takeaways

• Your baby is about the size of a raspberry, and this is one of the fastest periods of development in the whole pregnancy.

• The heartbeat is usually clearly visible on a scan by now, at roughly 150 to 170 beats a minute, which is much faster than an adult's.

• You will not have a bump at 8 weeks. Your uterus is still inside your pelvis, so any roundness is bloating.

• Book your NT scan now for 11 to 13 weeks plus 6 days. It cannot be done accurately outside that window and slots fill up.

• Nausea usually peaks between weeks 9 and 10, so if this week feels hard, you are close to the worst of it rather than at the start.

How big is your baby at 8 weeks?

Ranges vary between charts and machines. Your scan is what dates your pregnancy accurately, so do not compare your measurements against a table online. Ask your doctor to interpret them.

What is developing this week

This is one of the busiest weeks of the entire pregnancy.

• The heart is beating strongly and has divided into chambers

• Fingers and toes are present but still webbed, and beginning to separate

• Eyelids are forming over the developing eyes

• The nose and upper lip are taking shape

• The tongue and inner ear are developing

• Arms and legs are lengthening, and elbows are appearing

• The brain is growing rapidly, and the head is large relative to the body

• Major organs including lungs, kidneys and intestines are forming

• The embryonic tail is disappearing

• Reproductive organs are beginning to form, though sex cannot be determined at this stage

Your baby is now moving, though far too small for you to feel it. That usually comes between 18 and 22 weeks in a first pregnancy.

What a scan shows at 8 weeks

Not everyone has a scan at exactly 8 weeks. It is commonly done between 6 and 12 weeks, and earlier if you have had bleeding, pain, previous miscarriages, a previous ectopic pregnancy, or fertility treatment.

What your report may mention:

• Gestational sac, the fluid-filled sac around your baby

• Yolk sac, a small ring inside it

• Fetal pole, your baby

• Crown rump length (CRL), the most accurate way to date a pregnancy in the first trimester

• Fetal heart rate, or cardiac activity present

• Intrauterine, meaning the pregnancy is inside the uterus, which is what you want to see

If the scan dates you a few days behind your own dates, that is common and usually means you ovulated later than assumed, not that anything is wrong. The scan is more accurate than your last period for dating. Our guide to reading an early pregnancy scan report explains each measurement in detail.

One legal point: determining or disclosing the sex of the baby is illegal in India under the PCPNDT Act. No scan centre will answer that question at any stage.

Your body at 8 weeks

You will almost certainly not be showing. Your uterus is roughly the size of a lemon or small orange and is still sitting inside your pelvis. It does not rise above the pubic bone until around 12 weeks.

If your abdomen looks fuller, that is bloating from progesterone slowing your digestion, not your baby. Our guide to what is normal at 10 weeks explains why, and the same applies now.

Symptoms at 8 weeks

Having very few symptoms is also normal, and it says nothing about how the pregnancy is going.

What to do this week

1. Start folic acid if you have not already. 400 micrograms daily through the first 12 weeks. A higher dose applies to some women, including those with diabetes, epilepsy on certain medications, a high BMI, or a previous baby with a neural tube defect, so ask your doctor. Iron and folic acid tablets are provided free at government health facilities.

2. Book your antenatal care, aiming to register before 12 weeks.

3. Book the NT scan for 11 weeks 0 days to 13 weeks 6 days. It cannot be measured accurately outside that window.

4. Review every medicine and supplement with your doctor, bringing the actual packets. Include Ayurvedic, homeopathic and gym products.

5. Stop alcohol and all forms of tobacco, including gutkha, khaini and second-hand smoke.

6. Keep caffeine under about 200 mg a day, roughly two cups of coffee or three to four cups of tea.

Our guide to the first trimester covers the full week-by-week picture, and 14 practical things that make the first trimester easier covers the day-to-day side.

Eating at 8 weeks

You do not need extra calories yet. The first trimester requires no additional energy, which surprises most people. Extra needs begin in the second trimester.

Focus on quality: protein at every meal, dal, curd, paneer, eggs, vegetables, fruit, whole grains and nuts.

If nausea means you are eating badly for a few weeks, that is acceptable. Your baby's nutritional needs are small at this stage. Keep taking folic acid and eat whatever you can keep down.

Foods to avoid:

• Unpasteurised milk and products made from it, including loose paneer and khoya of uncertain origin

• Raw or undercooked eggs and meat

• Raw or undercooked fish and shellfish

• High-mercury fish such as shark, swordfish and king mackerel

• Animal liver, which is very high in vitamin A

• Cut fruit and salads left standing, particularly from roadside vendors

• Raw sprouts and unwashed produce

• Alcohol, entirely

• Concentrated herbal and unregulated Ayurvedic preparations

Most traditionally forbidden foods are safe. Pineapple, ripe papaya, drumstick and sesame do not cause miscarriage, which our guide on foods and miscarriage explains honestly.

Exercise and daily life

• Exercise is recommended in an uncomplicated pregnancy, around 150 minutes of moderate activity across the week. Walking counts

• Sleep in any position that is comfortable. Side-sleeping guidance applies from around 28 weeks, not now

• Travel is usually fine. Discuss longer journeys with your doctor

• Sex is safe unless you have bleeding, placenta praevia, or your doctor has advised otherwise

• Dental treatment is safe and should not be postponed

• Avoid hot tubs, saunas and very hot baths

Check with your doctor before exercising if you have bleeding, a cervical stitch, placenta praevia, high blood pressure or any complication.

When to call a doctor

Contact your doctor or go to hospital immediately if you have:

• Vaginal bleeding, whether spotting or heavier

• Severe abdominal pain, especially on one side

• Pain at the tip of your shoulder, which with abdominal pain can indicate an ectopic pregnancy

• Fainting, dizziness or collapse

• Vomiting so persistent you cannot keep fluids down, or passing very little or dark urine

• Fever

• Burning urination with fever or pain in your side

• Severe headache with visual changes

Our full guide to pregnancy symptoms sorted by urgency covers these in detail.

Book an appointment for: weight loss continuing after nausea settles, persistent low mood or anxiety, any chronic condition not yet reviewed, or anything that worries you.

A word about worry

Anxiety is at its highest in these weeks, particularly while waiting for a scan. Miscarriage is common in early pregnancy, and the large majority of losses are caused by chromosomal abnormalities that occur randomly at conception and cannot be prevented by anything you do or eat.

Lifting a bag, climbing stairs, working, exercising in an uncomplicated pregnancy, a stressful day or an argument do not cause miscarriage.

If anxiety is persistent or interfering with your sleep and daily life, tell your doctor. It is common, it is treatable, and raising it early is better than waiting.

Frequently asked questions

How big is a baby at 8 weeks?
Roughly 1.4 to 2 centimetres from head to bottom, about the size of a raspberry, weighing around a gram.

Can you hear the heartbeat at 8 weeks?
It is usually clearly visible on a scan by now, at roughly 150 to 170 beats a minute. Hearing it with a handheld Doppler is not usually possible until around 10 to 12 weeks.

Is it normal to have no symptoms at 8 weeks?
Yes. Symptoms vary enormously, and having few or none says nothing about how the pregnancy is going.

Will I be showing at 8 weeks?
Almost certainly not. Your uterus is still inside your pelvis until around 12 weeks. Any roundness is bloating.

When does morning sickness peak?
Usually around weeks 9 to 10, improving for most women by weeks 12 to 16.

Do I need extra calories now?
No. The first trimester requires no additional calories. Extra energy needs begin in the second trimester.

When is my next scan?
The NT scan is done between 11 weeks 0 days and 13 weeks 6 days. Book it now, because it cannot be done accurately outside that window.

Is cramping normal at 8 weeks?
Mild cramping or a pulling sensation is common as ligaments adapt. Severe pain, one-sided pain, or pain with bleeding is not and needs immediate assessment.

Can they tell the sex of the baby at 8 weeks?
No, and sex determination is illegal in India under the PCPNDT Act at any stage of pregnancy.

The bottom line

At 8 weeks your baby is about the size of a raspberry and forming fingers, eyelids and major organs, with a heartbeat running at roughly 150 to 170 beats a minute. You will not be showing yet, and nausea is likely to peak in the next week or two before it starts to ease. The two useful things to do now are to keep taking folic acid and to book your NT scan for the 11 to 13 week window, because that appointment has a fixed deadline and everything else can wait.

Sources

• NHS, your pregnancy week by week

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, how your fetus grows during pregnancy

• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, antenatal care

• World Health Organization, recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience

• Fetal Medicine Foundation, nuchal translucency screening

• Indian Council of Medical Research and National Institute of Nutrition, nutrient requirements in pregnancy

• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, maternal health guidance and the PCPNDT Act

This article is for general information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Seek care immediately for bleeding, severe or one-sided abdominal pain, shoulder tip pain, fainting, fever, or vomiting that prevents you keeping fluids down.

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