pregnancy | week by week

A lima bean

Your Baby's Size =

Week 8: Growing Head to Toe

Tiny fingers and eyelids appear.

When you’re between seven and eight weeks pregnant, your baby’s body parts and proportions continue to develop and change quickly.

Here’s what’s going on during your eighth week of pregnancy:

• When you are eight weeks pregnant, your baby is more than 1/2 inch long -- about the length of a lima bean.
• The places where your baby’s tiny fingers and toes develop become notched.
• Her arms and legs grow longer.
• By the eighth week of your pregnancy, your baby’s wrists, elbows and ankles are visible.
• The baby’s eyelids form, and her ears, upper lip and nose tip become more defined.

What Not to Eat

Keep these warnings in mind when planning your meals.

Some foods can help you and your baby get the essential nutrients you need during pregnancy, but not all varieties are good for you.

• Eating fish is a great way to get your omega-3 fatty acids (including DHA) -- an important component for your baby’s brain and neurological development. However, you need to avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury that may potentially harm your unborn baby.
• Refrigerated pate or meat spreads from a meat counter can also cause health problems if eaten, as can salad sandwiches made in the store -- ham salad, chicken salad, egg salad, tuna salad or seafood salad.
• Raw (unpasteurized) milk, along with any food products that contain unpasteurized milk, might contain listeria and are capable of crossing the placenta and infecting your baby.
• Soft cheeses -- such as feta, queso blanco, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses and Panela --  may not be safe unless clearly labeled: “Made with pasteurized milk."
• The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) suggests limiting caffeine intake to 200 milligrams per day. This is equivalent to two 8-ounce cups of brewed coffee.
• An alcohol- and tobacco-free lifestyle will reduce the risk of disease and health defects in your unborn baby. It can also improve your health during, and after, pregnancy.