Every woman is interested in how her baby looks when she is in her tummy. Every day in the embryo there are many changes, many new cells appear, due to which it becomes more and more like a human being. We will consider the development of the fetus in 8 weeks of pregnancy, see how its organs and systems are formed, and what it can do.
What does an embryo look like in 8 weeks?
The embryo size in the 8 weeks of pregnancy is about 1.5-2 cm, and the weight is about 3 grams. The fetus actively forms the heart in 8-9 weeks, there are already valves, the interatrial and interventricular septa continue to form, as well as the connection of the heart with the main vessels. The palpitation of the fetus at week 8 can be seen with ultrasound.
At the age of 8 weeks, you can already see the handles with the fingers formed on them, while it is able to bend the handles in the elbows. The legs are already discernible, but the fingers on them begin to form a little later. On the neck on both sides are formed auricles, the upper lip appears on the face, and a protrusion is formed from which the nose will form. The embryo of a human for 8 weeks begins to be filled with salivary glands. In addition, on the face of the embryo at 8 weeks old eyelids form. The stomach during this period falls into the abdominal cavity and begins to occupy its proper place.
Nerve cells also form in the muscle layer of the stomach during this period. The fetus of a male child develops testicles at 8 weeks. The fetus starts to make its first movements in 8-9 weeks, but their mother still does not feel them because of the small size of the embryo. In the development of the fetus at the 7-8 week of pregnancy, significant changes occur in the pulmonary system. So, hardly distinguishable canals which depart from the trachea form the bronchi and begin to branch.
Ultrasound examination of the fetus in 8 weeks
When ultrasound examination of the fetus in 8 weeks of pregnancy, you can distinguish between the head and foot ends. It is seen that the heart is formed, the fetal heart rate in 8-9 weeks is normal from 110 to 130 beats per minute. With ultrasound, chaotic movements of the embryo are determined.
Feelings of a woman at 8 weeks gestation
The size of the uterus is normal at 8 weeks gestation reminiscent of a large fist. It does not protrude above the surface of the pubic bone, so the figure does not affect its size yet. The size of the enlarged uterus can be determined by the doctor during vaginal examination and ultrasound. The future mother still perfectly fits in her clothes. Sometimes women can note the drawing of unpleasant sensations in the lower abdomen during the period of supposed menstruation, they arise from the stretching of the uterus by a growing embryo. In the case of painful sensations that may be accompanied by bloody discharge from the genital tract, you should immediately seek medical help, as this may be a symptom of a threat of termination of the pregnancy or the beginning of a spontaneous abortion.
Spontaneous abortion and fetal death at week 8
Pregnancy 8 weeks corresponds to 1 trimester of pregnancy, at this time the placenta and umbilical cord are still not formed, which will protect the baby from negative influences. During this period, the embryo is still very vulnerable, and if a woman has acute or chronic infections, hormonal disorders, this can lead to developmental disabilities incompatible with life, and as a result, miscarriage at an early age or fading.
Thus, we examined the peculiarities of fetal development in 7-8 weeks of pregnancy, and also described the appearance of an embryo on an ultrasound examination.