Pregnancy Due Date Calculator
Menu

First trimester

8 weeks pregnant

At 8 weeks, the embryo is growing quickly: the arms and legs are getting longer, hands and feet are forming, and the placenta is developing. Tiredness, nausea, sore breasts and needing to pee more often are common, though not everyone has them.

This page covers 8 weeks 0 days to 8 weeks 6 days (8+0 to 8+6), counted from the first day of the last period. Check how far along you are

Enter it to see the calendar dates of your week 8.

Botanical illustration of a raspberry

About the size of a raspberry

Typical crown-rump length 1.6 cm to 2.3 cm (0.6 in to 0.9 in) across this week, from the Robinson equation.1

A reference value, not a measurement of your baby.

How your baby is developing

  • The arms and legs have grown longer, and the hands and feet are starting to form, looking a little like paddles. The arms are ahead of the legs because the upper body grows faster than the lower body.2,3
  • The brain keeps growing and the lungs are beginning to form. All of the major organs and body systems are developing.2,4
  • The head has started to uncurl a little. Eyes are becoming visible and the ears are beginning to form.3,4
  • The placenta is getting ready to provide nutrients and oxygen and take away waste. It is growing small branches that help it attach to the wall of the uterus, and the umbilical cord links it to the embryo.3,4
  • Around this point the embryo begins to be called a fetus. Sources place the change slightly differently, from after 8 weeks to the end of week 10.2,3,4

Changes you may notice

Everyone’s experience is different. You may notice some of these, or none.

  • Tiredness and nausea are common. You may also need to pee more often as your growing uterus presses on your bladder. If this disturbs your sleep, drinking more during the day and less in the evening may help.3
  • Some people notice sore or slightly swollen breasts, bloating, a metallic taste, a stronger sense of smell, headaches, or new likes and dislikes for food and drink.3
  • Mild cramping, a bit like period pain, and a milky white discharge can be part of early pregnancy. Light spotting can happen too, but contact your doctor, midwife or maternity unit about any bleeding.3,5
  • Mood swings and feeling anxious or stressed are common. Rest when you can, and talk to your midwife or doctor if you are struggling, as support is available.3

Care around this week

  • In the US, genetic screening options should be offered to everyone. Cell-free DNA screening can be done from 10 weeks, and first-trimester screening is done between 10 weeks 0 days and 13 weeks 6 days, so this is a good time to ask which tests are available to you.6
  • An ultrasound in the first trimester, up to 13 weeks 6 days, gives the most accurate due date. If you conceived through IVF, your due date is usually based on your treatment dates instead.7
  • UK note: the first midwife (booking) appointment usually happens between 8 and 12 weeks and takes around an hour. It typically covers your health history, blood pressure, a urine test, a blood test for your blood group, and information about screening. The NHS also advises taking 400 micrograms of folic acid daily until at least week 12.3,8

Questions to ask your provider

  • When will my first ultrasound be, and will it be used to confirm my due date?
  • Which genetic screening tests do you offer, and when would I need to decide?
  • Are any of my regular medicines or supplements worth reviewing now that I am pregnant?
  • What should I do if I notice spotting or cramping?
  • What can I try for nausea, and when should I call you about it?
When to contact your provider straight away

Call 911 (US) or 999 (UK) in an emergency, such as heavy bleeding or bleeding with severe pain, a seizure, chest pain, or severe trouble breathing.9,10,11,12

These symptoms are not always serious, but each one needs prompt advice from your provider, midwife or maternity unit (or NHS 111 in the UK if you cannot reach them) rather than waiting for your next appointment, and it helps to tell them you are pregnant.

  • Vaginal bleeding or spotting at any stage of pregnancy. Call 911 or 999 if the bleeding is heavy or comes with severe belly pain, shoulder pain, or feeling faint or dizzy.11,13
  • Fluid leaking or gushing from your vagina, or discharge that is unusual for you. Get checked straight away if the fluid is greenish, colored or smells bad.11,12,14,15
  • Your baby moving less than usual, not moving, or a change in their usual pattern of movements. Call immediately, even in the middle of the night, and do not use a home Doppler to check yourself.11,16
  • A severe headache that does not go away with simple painkillers or gets worse, or sudden changes in your vision such as blurring or seeing flashing lights.9,11,12
  • Sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet, or swelling, redness or pain in a leg.9,11,12
  • Belly pain that is severe or does not go away after resting, or pain just below the ribs.9,11,17
  • Regular tightenings or contractions, period-type pains, or backache that is unusual for you before 37 weeks, which can be signs of preterm labor.15,17
  • A fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or feeling hot, cold or shivery.11,12,15
  • Shortness of breath that comes on suddenly or happens when you lie flat, chest pain, a racing or pounding heart, or dizziness or fainting.11,12
  • Very itchy skin, especially on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet, or itching that is worse at night.18
  • Being sick so often that you cannot keep food or drink down, or signs of dehydration such as dark urine, peeing very little, or feeling dizzy.11,19
  • Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. Get help right away, and call 911 or 999 if you think you might act on them.11,20

Questions about 8 weeks

Is it an embryo or a fetus at 8 weeks?

It is around the changeover point. The NHS and Cleveland Clinic describe the embryo becoming a fetus around or just after 8 weeks, while MedlinePlus places it at the end of week 10.2,3,4

Is spotting normal at 8 weeks pregnant?

Light spotting can happen in early pregnancy, and bleeding is not always serious. Still, contact your maternity unit, early pregnancy unit or provider about any bleeding, and get emergency help if bleeding is heavy or comes with severe pain, shoulder pain, or feeling faint.3,5

Why am I peeing so much at 8 weeks?

Your growing uterus pushes on your bladder, so needing to pee more often is common now. Drinking plenty during the day and less in the evening can help if it wakes you at night.3

Sources

  1. A critical evaluation of sonar “crown-rump length” measurementsBritish Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 82(9):702–710, 1975
  2. Fetal developmentUS National Library of Medicine
  3. Week 8 – week-by-week guide to pregnancyNHS Best Start in Life
  4. Fetal development: stages of growthCleveland Clinic
  5. MiscarriageNHS (England)
  6. Practice Bulletin No. 226: Screening for Fetal Chromosomal AbnormalitiesAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2020
  7. Committee Opinion No. 700: Methods for Estimating the Due DateAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, with AIUM and SMFM, 2017
  8. Your antenatal appointmentsNHS (England)
  9. Pre-eclampsiaNHS (England)
  10. Epilepsy and pregnancyNHS (England)
  11. Urgent Maternal Warning Signs and Symptoms (Hear Her campaign)US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  12. Pregnancy symptoms you need to get help forNHS (England)
  13. Vaginal bleeding in pregnancyNHS (England)
  14. Signs of going into labourNHS Best Start in Life
  15. Premature labour and birthNHS (England)
  16. Your baby's movementsNHS (England)
  17. Stomach pain in pregnancyNHS (England)
  18. Itching in pregnancyNHS (England)
  19. Severe vomiting in pregnancyNHS (England)
  20. Depression in pregnancyNHS (England)

Links checked November 12, 2026. Citing a source does not mean it endorses this site.

Written from the sources above and checked against them on 2026-11-12. Not reviewed by a clinician. Our editorial policy