What to Expect in the First Trimester: Weeks 7-8

Now that you have confirmed that you are in fact expecting a little bundle of joy, the signs of pregnancy are probably setting in. If you have not been experiencing any signs of morning sickness then consider yourself one of the lucky ones. If you are, then finding natural ways of dealing with morning sickness may help you cope with the next few weeks. But what else should you expect for the rest of the second month of your first trimester 

By the 7th week of your pregnancy your baby has doubled in size since you likely first leFirst few weeks of pregnancyarned of the good news. As amazing as it is, at this early stage your baby already has several of the vital organs working away in addition to the heart and developing brain including a tiny little liver and pancreas that will both be working hard during development. Tiny little feet and hands and a itsy bitsy nose are emerging from the body of the little life within you.

So what changes will you experience as your baby grows this next week or two? Since your uterus has also doubled in size and will continue to expand placing more pressure on your bladder you will find yourself needing to go to the bathroom more often. Also, throughout your pregnancy the amount of fluid in your body and the blood volume that you have will increase dramatically by about 40% to 45% to support you and your baby which will also increase the frequency of those trips to the bathroom. Right now, you have an increase of around 10% extra blood volume already.

By the 8th week you may find that your bra is beginning to fit a bit more snug than before. You may want to consider purchasing a new one, but remember to make sure it is loose enough to give you a bit more room to grow throughout the pregnancy. It is not uncommon for women to require a new bra that is an entire cup size or even two larger than what they wore before they became pregnant and you will be grateful for the extra support as your pregnancy progresses.

If you have not done so already, this is also the time when you should be shopping around for an OB/GYN and preparing for your first appointment. If you have not yet spoken with your physician and are curious as to what your due date will be you can try a handy online due date calculator and find out now. Remember, that a due date is often calculated from the date that your last period began so if you are not sure of the exact date this can only give you a rough estimate.

Be sure that you are already taking your prenatal vitamins, you can find many over the counter ones. You may experience a lot of fatigue at this point so do not try to push yourself too hard, relax and enjoy whatever rest you can get now before those 2am feedings get here.