At week 8 your baby is moving, even though it will be months before you can feel it.
Your baby this week
- Fingers and toes
- They're starting to form, still joined by webbing for now.
- Heart
- It now has four chambers and beats around twice as fast as yours.
- Movement
- Small, spontaneous movements have begun.
What you might notice
- Tiredness at its peak for many people. Rest when you can; it usually lifts in the second trimester.
- Vivid dreams, often from hormones and broken sleep.
- Heartburn, even this early, as the valve at the top of your stomach relaxes.
- Your clothes feeling tighter around the waist, mostly from bloating.
Call your midwife, doctor or early pregnancy unit today if
- You have bleeding, or cramping pain low in your belly
- You have sharp pain on one side, pain in the tip of your shoulder, or you feel faint
- You're being sick so often you can't keep fluids down
- You have a fever, or it burns or stings when you pee
If the pain is severe or you feel faint, call emergency services.
Coming up
Your first full appointment. Expect questions about your health, blood tests and a blood pressure check. What happens at each visit.
A dating scan is often offered, and screening tests are explained.
Questions to bring to your next appointment
- What screening tests are available, and when would they happen?
- When will my dating scan be?
- What are the signs that mean I should call you between appointments?
For your partner
The first appointment can be long and full of information. Offer to be the one who writes things down.
NUGA follows you week by week
Enter your due date once and NUGA knows you're at week 8. The day before each appointment, it gathers what you've noted and the questions to bring.
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This page draws on public guidance from:
General information, not medical advice. Every pregnancy is different, and your midwife or doctor knows yours. Last updated October 2026.