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8 Weeks Pregnant: Your Embryo Becomes a Foetus & Morning Sickness Peaks

Medically reviewed by

Maryum Sohail, MD Jul 24, 2026

Line illustration of a raspberry: at 8 weeks pregnant your baby is about the size of a raspberry, roughly 16mm

Line drawing of an 8-week foetus starting to uncurl, with a large head, arms longer than the legs and a shrinking tail

Line drawing of a woman's torso at 8 weeks pregnant, showing the slightly enlarged uterus still low in the pelvis and a flat abdomen

Your baby is the size of a

Raspberry

Not routinely measured this early

~1.6 cm / ~0.6 in

Key Takeaways

Your baby is now around 16mm long — about the size of a raspberry — and the NHS notes that at around 8 weeks the embryo officially becomes a "foetus."

Morning sickness and tiredness are common now, and though it's called morning sickness, the SOGC notes it can strike at any time of day. The NHS adds a metallic taste and heightened sense of smell, and says nausea usually clears by weeks 16 to 20.

Now's a good time to arrange your first prenatal visit — in Canada, obstetricians, family doctors, midwives and nurse practitioners all provide prenatal care, according to Canada's Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Your Baby at 8 Weeks: Development & Growth

At 8 weeks pregnant, your baby is around 16mm long — about the size of a raspberry — according to the NHS, and will roughly double in size by next week.

That 16mm is measured crown to rump, the standard way early measurements are taken. It's small enough to sit on your fingertip. But the NHS notes your baby will be twice this size by week 9 — growth is fast right now.

The shape is changing too. The NHS describes the tiny head starting to uncurl, with the arms growing longer and, for now, bigger than the legs, because the upper body develops faster than the lower. The legs are lengthening as well, though the knees, ankles, thighs and toes haven't formed yet.

This is also the week of a quiet milestone. Around now, according to the NHS, your embryo becomes a "foetus" — Latin for "offspring." Meanwhile the placenta is getting ready to provide nutrients and oxygen and take away waste, sprouting branches to anchor itself to your womb.

Your Body at 8 Weeks: Symptoms & Changes

At 8 weeks pregnant, common early-pregnancy symptoms include tiredness, nausea and tender breasts, according to Canada's Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, often with a metallic taste in your mouth and a heightened sense of smell, per the NHS.

Nausea is the big one. Mild nausea and vomiting are a normal part of early pregnancy, and although it's called "morning sickness," Canada's Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (SOGC) notes you may feel sick or vomit at any time of day. The NHS adds that hormonal changes in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy are thought to be one of the causes. You may also be peeing more often — frequent urination is on the SOGC’s list of common symptoms — as your expanding womb presses on your bladder.

Why does yours feel worse than a friend's? A 2024 study in Nature by Fejzo, O'Rahilly and colleagues points to GDF15, a hormone that acts on the brainstem and is produced mostly by the feto-placental unit. The researchers found both fetal production of GDF15 and a mother's own sensitivity to it help drive how intense the sickness feels. That's part of why no two pregnancies are the same.

Other changes are quieter but just as normal. The SOGC also lists tender or swollen breasts, mood swings and bloating among common symptoms. The NHS adds a metallic taste, new likes and dislikes for food and drink, a heightened sense of smell, milky white discharge, and mild cramping like period pains. Some women notice darkened patches on the face — the NHS calls this chloasma, or the "mask of pregnancy."

Emotionally, week 8 can feel like a lot. The NHS acknowledges there may be times you feel anxious and stressed, and its advice is simple: share your worries rather than carry them alone, starting with your doctor or midwife. The SOGC adds that while mild mood swings are normal, depression or disruptive mood swings are not — and it's important to seek help for those. You don't have to feel excited every day to be a good parent-to-be. Your body is doing this quietly and on schedule — the kind of grounded confidence My Organic Formula tries to hand back to you.

What to Do at 8 Weeks Pregnant

NUTRITION AT 8 WEEKS PREGNANT

Eat small meals or snacks often so your stomach doesn’t get empty, and don’t skip meals — the SOGC lists this among its tips for easing nausea when a full plate feels impossible.
Reach for folate-rich foods like beans, lentils, spinach and broccoli — the Public Health Agency of Canada lists these among good dietary sources of folate, though it stresses food alone isn’t enough to protect against neural tube defects.
Avoid liver and liver products — the NHS says these are high in vitamin A (retinol), too much of which can harm your baby’s development.

WHAT SUPPLEMENTS TO TAKE AT 8 WEEKS PREGNANT

Keep taking 400mcg (0.4mg) of folic acid daily. The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends a daily multivitamin with 400 mcg (0.4 mg) of folic acid for anyone who could become pregnant, and advises continuing it throughout your pregnancy and while breastfeeding — it helps reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. The SOGC gives the same 0.4mg daily dose throughout pregnancy.
Consider a daily 10mcg vitamin D supplement. The NHS recommends 10 micrograms a day between October and March, when most people can’t make enough vitamin D from sunlight.

LIFESTYLE TIPS AT 8 WEEKS PREGNANT

Keep moving gently. The SOGC says pregnant women should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, with walking a good option — listen to your body.
Rest when you can. The SOGC notes nausea is worse when you’re tired, so getting as much rest as possible does double duty this week.
Arrange your first prenatal visit. In Canada, obstetricians, family doctors, midwives and nurse practitioners are all qualified to provide prenatal care, so choose the provider that best fits your needs — the SOGC. Your first prenatal visit typically includes a review of your health, physical checks and blood tests.
Cut back on smoking, alcohol and caffeine. The NHS advises doing your best to stop smoking, give up alcohol and go easy on caffeine, and to ask your doctor or midwife for support.

When to Contact Your Doctor or Midwife

Contact your doctor or midwife — your health care provider — if you experience:

Any vaginal bleeding — the SOGC advises contacting your health care provider as soon as you notice any bleeding.
Passing clots or tissue, or cramping and pain in your lower pelvis or back — the SOGC lists these among the possible signs of pregnancy loss.
Signs of infection such as a fever, or heavy bleeding — the SOGC says to be seen right away.
Nausea and vomiting so severe that you're missing meals, struggling to get through normal activities, or losing weight — the SOGC says this isn't normal and to see your health care provider, as other treatments can help.
Vomiting with very dark urine, or not peeing for more than 8 hours — the NHS flags this as a reason to seek advice.
Being unable to keep food or fluids down for 24 hours — a possible sign of severe pregnancy sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum), per the NHS.
Feeling very weak, dizzy or faint when you stand up, per NHS guidance on vomiting in pregnancy.
Tummy (abdominal) pain or vomiting blood — both NHS-listed reasons to seek advice.
Any concern that's worrying you — your health care provider is there for exactly this.

Questions fréquemment posées

How big is my baby at 8 weeks pregnant?

At 8 weeks pregnant, your baby is around 16mm long — about the size of a raspberry — according to the NHS. This is a crown-to-rump measurement, the standard for early pregnancy. The NHS notes your baby will roughly double in size by week 9, so growth is rapid right now.

What symptoms are normal at 8 weeks pregnant?

Normal symptoms at 8 weeks include tiredness, nausea, tender breasts, mood swings and bloating, according to the SOGC; the NHS also notes a metallic taste and a heightened sense of smell. These are linked to early pregnancy hormonal changes. Any vaginal bleeding, though, should be checked — the SOGC advises contacting your health care provider as soon as you notice any bleeding.

Is morning sickness worse at 8 weeks pregnant?

Morning sickness is very common in early pregnancy and, despite the name, can strike at any time of day — according to the SOGC. To manage it, the SOGC suggests getting enough rest (nausea is worse when you’re tired), eating small meals or snacks often without skipping meals, sipping small amounts of fluids often, and trying pharmaceutical-grade ginger at a maximum of 250mg four times a day.

What happens at your first prenatal visit?

Your first prenatal visit is usually your first in-depth appointment with your care provider. In Canada, obstetricians, family doctors, midwives and nurse practitioners are all qualified to provide prenatal care — the SOGC. It typically includes a review of your health, physical checks and blood tests, and you’ll be offered screening tests and can discuss your options for pregnancy and birth.

When will I get my first ultrasound scan?

Your first ultrasound, the dating scan, is usually offered between 11 and 14 weeks. The SOGC recommends a dating ultrasound at 11 to 14 weeks, notes it usually takes around 30 minutes, and says these scans are most accurate between 7 and 12 weeks, predicting your due date within about 5 days by measuring the fetus’s crown-rump length.

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Sources & References

NHS — Week 8 (Best Start in Life week-by-week guide)
NHS — Vomiting and morning sickness
NHS — Vitamins and supplements in pregnancy
Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (Pregnancy Info) — Symptoms of pregnancy
Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (Pregnancy Info) — Nausea and vomiting
Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (Pregnancy Info) — Pregnancy Loss
Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (Pregnancy Info) — Choosing a healthcare provider
Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (Pregnancy Info) — Routine ultrasound
Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (Pregnancy Info) — Exercise during pregnancy
Public Health Agency of Canada — Folic acid, healthy pregnancy and neural tube defect prevention
Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (Pregnancy Info) — Folic acid and other important nutrients
Fejzo M, O'Rahilly S, et al. — GDF15 linked to maternal risk of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, Nature (2024)

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