Your babies-to-be are dancing up a storm and won’t be embryos for much longer. Here’s what’s going on when you’re eight weeks pregnant with multiples.
How are the babies?
Underneath their see-through skin, your little ones’ teeny-tiny internal organs are almost fully formed, though they’ll continue to develop through the third trimester. The tail-like neural tubes are now closed and will soon disappear completely, which means your babies are starting to look more like humans.¹
Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from their wee limbs, which are growing longer every day.² Their facial features are becoming more prominent, too, as itty-bitty lips, noses, and eyelids take shape.¹ The lungs start to form in week eight as well.²
Their heads currently make up about half their body weight, but your babies will be more proportioned in the second and third trimesters. Now each about the size of a small strawberry and just over a half-inch long. Though you can’t feel it yet, your bundles of joy are moving around like crazy and this can be captured on ultrasound already! ³
What’s new with you?
Even though your babies are still tiny, you might start to notice your pants fitting tighter. This is caused by a combination of physical changes that happen during pregnancy, including water retention, bloating and gas, and your growing uterus.
Morning sickness (or more like any-time-of-day sickness) during the first trimester is common. Everyone is different, but if you’re pregnant with twins or triplets, you might experience more intense nausea.⁴
If you’re feeling queasy, we recommend eating small meals and snacks throughout the day and drinking plenty of water. It might also help to take your prenatal vitamin with a meal, avoid triggering smells, or sip some ginger ale. If you can’t keep anything down or are throwing up several times a day, be sure to let your healthcare provider know.
On the other hand, you might start having some cravings for various types of foods. One theory is that you crave the nutrients your body needs. Follow your body’s lead and work in the foods you are craving alongside your typical diet. For many, the diet in early pregnancy is rather limited by what you can and cannot tolerate. So sometimes cravings provide a much-needed desire for food that is absent during the more nausea-driven moments. If you have questions about the safety of any of your cravings, reach out to your provider and check in with them. There is a condition known as pica where cravings for non-food items can be very strong. There’s no need to be embarrassed by this, but it can signal a nutrient deficiency and should be monitored so please don’t hesitate to discuss it with your provider.
As the placenta (or placentas) continue to form and your body pumps more blood to deliver nutrients to your babies, don’t be surprised if you feel sleepier than usual.³ There’s nothing wrong with hitting the hay early and taking midday naps. But if you’re up for it, going on a walk, doing a gentle yoga flow, or just stretching for 15 minutes might actually make you feel more energized.
Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team
Sources
- Mayo Clinic Staff. Fetal development: The 1st trimester. Mayo Clinic. 2020. Web. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/prenatal-care/art-20045302.
- MedlinePlus. Fetal development. U.S. National Library of Medicine. 2021. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002398.htm.
- American Pregnancy Association. Twins Pregnancy Symptoms. 2019. Web. https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/multiples/twin-pregnancy-symptoms-71058/.
- Cleveland Clinic. Expecting Twins or Triplets. 2020. Web. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9710-expecting-twins-or-triplets.
