Week 8: Pregnancy Week by Week

Week 8: How to choose a place for your baby's birth

Human beings are mammals. All mammals hide themselves, isolate themselves to give birth. They need privacy. It is the same for humans. We should always be aware of this need for privacy.

-Michel Odent, M.D., Birth Reform

What's Happening in Your Body?

You may begin to notice some weight gain. Although your uterus may not have visibly expanded as of yet, many women notice a thickening around their waistlines.

What's Happening with Your Baby?

Your baby is more than 1/2 an inch long. This week webbed fingers and toes develop while the ears and the tip of the nose also become more recognizable.

Choosing A Place for Your Baby's Birth

Why choose the birth setting before even deciding if you want to have a midwife or a doctor? Studies have shown that a feeling of comfort and safety in your surroundings might be the biggest contribution to a smooth labor - and the best way to reduce the need for medical intervention.

Nourish Yourself

Increasing consumption of vitamin B6 can help some women reduce problems with morning sickness and nausea. B6-rich foods include blackstrap molasses, wheat germ, yeast, wheat bran, bananas, avocados, dried beans, eggs, and meat. Try adding .5 to 2 milligrams of it to your daily diet. You can get about half a milligram by eating one banana, one slice of watermelon, a serving of salmon, or a large baked potato.

Both the spinach and eggs in our Breakfast Spinach Quiche are excellent sources of vitamin B6 and protein, and will help you get your day off to a good start.

Body Wise

The Corpse Pose can be used at any time of your pregnancy when you need to relax (remember it in the third trimester when you may want to avoid more active poses). It can also be done before bed to prepare for sleep.

Natural Soothers

Making big decisions about pregnancy, such as choosing a place of birth, can be stressful. Rose essential oil is not only soothing, but is also known to be a hormone regulator. Float several drops in a bowl of warm water and breathe in the aroma. Pausing for a cup of mineral-rich tea like raspberry leaf, nettles, or a specially blended pregnancy tea can also be a good way to calm mild anxiety.

Higher Ground

Connecting
An important way to care for yourself during early pregnancy is to get to know other women who are pregnant. These kinds of connections are empowering; who better to share stories, concerns, questions and empathy with than someone who is on a similar physical and emotional journey?

Mothering.com offers several resources for women to find these connections. Check out our Birth Stories section to read a diverse array of personal accounts of pregnancy and birth. Our Pregnancy Forum allows you to share everyday experiences with other pregnant women. You can also use Mothering.com's Finding Your Tribe feature to search for like-minded women who live in your area. If you enjoy writing, check out the online Mother's Writing Group.

Image by Durga Yael Bernhard

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