8th week: The fingers take shape

Weeks and days
7+0 to 7+6
Month
2
Trimester
1

This week, the embryo grows from about 10 to 15 millimeters. The fingers begin to show on the hands, and from about 7+3 it moves for the first time. Your first prenatal checkup is now usually due.

A single raspberry lies in an open palm on beige linen
Raspberry10 to 18 mm, the size of your baby at the end of the week

Week 8 of 40

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How big is the embryo?

0510152025 mm6th week1.5 to 57th week4 to 78th week10 to 159th week16 to 23Raspberry at the same scale

10 to 15 mm

The hands are still flat plates on which the fingers show as fine rays. The eyes can already be seen as dark dots.

Crown-rump length on ultrasound according to Robinson and Fleming, calculated for the beginning and end of the week. A raspberry usually measures 10 to 18 mm.

This week

Your baby

  • Hand and foot plates form, and the fingers and toes begin to show on them.
  • The ears and eyelids begin to form, and the eyes are darkly pigmented.
  • From about 7+3, the embryo moves for the first time. You will not be able to feel this for a long time yet.

Your body

  • The median hCG level is 39,759 mIU/ml; 3,697 to 163,563 is normal. More in the hCG levels chart.
  • Nausea usually continues to increase. For many, it lasts all day, not just in the morning.
  • Tiredness, tender breasts, and needing to urinate more often are common in the first 12 weeks.

What matters now

  • First prenatal checkup: You receive your maternity record (Mutterpass), your blood group is determined and an antibody screening test is done, along with a test for chlamydia. You are offered an HIV test.
  • Basic ultrasound in Germany from 8+0, in Austria between the 8th and 16th week of pregnancy.
  • Folic acid until the end of the 12th week of pregnancy, iodine 100 to 150 µg daily.

Get checked right away: heavy bleeding, severe or persistent abdominal pain, fever, pain when urinating, or vomiting where you cannot keep anything down.

Gestational sacYolk sacEmbryo with heartbeat

On ultrasound

  1. 7+0

    Crown-rump length is about 10 mm, and about 15 mm at the end of the week.

  2. 7+3

    First movements are possible from about this point, but cannot be seen at every scan.

  3. 8+0

    Basic ultrasound paid for by health insurance is scheduled in Germany from this day.

If the embryo seems smaller than expected from the date of your period, a later ovulation may be the reason. That is why the due date is checked against the crown-rump length at the first basic ultrasound.

Frequently asked questions about the 8th week of pregnancy

How big is the embryo in the 8th week of pregnancy?

On ultrasound, 10 to 15 mm from crown to rump; by the end of the week, about the size of a raspberry.

What is the risk of miscarriage in the 8th week of pregnancy with a heartbeat?

In an Australian study of women without symptoms in whom the heartbeat was visible, about 4 in 100 pregnancies at 7 completed weeks ended in miscarriage. The study was small.

Is it normal for symptoms to ease in the 8th week of pregnancy?

Symptoms often vary from day to day. Nausea is usually at its strongest only around the 9th week. Easing on its own is not a proven warning sign; if you have bleeding or pain, get examined.

Which month is the 8th week of pregnancy?

The 2nd month of pregnancy, in the 1st trimester. Figures such as 7+4 weeks also belong to the 8th week of pregnancy; 8+1 is already the 9th week of pregnancy.

Sources

Updated on 27 October 2026 · Fertilio Editorial Team