How many months is 8 weeks pregnant?

8 weeks pregnant puts you in month 2 of pregnancy. Week 8 is the last week of that month, and month 3 starts at week 9. Providers count in weeks; months are approximate.

How big is the baby at 8 weeks?

At 8 weeks, the baby is about the size of a kidney bean, roughly 1.6 cm long and around 1 g. That is an average; healthy babies vary.

What are the signs of a healthy pregnancy at 8 weeks?

No symptom proves a pregnancy is healthy, and many healthy pregnancies have few symptoms. The clearest reassurance at 8 weeks comes from an ultrasound that shows an embryo of the expected size with a heartbeat. After that, the odds are strongly on your side.

How likely is a miscarriage at 8 weeks pregnant?

About 10 in 100 known pregnancies end in miscarriage, mostly in the first 13 weeks. The risk falls fast once a heartbeat is seen. In a study of nearly 700 women with no symptoms whose scan showed a heartbeat, the chance of a later miscarriage was 9.4% for those scanned at 6 weeks, 4.2% at 7 weeks, 1.5% at 8 weeks and 0.5% at 9 weeks. Bleeding, strong cramps, or a scan that doesn't match your dates change the picture, so ask your provider about your own situation.

Is brown discharge normal at 8 weeks pregnant?

Brown discharge is usually old blood that took a while to leave the body, and light brown spotting is common in early pregnancy. About 1 in 4 women bleed at some point in the first trimester, most often between weeks 5 and 8. Call your provider if it turns bright red, gets heavier, or comes with cramps, pain on one side, or dizziness.

How can I be 8 weeks pregnant if I had a period last month?

Pregnancy weeks are counted from the first day of your last period, not from conception, so at 8 weeks you conceived about 6 weeks ago. If you bled about a month ago, that bleed may not have been a true period: light bleeding in early pregnancy is common and easy to mistake for one. Or your dates may simply be off. A dating scan measures the embryo and shows how far along you really are.

Can an 8-week ultrasound show if it's a boy or a girl?

No. At 8 weeks, boys and girls look the same on a scan because the genitals have not started to develop differently yet. So-called signs of a boy or girl, such as cravings, skin changes or a fast heart rate, have no reliable link to sex. The earliest reliable option is cell-free DNA screening, a blood test available from 10 weeks. Otherwise, the anatomy scan at around 18 to 22 weeks can usually show it.

8 Weeks Pregnant

At 8 weeks pregnant, your baby is about 1.6 cm long, around the size of a kidney bean, and has started making small movements you can't feel yet. Fingers and toes are forming. For many people this is the week of the first prenatal visit and the first clear look on an ultrasound. Nausea, tiredness, sore breasts and bloating are common right now. This page explains what an 8-week scan shows and how it sets your due date, whether you'll have a bump yet, what brown spotting usually means at this stage, and what the research says about miscarriage risk once a heartbeat is seen.

What trimester is 8 weeks?

Week 8 is in the first trimester, which runs from week 1 to week 12. The second trimester starts at week 13, 5 weeks from now.

Week 8 — first trimester, month 2; 32 weeks to go until your due date.
Baby's size — about a kidney bean, ~1.6 cm.

Not sure it's 8 weeks? Try our due date calculator.

How big is your baby at 8 weeks?

Size of a

kidney bean

Length, head to bottom

~1.6 cm

Weight

~1 g

Up from a blueberry last week to a kidney bean now.

Baby development at week 8

The embryo is now moving, though you can't feel it yet. Fingers and toes are beginning to form and webbing between them is starting to recede. The tail from earlier weeks has nearly disappeared, breathing tubes extend from the throat to the developing lungs, and facial features grow more defined. About the size of a kidney bean.

What an ultrasound shows at 8 weeks

An 8-week scan is often part of the first prenatal visit. ACOG suggests a first prenatal check before 10 weeks, and in the UK the routine dating scan is offered between 8 and 14 weeks. At this stage the scan may still be done through the vagina for a clearer picture.

You will usually see a bean-shaped embryo with a large head, a body and small limb buds, plus the fast flicker of the heart. The heart rate rises quickly this month, reaching about 170 beats per minute by week 9. The sonographer measures crown-rump length — from the top of the head to the bottom — which is about 16 mm at 8 weeks.

That measurement is the most accurate way to date a pregnancy. Before 14 weeks it is accurate to within about 5 to 7 days. If it differs from your period-based date by more than 5 to 7 days (the cut-off depends on how far along you are), your due date is usually moved to match the scan. This is also the scan that shows twins: two sacs or two heartbeats.

Your body at 8 weeks

Nausea, fatigue, and breast tenderness continue
Bloating and mild constipation
Occasional dizziness
Visible veins as blood volume rises

Your belly at 8 weeks

Most people don't show at 8 weeks. The uterus has grown, but it still sits inside your pelvis. If your belly looks rounder, bloating is the usual cause: progesterone slows digestion, which can bring gas, bloating and constipation.

People who have been pregnant before often notice a change earlier, because their belly muscles have stretched before. A twin pregnancy can also show sooner. Either way, a firm, rounded bump from the uterus itself usually comes later in the first trimester or early in the second.

Tips for week 8

Add fibre and water to ease constipation
Stand up slowly to avoid dizziness
Your first prenatal visit and dating scan often happen around weeks 8–12

8 Weeks Pregnant: your questions

What trimester is 8 weeks?: Week 8 is in the first trimester, which runs from week 1 to week 12. The second trimester starts at week 13, 5 weeks from now.
How many months is 8 weeks pregnant?: 8 weeks pregnant puts you in month 2 of pregnancy. Week 8 is the last week of that month, and month 3 starts at week 9. Providers count in weeks; months are approximate.
How big is the baby at 8 weeks?: At 8 weeks, the baby is about the size of a kidney bean, roughly 1.6 cm long and around 1 g. That is an average; healthy babies vary.
What are the signs of a healthy pregnancy at 8 weeks?: No symptom proves a pregnancy is healthy, and many healthy pregnancies have few symptoms. The clearest reassurance at 8 weeks comes from an ultrasound that shows an embryo of the expected size with a heartbeat. After that, the odds are strongly on your side.
How likely is a miscarriage at 8 weeks pregnant?: About 10 in 100 known pregnancies end in miscarriage, mostly in the first 13 weeks. The risk falls fast once a heartbeat is seen. In a study of nearly 700 women with no symptoms whose scan showed a heartbeat, the chance of a later miscarriage was 9.4% for those scanned at 6 weeks, 4.2% at 7 weeks, 1.5% at 8 weeks and 0.5% at 9 weeks. Bleeding, strong cramps, or a scan that doesn't match your dates change the picture, so ask your provider about your own situation.
Is brown discharge normal at 8 weeks pregnant?: Brown discharge is usually old blood that took a while to leave the body, and light brown spotting is common in early pregnancy. About 1 in 4 women bleed at some point in the first trimester, most often between weeks 5 and 8. Call your provider if it turns bright red, gets heavier, or comes with cramps, pain on one side, or dizziness.
How can I be 8 weeks pregnant if I had a period last month?: Pregnancy weeks are counted from the first day of your last period, not from conception, so at 8 weeks you conceived about 6 weeks ago. If you bled about a month ago, that bleed may not have been a true period: light bleeding in early pregnancy is common and easy to mistake for one. Or your dates may simply be off. A dating scan measures the embryo and shows how far along you really are.
Can an 8-week ultrasound show if it's a boy or a girl?: No. At 8 weeks, boys and girls look the same on a scan because the genitals have not started to develop differently yet. So-called signs of a boy or girl, such as cravings, skin changes or a fast heart rate, have no reliable link to sex. The earliest reliable option is cell-free DNA screening, a blood test available from 10 weeks. Otherwise, the anatomy scan at around 18 to 22 weeks can usually show it.

Useful at week 8

Pregnancy due date calculator — your due date from your last period, before the dating scan
Pregnancy discharge by trimester — which colours are normal and which need a call
hCG levels and twins — why a twin pregnancy can feel stronger early on
Pregnancy weeks to months — 8 weeks is about 2 months — the full chart
Is sushi safe in pregnancy? — one of the most-asked food questions this early

← All weeks: the full pregnancy week-by-week guide

Sources

Checked against the following public guidance on October 2, 2026. Advice can differ between countries; your doctor, nurse or midwife can apply it to you.