Congratulations, you’re pregnant!
Whether you’ve known for a few days or a few weeks, chances are life already feels a little different. Exciting, surreal – and more than a little nerve-racking.
These early weeks are full of firsts. The first positive pregnancy test. The first time you say I’m pregnant out loud. The first symptom that makes it feel properly real. Maybe the first time you download a pregnancy app, discover your baby is the size of a raspberry – then check three hours later to see if it’s grown.
You might be counting down the days until your first dating scan, stressing about every little twinge and pregnancy symptom, or scrolling Reddit at 2am because today you somehow feel less pregnant than yesterday. You might be desperate to make your pregnancy announcement to everyone or secretly loving having this huge piece of news to yourself for a little while.
What’s happening at 8–10 weeks pregnant?
While all that’s going on in your head, something pretty extraordinary is happening inside you. At around eight to ten weeks, your baby is changing incredibly quickly. Tiny hands and feet are developing, facial features are beginning to take shape and their teeny heart is beating – all while, from the outside, there might be almost nothing to see.
Then there are the decidedly less magical firsts. Your morning matcha suddenly tastes all wrong. Your favourite brunch is the last thing you fancy. You may also be dealing with morning sickness – which, despite the name, can strike at any time of day (we swear by crackers and crumpets!). And if the nausea suddenly disappears, you might find yourself worrying about that too.
Waiting for that first scan can be particularly hard. It’s completely possible to feel thrilled about your pregnancy while also worrying about miscarriage or whether everything is OK.
Your first midwife appointment and 12-week scan
Amid all the emotions, pregnancy symptoms and fruit-sized-baby updates, there are a few practical things to sort out too.
If you haven’t already contacted your maternity service, now is a good time. How you arrange your first appointment varies across the UK, but you can contact your GP or local maternity service to find out what to do in your area.
What happens at the 12-week scan?
You’ll also be offered an early ultrasound, often known as the 12-week or dating scan, towards the end of your first trimester. It’s used to check your baby’s development and give you a more accurate estimated due date.
When should I have my first midwife appointment?
Your first main appointment is usually your booking appointment with a midwife, generally at around 8–12 weeks. They’ll ask about your health, any previous pregnancies and your family history, take some routine measurements and blood tests, and talk you through your maternity care.
How can I look after myself at 8–10 weeks pregnant?
There really aren’t many things you have to do at this stage, and the basics are enough.
- Take folic acid. The NHS recommends 400 micrograms a day until you’re 12 weeks pregnant, unless you’ve been advised to take a higher dose. Vitamin D is also recommended during pregnancy.
- Skip the alcohol and check the pregnancy food guidance. If nausea and food aversions mean you’re currently living on toast rather than perfectly balanced rainbow bowls, that’s OK.
- Keep an eye on caffeine. The recommended maximum during pregnancy is 200mg a day, including tea, cola, energy drinks and chocolate as well as coffee.
- Move in a way that works for you. Carry on with your usual walks, swims or workouts if you feel up to them – and don’t worry if you’re not living the pregnancy-yoga-and-green-smoothies version of pregnancy you see on Instagram.
- Rest when you need to. If Friday night now means pyjamas by 7.30pm and falling asleep halfway through a film, embrace it. Your body is doing a lot behind the scenes.
There’ll be plenty more to think about as your pregnancy progresses, but there’s no need to rush. Mamas & Papas will be here to help with the practical stuff when you’re ready.
The little things you’ll want to remember
Take the photo before there’s a bump.
Lift your top and take that first side-on photo, even if there’s nothing to see yet. One day, you’ll love having the true starting point to look back on.
Write down the things you’d like to remember.
Keep a running list in your Notes app of the food you suddenly couldn’t stand, the ridiculous thing that made you cry, or how you felt when you first found out – the details that are so easy to forget.
Start a private pregnancy Instagram.
Create a little record of your pregnancy with photos, Reels and updates as you go, either just for you or for the people who are in on the secret.
Capture how it actually feels.
Not every memory has to be picture-perfect. The excitement, the nerves, the exhaustion, the symptoms you weren’t expecting – those are part of your story too.
And perhaps that’s the thing about the very beginning of pregnancy: it doesn’t have to feel magical every minute to be extraordinary.
