Day 60 of 280, first trimester
You are 8 weeks and 4 days
Your baby's bones are starting to develop, and they'll keep lengthening until the teenage years.
220 days until your due date
You won't feel your baby's activity for months yet, but the elbows are forming, so your baby can make small movements. The wrists don't move yet.
Your baby looks more human every day. The vertebrae and ribs are in place, the fingers are gradually lengthening, and the body is less curled up than a few weeks ago.
The skeleton will gradually harden. Apart from the skull bones, every bone has a soft cartilage core that will be replaced by hard bone. This process, called ossification, begins over the next five weeks in primary ossification centers, where specialized cells lay down calcium salts to form spongy and then hard bone. Inside the hard bone is red bone marrow, which will later become the main source of the baby's red blood cells.
In the second trimester, secondary ossification centers form at the ends of each bone. The section of bone between the primary and secondary centers is the growth plate, which lets the bones keep lengthening.
Good to know
More cheese please
Tired of being told what you can't eat? It's a common myth that cheese harms unborn babies. Only unpasteurized cheeses are potentially dangerous, because they raise the risk of listeria, a rare bacterium that can attack the baby. They may be made at local cheese stores or dairy farms.
All other cheeses are safe and a good source of calcium.
So, as long as they're pasteurized, you can enjoy:
- Hard cheeses, such as Cheddar and Parmesan
- Feta
- Ricotta
- Mascarpone
- Cream cheese
- Mozzarella
- Cottage cheese
- Processed cheese, such as spreads
Focus on
Nutrition: Good mood foods
If pregnancy gets you down at times, try a dietary boost. Happy, relaxed people tend to have high levels of serotonin, a brain chemical produced when you eat protein-rich foods, so eat meat (especially turkey), fish, legumes, and well-cooked eggs.
Foods rich in B vitamins, such as bananas and avocados, can also help raise serotonin levels.
Appointments and key dates around now
- Booking appointmentUsually between 8 and 12 weeks
Read the full 8 weeks pregnant guide
This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.