8 Weeks Pregnant

Your waistline may begin growing this week, though you're probably not yet showing. If you press your abdomen, you may feel your enlarged uterus; it's about the size of a softball.

You are probably feeling more effects from your pregnancy each day. Nausea may be a constant complaint. And your abdomen will most likely be sore. With all these complaints, you're probably anxious to let family and friends in on the happy secret about why you're feeling so miserable.

There are those stalwart moms-to-be who wait until the first trimester is over—or even until they've had their 20-week ultrasounds—before they break the news to friends and family. Then there are those women who wait with the pregnancy dipstick in one hand and a telephone in the other, ready to call as soon as the at-home test says positive. Deciding when to divulge your this secret can be difficult.

Concerns with Miscarriage
The prevailing wisdom is to wait until the end of the first trimester before announcing your pregnancy (a long 12 weeks!). Miscarriages most often happen during these first few weeks, so many women wait to tell family and friends until the miscarriage risk is minimal.

Infertility and Announcing Your Pregnancy:
If you've been trying to get pregnant for a long time, keeping your good news private can be difficult—if not impossible. Many couples have voiced their infertility struggles to family and friends who now may be almost as anxious as you are about the results of your test. With pregnancy after infertility, you may be even more impatient to revise the "don't-tell-until-the-first-trimester-is-over" policy and let them in on the happy news.

Pregnancy Giveaways:
You may be doing your best to keep your pregnancy a secret, but friends and family may notice subtle changes in your behavior and your appearance that may reveal your pregnancy.

• What you drink: Drinking alcohol is now a no-no, and your friends and family may see you pass the next time you're offered wine and wonder why.


• What you eat: Most women experience some kind of food cravings, especially during the first part of their pregnancies. Friends and family may notice you downing an extra pickle or two at parties or uncharacteristically grabbing a big bowl of potato chips. They may also pick up that certain foods now make you queasy.


• What you wear: Your abdomen may be tender, making snug or tight-fitting clothes uncomfortable. You may be wearing looser fitting clothes even though your baby bump is weeks away from showing. While your bump may be tiny, your breasts probably won't be. Even early in your pregnancy, breast size increases as your body readies itself for breastfeeding.


• What you do: You're probably more tired than normal. Pregnancy hormones can have a sedative effect, making you sleepier than usual. Add to that the increased blood volume in your body which puts more pressure on your heart, causing fatigue. The greater blood volume also means you'll be making more trips to the bathroom as your body tries to filter out impurities in your blood. Chances are your family may be suspicious about your frequent potty breaks.


• What you look like: You may have a pregnancy glow. One theory of why pregnant women's faces look different to others is that the increased blood flow brings more color into the cheeks.