We have made it to the 8-week mark! This is the week that you can start seeing little arms and legs starting to
form on ultrasound. At this stage, we sonographers call these the limb buds. Just like a tree when new growth
starts it is known to be budding. Those little buds will start forming fingers and toes that will be webbed at this
point. Those fingers and toes are usually not well seen until after 8 weeks, but you can see the arms and legs. It
is also at this point that you may see the baby move those arms and legs and turn around in there. The baby’s
eyelids almost cover the eyes. The lungs are still forming from the tubes in its neck. The nerve cells of the brain
are starting to connect with one another, and these are forming primitive neural pathways. If you are
wondering what the gender of your baby is, it is way too soon since the external genitalia still have not
developed enough to reveal whether you are having a boy or a girl. Either way, your baby, about the size of an
almond, is periodically moving and shifting, though you still cannot feel it. On ultrasound, your baby looks like a
gummy bear. It is at this stage that you will be able to tell if you are having more than one baby. It is also at this
point that your baby will be known as a fetus instead of an embryo. Babies measure about 3/4 inch long and
weigh about 1/30 of one ounce.
