By the 18th week of pregnancy, the following developments have occurred in your baby:
- By this time, your baby is becoming truly one of a kind as their fingerprints and toeprints start to form.
- The work on the digestive system has going on for weeks now but now your baby swallows amniotic fluid which passes through the digestive system which combines with dead cells and secretions to form meconium, a black tarry substance that you will find in their first diaper change.
- Your baby’s ears will finally start separating from the sides of the head, and they might even be able to register the sound.
- Since the baby has started swallowing, they need the fluids to digest nutrients and by now the gall bladder may start to work.
How Big Your Baby Is At 18 Weeks?
At this stage, your baby is as big as a sweet potato and measures around 5 and a half inches long. At this stage, the baby weighs around 7 ounces.
Mom’s Body at 18 Weeks Pregnant
If this is your first pregnancy, then you may feel the baby has begin to move inside your belly sometime soon. This fluttering feeling is also known as quickening. As your baby grows more, these feelings may grow stronger and you might even feel the kicks soon. But since each mother and baby is different, you may find the movement a bit later too and there is nothing to worry about that.
At this stage, your body is going through a lot of circulation changes like increase in blood volumes and increasing blood vessels which can cause your blood pressure to drop. And these changes can make you feel a bit dizzy.
By 18th week, you will also start to notice that your feet are getting bigger and this is because of the swelling cause by water retention, which can occur from the second trimester. Hormones also play an important part in growing feet. The hormone relaxin, relaxes your pelvic floor and loosens the ligaments of your feet which leads to foot bones to spread. You can relieve this swelling with a footbath of cool water and by keeping your feet raised.
18 Weeks Pregnant: Your Symptoms
- Dizzy Spells: Your heart is working 40-50% extra, this combined with increased levels of blood and hormonal changes, may give you dizzy spells especially when you get up too quickly. Make sure that you rest frequently and lie down when you feel dizzy.
- Mini Moves: Most women feel little movements inside their belly anywhere between 16 to 20 weeks. Since the baby is very small, you will not feel a proper kick but more of a gentle flutter.
- Leg Cramps: By this time, you will find your legs cramping, usually at night. Try to stretch your calf muscles before going to bed and stay hydrated. A warm bath or hot shower may help too.
- Nasal Problems: Because of surge in hormones and increased blood levels, your mucous membranes will swell leading to bleeding and nasal congestion.
- Aches and Pains in the Back: Growing belly and other hormonal changes will lead to pain in the lower back region.
18 Weeks Pregnant: Things to Consider
- At this stage, you and your baby need nutrients and hence it is advisable to consume food that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 helps in building your little one’s nervous system and the development of same. Some studies even show that omega-3 improves the immune system of the mother and reduces the chances of depression.
- Once you start with your second trimester, your baby will need some more calories to grow. This doesn’t mean that you provide them with calorie requirements of one entire person. Just 300 extra calories are enough.
- You may see that since you have spoken to your friends and colleagues about this everybody will be trying to give you advices and you must keep your cool. Make sure that you listen to majorly what your healthcare provider has to tell you.
18 weeks of pregnancy is no doubt an easy job and this is where you start to even feel few movements inside your belly. You may start to feel restless and excited at the same time but know that you have to take you complete care in terms of exercises and the diet that you take. With all the bodily changes, you might feel strained too but always look at the bigger picture. Continue to write on the pregnancy journal of yours as from now on, you will more and more changes in your body as well as in terms of your baby’s development.
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