WHAT'S GOING ON WITH BABY?

Your Baby at 18 Weeks Pregnant

Baby’s growth and size

Baby is right around 5.5 inches in length, maybe even a tad longer and nearly 7 ounces in weight! Almost 2 whole ounces gained since last week.

What’s new developmentally?

There’s a lot going on inside your belly right now, mama. Something called myelin is beginning to form around baby’s nerves. 

I definitely don’t expect you to know what this is, unless maybe you are in the medical field. In short, myelin is a protective membrane that wraps around certain nerve cells.

If your baby is a female, her fallopian tubes and uterus are in the correct places. Baby is moving all over the place and just might be big enough for you to start feeling those movements!

Fun facts about your week 18 baby

  • Baby can now yawn

  • Baby can fully hear this week

  • Ears, nose, and lips are all recognizable on ultrasound

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MAMA?

Week 18 of Pregnancy

Week 18 pregnancy symptoms 

How should I be feeling at 18 weeks pregnant?

How are you feeling, mama? Have you started feeling those little baby flutters yet? Those first little movements are known as quickening and can feel different to each person. I’ve heard women refer to quickening as feeling like bubbles, gas, little fish swimming around, fizz, among lots of others!

Make sure you are taking good care of yourself mama, it’s easy to neglect our own needs, but both you and your little one need you to make sure you are eating well, exercising, sleeping, and staying nice and hydrated.

If you are feeling that second trimester energy, definitely take advantage of it! Now is a great time to start working on baby’s nursery and getting a registry together if you haven’t already. Can you believe that you’re almost to the halfway point? Time sure does fly.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

More Week 18 Info

18 weeks pregnant ultrasound

This just might be the week you get to check on your sweet baby for your anatomy scan! Typically, the anatomy scan is completed somewhere between weeks 18 – 22 weeks so it might be another week or two.

Also called a level 2 ultrasound, the anatomy scan is a super exciting, and sometimes a little scary, milestone! The sonographer will take a deep look into things like baby’s health, organ development, growth, and screen for some of the more common issues that can be spotted before birth.

 A very exciting time because you get to check on baby and see lots of ultrasound pictures (maybe even learn baby’s sex!!) but also a bit scary because it’s the time when you might learn about possible defects, delays, or other abnormalities.

 

Just remember, early intervention, education, and knowledge are key to giving baby the best possible outcome. For lots more information and details about what to expect at your anatomy scan, be sure to read this article!

Not feeling baby move at 18 weeks

Try not to stress if you aren’t quite feeling baby move at 18 weeks. There is a pretty big range of “normal” when it comes to feeling baby move for the first time. Most women will notice fetal movement between weeks 16 – 24.

 

Things like location of your placenta, number pregnancies, and fetal activity level, can all play into when this happens.

 

Women with an anterior placenta, which simply means your placenta attached to the front wall of your uterus, might not feel movement until closer to that 24 week mark. Having an anterior placenta can make it harder to feel baby’s movements because the placenta “cushions” the movements.

 

Anterior placentas are perfectly normal and shouldn’t have any impact on your mode of delivery. Women that have been pregnant before and felt those movements know what to look (well, really what to feel) for so might be able to spot fetal movement earlier than a first-time mom.

 

All of this to say, if you haven’t started feeling baby move yet at 18 weeks, you don’t need to panic. There is still plenty of time!

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOUR BUMP?

18 Weeks Pregnant Belly

TIPS & RESOURCES FOR WEEK 18

Tips for 18 Weeks Pregnant

  • Do some research on baby nurseries to figure out what you might want

  • Start documenting your bump with a weekly picture - I used the Baby Story: Pregnancy Pictures app during my pregnancies

  • Consider investing in a pregnancy pillow- I have a couple on my Amazon Storefront to help you narrow your search

  • Start thinking about that baby registry

  • Start thinking about a babymoon if you plan on taking one

  • It's never too early to start looking into childcare options – trust me on this one, mama, preschools and daycares fill up fast 

  • Make a point to check in with your mental health – it’s never too early to start doing this and mama, you sure deserve it

  • Do some research on the anatomy scan so that you come prepared with questions if you have any – you can learn more here

  • Begin researching birth classes – there are SO MANY out there, but I actually have online birth classes available for you to take from the comfort of your own home! Learn more about my online birthing classes today

  • Sign up for MLN weekly pregnancy updates to stay up to date on everything going on with your pregnancy. So much good information and it’s all free! 

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