Information About 18 Weeks of Pregnancy
Now that you are eighteen weeks pregnant, you are probably feeling more comfortable with your pregnancy. You have probably told everyone that you are pregnant by now. If this is not your first baby, your other children may be feeling very anxious about the new baby. How can you help your kids to prepare for the new baby? Maybe they are very excited and looking forward to being a big brother or sister or they could be angry, jealous or anxious about no longer being the baby of the family. In this week’s newsletter we are going to give you some ideas for “big brother” and “big sister” projects you can do with your kids. We are also going to talk about what to do when your other kids are not happy about the new baby.
Baby’s Development
By now the baby’s CR or Crown to Rump length should be approximately 5-1/2 inches and the baby will now weigh around 5.25 ounces. The baby is continually growing at a nice, safe pace. The baby is still developing fat layers but this week, the baby will slow down for a bit. In the last month or so the baby will gain about ½ a pound every week.
At week eighteen, doctors can determine if the baby has any heart abnormalities with the aid of the ultrasound machine. If there are positive signs or unconfirmed signs of abnormalities the doctors will continue to do some testing. The baby will keep moving more and more as the uterus expands. You will start to feel more movement as the weeks go on.
Your baby could be doing somersaults in the uterus and they can even sit cross-legged. The baby’s hearing is more advanced and they can hear sounds as well as the sound of your voice. If they become startled they may start kicking. The baby will become familiar with the sound of your heartbeat and other voices like the dad. The blood continues to go through the umbilical cord. You can hear the baby’s heartbeat but if you invest in a stethoscope you can hear the baby’s heartbeat whenever you want.
The baby can flex their arms and legs, which result in many fetal movements. There is a protective layer being formed call the Myelin, this forms around the nerves that will actually continue to protect the nerves up to year after birth.
Changes With Your Body
By now you will be able to feel the uterus right below the stomach. At week eighteen the uterus is about the size of a cantaloupe. By now, an average weight gain would be about 10 pounds or so. Every woman is different, if you have any concerns about your weight, it is important to speak to your doctor right away. You may also start to use the bathroom more often. As the pregnancy progresses the baby will at some point be putting pressure right on the bladder.
There is a condition called Postural Hypotension, this condition will cause dizziness in some women. This condition can decrease by slowing standing up and to slowly sit down. You will also see some continued changes in the breasts. The areolas will become darker and the breasts will be tender. Some women will have an increase in breast size. Many women may experiences some indigestion problems as well as constipation or even piles. Do not take any over the counter medication unless you speak to a doctor first.
Tips/Advice
Keep taking your prenatal vitamins and stay hydrated. Relaxing and enjoying the pregnancy is the best thing that you can do right now. Keep following your doctors’ advice and get plenty of rest. If you want to start looking at baby names, it can be a fun way to pass the time. Nine months is a long time, especially if you found out early that you were expecting
