18 Weeks Pregnant

Trust in your body, as your baby’s development happens at just the right time and in just the right way!

Baby’s Development

• At week 18 weeks of pregnancy, your baby will be testing out its reflexes now by flexing its arms and legs a lot! Now that baby realises it can flex it’s arms and legs, it will be using those legs to practice kicking. At this point baby may also realise how much he or she loves sucking its thumb! Adorable!
• If there is a little girl developing in your womb her uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes will be formed and in place. For the boys their ‘dangly bits’ will be dangling and the outies and inies can be detected by ultrasound.
• Your baby’s nervous system is maturing rapidly, and baby now has a protective coating called myelin which is a fatty substance that coats, protects and insulates nerves to help with conduction of impulses between the brain and body. Myelin will continue to grow till baby is approximately 1 year after birth. The five senses of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing are all in motion giving baby the ability to interact with his / her outside world. Be mindful that your baby is listening and interacting with you, your partner and other siblings (if this isn’t no. 1) even if you aren’t aware. Make sure you are talking to baby each day.
• Your baby will now be yawning and hiccuping, which as the pregnancy progresses you will start to feel the little hiccups from inside. Baby’s often go on to hiccup at the same times once out of the womb, so notice if there is a pattern forming with the hiccups.
• Plus, your baby’s teeth have started to form!

What’s Happening For You

• For you, you will be noticing that over the last couple of weeks, your centre of gravity has shifted as your belly gets bigger! People may now only just be noticing that you are pregnant, or if this is a subsequent pregnancy, that may have been weeks ago. As your uterus grows, and as the hormone relaxin takes hold, your ligaments begin to soften and relax, so it is super important that you become very conscious of your posture, and ensure that you aren’t lifting anything too heavy. If you haven’t been already, it is time to really listen to your incredible body. If you experience tenderness in your back or swollen feet, don’t ignore it. Book yourself into a chiropractor, physio or osteopath that specialise in pregnancy, and ensure that you are putting your feet up often. Make sure you have a good firm mattress and treat yourself to a prenatal massage. Read our blog on the importance of prenatal touch and massage during pregnancy. Look after yourself!
• For many women, pregnancy brings low blood pressure, so if you are experiencing some dizziness when standing up, take this task a little slower.
• You may want to start thinking about some maternity clothes now that you are getting a beautifully round belly and starting to pop out. It’s time to buy some big girl pants (and maybe even undies!) Embrace this wonderful change, as you look incredible, and that’s what everyone is thinking. Pregnancy is beautiful! You don’t need to spend lots of money on new clothes. Jump out onto fb and check in with friends and even on pregnancy groups, as someone has always just had a baby and are happy to pass on or sell their clothes at discount. You are much better investing your money into educating yourselves than having the newest brand. Being informed and empowered is going to last a lifetime.

Things To Consider

• You may have your 20 week ultra sound scan booked in already or making preparations for the appointment. Some women can become anxious leading up to this appointment, as it is generally regarded as an important milestone. This assessment can be referred to as an anomaly scan or fetal morphology ultrasound, scary words but in reality the primary purpose is to assess the baby’s development and position of placenta. Use your relaxation practice to sail through this time with the minimum of stress.
• Read The One List You Can’t Do Without In Pregnancy!

Read more about what to expect next week.