18 Weeks Pregnant

The baby at 18 weeks of pregnancy already has lanugo visible¹. Lanugo? Yes, that fine layer of tiny hairs covering the baby’s body! Your little one may be 14.2 cm long and weigh about 190 grams! Growing noticeably, more and more each day. The baby is starting to make breathing movements. But it’s just practice, as the placenta supplies all the baby’s oxygen needs.

Don’t be surprised if you see your little one sucking their thumb or hands during an ultrasound. Babies love doing that at this stage. Moms, remember each baby and mom is different. The fetus’s height and weight can vary according to the parents’ biotypes, okay?

Baby’s development

At 18 weeks, a major milestone is the development of hearing². Baby can already hear your heartbeat and the inner sounds of blood flowing in the umbilical cord or your stomach working. In a few days, your baby will be able to hear noises and voices from outside your womb and start to recognize your voice.

Another important change this week is that your baby already simulates breathing movements even though it’s not yet required, since they are still only swallowing amniotic fluid. Their little eyes are now sensitive to light and react to stimuli from outside. The intestines are still developing and begin to produce meconium (first stool) from the amniotic fluid that the baby swallows.

How mom is feeling…

At 18 weeks, women often notice the appearance of spots and pimples, especially on the face. Of course, not every woman gets the same symptoms, but this is a time when these changes are common. It all happens due to hormone levels, which are like a rollercoaster.

Weight gain is usually rapid at this stage. That’s why you should watch your diet, avoid excesses, and everything that could further increase your weight or harm your health during pregnancy, including your baby’s. Another point worth noting: dizziness often appears this week, due to the heart working harder as pregnancy progresses. This causes your blood sugar to drop, compressing the veins and causing dizziness, and in some cases even fainting³. Getting up slowly and resting whenever possible is best at this stage to avoid possible accidents.

Have you started the layette? Have you decided which hospital you’ll use for delivery? Maybe it’s time to start preparing everything. Don’t leave those decisions for the last minute. After all, you never know when the baby will arrive, and making decisions when you should just be waiting is very stressful. Take advantage of your energy levels—they’re still high, and your belly isn’t getting in the way yet—to do everything you need to prepare.

External factors

Your bump is already getting rounder and it’s easy to see you’re pregnant. It may still be just a small bulge, but it’ll get bigger every week from now on. It’s only a matter of time. The curiosity to know the baby’s gender is very common and by this stage, it’s usually possible to know from an ultrasound. If you’ve already found out, enjoy the pink or blue world and make all your plans and purchases as you wish.

Photo: Inese_Dunajeva