Week 18 of Pregnancy

18 weeks pregnant almost half way through. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, so if you are in luck you may get to find out the sex of your baby during your ultrasound.

Fetus

The baby is now about 6 inches long now from head to rump and weighs about 190 grams.
His bones are continuing to harden and the pads of his fingers and toes are formed. The baby is developing his own set of fingerprints.

The baby is developing his stomach, intestine and colon and the intestines will start to collect meconium which is the initial stool a baby passes after birth. The baby can kick, swallow, sleep and suck his or her thumb at this stage. The heart begins to build up muscle cells and is pumping between 25 and 30 quarts of blood per day.

If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, so if you are in luck you may get to find out the sex of your baby during your ultrasound.


Mother

Most women will have gained between 10 to 15 pounds by now but some will have gained less and some more. Your uterus is approximately the size of a small melon.

As your bump increases you may start to get backache around the lower back where your pelvis and spine are joined. This pain happens because those pregnancy hormones have softened your ligaments.


Health

A scan will probably be scheduled for you sometime during this trimester, usually between 18 and 22 weeks. The scan is usually to check the fetal growth and development, screen for certain birth defects, check the placenta and umbilical cord and also to check that the gestational age is accurate.


My Experience at 18 weeks

My appetite started to increase this week but unfortunately biscuits, cereal and toast were the foods I fancied the most. I was not always a fan of breakfast but the past couple of weeks I have been eating large bowls of cereal in the morning. It is becoming a bit hard to find a comfortable position at night but I am always exhausted so unlike some women this does not keep me awake. I have
noticed a frequent need to go to the toilet and thankfully this does wake me up in the middle of the night and unfortunately I doubt as the baby grows this particular ailment is not going to go away.

19 Weeks
17 Weeks
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