Where Is Your Baby Located at 18 Weeks

Calendar week xviii – your second trimester

You may feel your baby motility for the first time around now. If yous are feeling something at present, it may feel similar a gentle fluttering awareness.

What'southward happening in my trunk?

Y'all might be starting to feel a bit clumsier as your belly gets bigger. Your breasts may accept gone up a size, also, particularly if it'south your first pregnancy. Your claret pressure level is probably a chip lower than it was, so practice not jump up from the sofa, or it could make you feel empty-headed.

Your infant has been moving around for the past couple of months, just you lot probably will non have noticed. You may get-go feeling some movement now though – it feels like a bubbling or fluttering inside your belly.

You may also detect a line down your stomach, called the linea nigra (Latin for "black line"). This is normal skin pigmentation and nothing to worry about. It will probably vanish a few months after the nascency.

Your anomaly browse

Y'all'll be offered an bibelot browse at around 18 to 20 weeks. This is a browse that looks at your babe in detail to run across if there is annihilation unusual about their development and advent. It tin pick up a range of conditions, but non all of them.

The browse will non hurt you or your baby, only it may feel a bit uncomfortable as the sonographer may have to apply a bit of pressure level on your stomach to get the best possible view.

Read more most why scans are offered and what they involve on the NCT website.

Is it a boy or a daughter?

The sonographer may be able to tell yous at this scan, but not everyone wants to know, and information technology's not always the hospital policy to reveal the sex activity of the baby. If you exercise not desire to know, tell them before you offset of your scan appointment.

Free prescriptions and dental care

Did y'all know that prescriptions are free during pregnancy? NHS dental treatment is also costless. You just need a Maternity Exemption Document or card (MatEx). Ask your midwife, GP or health company for the application course FW8. Your certificate will be valid for up to a year later your babe's due date or date of birth.

Second trimester pregnancy symptoms (at 18 weeks)

Hopefully you are feeling more energetic and able to manage your pregnancy symptoms at present. If y'all are struggling with mean solar day-to-day life, talk to your midwife or doctor, they are there to back up y'all.

Your signs of pregnancy could include:

• stretch marks
• tiredness and sleeping problems
• bloated and haemorrhage gums
• pains on the side of your belly, caused by your expanding womb (known every bit "round ligament pains")
• headaches
• nosebleeds
• bloating and constipation
• indigestion and heartburn
• sore breasts
• leg cramps
• feeling hot
• dizziness
• swollen hands and feet
• urine infections
• vaginal infections
• darkened peel on your face or brown patches – this is known as chloasma or the "mask of pregnancy"
• greasier, spotty skin
• thicker and shinier hair
• symptoms from before weeks, such equally morn sickness, weird pregnancy cravings, a heightened sense of odor, mood swings, a white milky pregnancy belch from your vagina and low-cal spotting (seek medical advice for any bleeding)

Tommy'southward, the infant charity, has a further list of common symptoms.

What does my baby look like?

Your baby, or foetus, is around 14.2cm long from caput to bottom, and weighs around 190g. That'due south approximately the size and weight of a sweet red pepper.

Your baby'south hearing, feeling, swallowing and sucking reflexes are developing this week. They will also exist doing a lot of wriggling around and moving their arms and legs.

Activity stations

Many women will tell their employer afterwards they've had their outset pregnancy scan at around 12 weeks. Once you tell your employer, you lot have maternity rights and can attend antenatal appointments during paid work fourth dimension. You can also ask for a take chances assessment of your workplace to ensure that yous're working in a prophylactic environment.

It'southward a good time to tone up those muscles "downwards nether". Gentle exercises can help to prevent leakage when y'all laugh, sneeze or coughing. Go the muscles going by pretending that you're having a wee and stopping midflow. Visit Tommy's for more ideas.

We can usually go enough vitamin D from sunlight, simply between Oct and March it's best to take a vitamin D supplement every day. Just 10 micrograms is all you need (it's the same for grown-ups and kids). It's worth checking if yous're entitled to costless vitamins.

It'due south recommended that pregnant women exercise 150 minutes of exercise throughout the week. You could start off with only 10 minutes of daily exercise - possibly take a brisk walk outside. Check out Sport England'southward #StayInWorkOut online exercises (scroll to the pregnancy section). Heed to your body and do what feels right for yous.

Don't eat for two! Consume for you. You don't need any actress calories until the tertiary trimester, which starts in week 28. Try to eat healthily, with plenty of fresh fruit and veg, and avoid candy, fatty and salty foods. You may be able to get gratuitous milk, fruit and veg through the Good for you Start scheme.

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Source: https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/pregnancy/week-by-week/2nd-trimester/week-18/

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