Your baby at 18 weeks pregnant:
Key Takeaways at 18 Weeks Pregnant
You should start sleeping on your side instead of your back around week 18 of pregnancy. This is due to the fact that your uterus and baby are growing to the point where they are pressing against large veins in the back of your abdomen. This can cause you to feel dizzy or worse, cause your blood pressure to drop. Sounds terrifying, but you can completely avoid it by simply sleeping on your side. Of course, you are also susceptible to pressure during pregnancy week 18, as there are a lot of changes taking place. Make sure to schedule time to relax and take breaks. Watch Week 18 Highlights.
There are a lot of things your 18-week-old fetus is doing inside your pregnant belly, including exercising its muscles and practicing a variety of moves. Baby is also twisting, rolling, punching, and kicking—and they’re big enough that you might be able to feel it—as well as yawning, hiccupping, sucking, and swallowing.
This thorough ultrasound is one of the common prenatal exams. It examines your infant’s body parts and can typically detect any obvious issues with growth or development, such as spina bifida, heart defects, and limb defects. Your baby’s heart beating, spine’s curve, face, arms waving, and legs kicking are likely to be visible to you.
Even if you believe your relationship is solid, making an extra effort to be open with one another, determine roles, and communicate expectations is a good parenting and relationship-building habit. This “relationship work” can include everything from choosing paid work schedules to discussing who will make dinner. The second trimester is also a great time to spend time with your spouse and do some activities that you won’t have time for in the early postpartum months. A few suggestions include staying in bed, watching a movie, eating out, and visiting with friends and family.