- 18 weeks pregnant is which trimester? Second trimester
- How many weeks of pregnancy are left? 22 weeks
- 18 weeks pregnant is how many months? You're in your fifth month.
With week 17 of your pregnancy complete, you’re on week 18. Enjoy it, as week 19 is on the horizon!
One of the most exciting things about pregnancy is how many changes you’ll experience with your little one over the span of just seven days! Here are some tips and tricks to keep on top of all that’s happening.
Your baby at 18 weeks pregnant:
What’s happening in there
- Your baby is the size of a cucumber.
- You’re in your fifth month.
- The countdown continues: You’ve got 22 weeks to go!
What happens during the 18th week of pregnancy?
- Your baby’s hardwired: Those little nerves are now active and growing, ready for your baby to explore the wonders of the outside world. To keep them protected, they’re covered with a substance called myelin that helps those impulses shoot from nerve cell to nerve cell through the body.
- 100 billion: That’s how many neurons have grown in your baby’s brain in these first four months!
- Shhhhh, someone’s listening: With the development of those nerve endings and the formation of the bone in your baby’s inner ear, your baby can hear your heartbeat, the movement of blood through the umbilical cord, and your tummy’s rumbles and gurgles.
What should I be feeling at 18 weeks pregnant?
- You might start feeling movements, with your baby not just twisting and turning, but even yawning.
- With all the growth of your uterus and its precious contents, you may start feeling backaches and muscle pains. The hormone relaxin is to blame. It relaxes your ligaments and loosens joints, which can change your posture. Coupled with the added weight, your back may begin to hurt more than usual.
- When you're 18 weeks pregnant, your baby's bones start changing from a soft substance to a strong, hard structure. This process, called ossification, usually begins in the collarbones and legs. Take a prenatal vitamin with brain-nourishing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eat calcium-rich foods, which will help those bones become strong.