Week 18
What to expect at
18 weeks
Your baby is the size of a cucumber.
Yawning
Baby should be big enough this week for you to feel all those rolls, kicks and flips. The skill that your baby is learning this week is yawning. He/she has actually mastered it by now as well as hiccuping. You may start to feel those little hiccups in the womb!
Nervous System
Your baby’s nervous system, which is maturing rapidly when you’re 18 weeks pregnant, now covered with a substance called myelin that speeds messages from nerve cell to nerve cell, are forming more complex connections. And those in the brain are further developing into the ones that serve the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing.
Your body at 18 weeks
Back Pain
This week you will see a big shift in posture and balance. Your balance will now be thrust forward which could result in low back pain. Coupled with your balance being thrown off your ligaments are loosening all over your body to help prepare for baby. So if you are starting to feel those back aches make sure to rest with your feet up, take a warm bath and talk to your doctor if you can’t seem to find comfort.