👶Pregnancy Week By Week👶 ◆Week Eighteen◆ ◈Second Trimester◈ This should be an exciting week for you. You’ve probably already found that every new twinge and symptom brings with it a reminder you are really going to have a baby. But of all the pregnancy signs, there is none more convincing than when you become aware of your baby moving. This is commonly around the 18th week for first time mothers and a little earlier for those who’ve had a baby before.Until now, the amniotic fluid has been acting as a buffer for your baby’s activity and the nerve endings in the wall of your uterus have not been directly in contact with the baby, it’s been too small. Now that your baby is large enough to be stimulating those nerve pathways, your brain will register that there is something moving around in there. Physical changes this week: At 18 weeks pregnant, you should be able to feel the top of your uterus. Emotional changes this week: If you’ve been feeling a little ho hum about the whole pregnancy deal, this week you may start feeling a bit brighter. You are likely to be feeling the first of many of your baby’s movements and have a sense that your pregnancy is all very real. You may feel as if you just want to keep the news of the baby’s movements all to yourself for a while. Alot of women feel some silent, secret connection with their baby which they want to keep private. This is fine though you may want to let your partner know too, just to be fair.If the thought of childbirth has seemed like some way off event, this week it may not appear to be so distant. Your expanding tummy and the baby’s movements combine to provide a constant and niggling reminder that at some stage, your baby will need to come out. Do allow yourself time to think about how you want your labour to proceed and what you can do to feel actively involved in your birth plan. Changes in your baby this week: It’s getting a little squeezy in your uterus. It has to fit in your baby, the amniotic fluid, the placenta and membranes and the umbilical cord. Not to mention the extra space your baby takes up when it is rolling and kicking, stretching and turning. Fortunately your uterus is a uniquely designed muscle which able to expand and grow many times bigger than its original size and shape.This week your baby could be sucking its thumb. Ultrasounds taken at 18 weeks have shown lots of babies have found their little thumbs by this stage and don’t want to let go. Some babies are born with blisters on their fingers and thumbs, from months of latching on and going for it.Your baby’s bones are ossifying, meaning they’re getting stronger and are less like cartilage. Watch your calcium intake and make sure you’re getting enough dairy foods. Even if you’re not a milk drinker get into some cheese, yoghurt, custard, ice-cream, fish with edible bones and even almonds. Green leafy vegetables also contain calcium. -Kia 💚
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 08:35:05 +0000
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