In the relationship between mother and baby, a new stage begins in her womb. The baby reports its presence by moving. This significant event, as a rule, occurs in the middle of the term, but is sometimes observed earlier. What is special about the 18th week of pregnancy? Read on.
Characteristics
A woman at the 18th week of pregnancy may experience the following changes:
- the appearance of edema;
- distinct and tangible movements of the fetus;
- the occurrence of pain in the lumbar spine due to the large load on the spine;
- conscious attitude to the peculiarities of their position.
The incredibly enjoyable and lightest second trimester continues. More likely for the first time to feel the stirring of crumbs in women who have a second child. If the future mother has an asthenic physique, she can also experience the first manifestations of fetal activity earlier. From this moment, you have a special connection. A woman will learn to determine the desires of a child, to expect manifestations of an emerging life when moving at 18 weeks of pregnancy.
Active baby
The shape of the uterus becomes rounded. The presence of pregnancy is increasingly noticeable. The figure of the future mother acquires charming features, making her mistress even more feminine. The appearance of minor discomfort at the 18th week of pregnancy occurs due to the pressure of the uterus on the internal organs. It continues to grow in size, providing space for the growing fetus.
The continuation of the fifth month of bearing a baby is a time of pleasant emotions and caring for a woman about her health. It is important to monitor the intensity of movement. The norm is considered from 4 to 8 times per hour. More frequent movements can signal a lack of oxygen, which the fetus is trying to make up by active movement. Then the baby’s heart beats faster, enriching the blood with oxygen.
A woman should spend more time walking in the air, breathing deeply. Gymnastic exercises and yoga classes help to enrich the blood with oxygen.
What does mom become
The size of the uterus in a woman at 18 weeks of gestation is similar to a small melon. The organ is located below the navel, on which the growing uterus sometimes presses from the inside.
The expectant mother gains weight in the range from 4 to 6 kg. The occurrence of problems with overweight should be an occasion for consultation with a doctor. It is important to consider recommendations for a particular diet. A woman should monitor the amount of fluid used. It is important now to control weight, this will be the key to a successful birth.
How the fetus develops
What happens at 18 weeks of gestation with the baby? There are such features:
- The weight of the baby in this period is approximately 200 grams. The fruit actively grows and develops, reaching a length of up to 22 cm.
- For the future baby is characterized by increased activity. The reason for this is a spacious uterus. She still does not limit the movements of the child, as it will be later. You can move a lot and spin, suck your finger, pull the umbilical cord. Maintaining such an active lifestyle can interfere with my mother's rest, because the process does not stop at night. Often he becomes even more intense as soon as mom prepares to sleep. Such activity in the future will ensure the correct formation of the baby's muscular system.
- The active formation of the brain continues, the establishment of the functions of the nervous system. For this reason, there is an improvement in the coordination of movements of the crumbs.
- The baby is able to distinguish between the spectrum of your emotions, joyful or sad. It is important to know that the tiny little man will feel and experience the same as his mother. A woman should protect herself from stressful situations, live in such a way that her mood is positive. Thus, she takes care of the future peace of the baby.
- A good development of the baby’s hearing is the result of the formed ear cartilage. The little man hears how the internal organs of his mother work. It is time for gentle conversations with the baby. He perfectly hears your voice, enjoys calm music, is able to hear fairy tales if you decide to read them.
- The baby can see, vision has already formed, but the baby develops with eyes closed. Light is already perceived by the retina, if it is bright, a reaction to it is present.
- The process of ossification of the skeleton, previously consisting of cartilage, continues, now they harden.
- The process of accumulation of fat lasts, providing metabolic processes in the body and maintaining body temperature.
- Already formed fingers and toes have phalanges and nails, you can fix fingerprints.
- The sex of the child is clearly determined thanks to the already formed genitals. They are located in their permanent place.
- The activity of cardiac activity is associated with the need to provide the baby's needs in movement. Oxygen enters the body through the placenta. The umbilical cord transfers the received portions of oxygen from the mother. They move to the left atrium, with subsequent distribution to the entire body. The role of the placenta is difficult to overestimate. She is the main in the vital processes of the baby inside the womb. With the help of the placenta, a hormone is produced that causes the pregnancy to develop in the female body.
- The completion of the formation of the immune system allows the crumb to independently repulse the manifestations of various infections.
What's new in mom’s life
The kid is growing. And what happens at the 18th week of pregnancy with a woman? Mom’s condition can be somewhat overshadowed by the appearance of painful sensations:
- back pain;
- in the lumbar region;
- pulling sensations in the lower abdomen.
What is the reason for this condition and is it normal? A problem may occur if:
- the center of gravity is displaced, since the uterus has significantly increased in size;
- weight added;
- increased level of load on the vertebral section;
- ligaments and tendons of the abdominal wall, which are directly related to the processes of uterine growth, have stretched.
There are several recommendations for improving the well-being of a future mother:
- selection of a special supportive bandage;
- the practice of exercises that strengthen the muscles of the back;
- control your weight;
- rest for a sufficient amount of time;
- taking a horizontal position of the body several times a day.
Features of vaginal discharge
Women in the photo of 18 weeks of pregnancy look cheerful and happy. But if you have problems with well-being, it is important to consult with your doctor in a timely manner.
The nature of the vaginal discharge at this time should not change. The presence of light discharge, the consistency of which is uniform, can only become more abundant. At this time, the endocrine glands are intensively working.
But if the color of the selection turns red or brown - do not ignore the problem. In the event of discharge of yellow or green color, there is a risk of intrauterine infection of the fetus. Be sure to visit a gynecologist.
Features of the diet of a pregnant
The child at 18 weeks of pregnancy is increasingly in need of vitamins and minerals that enter him through the umbilical cord. He loves sweets very much and reacts with active movements if mom eats candy.
The development of the fetus at 18 weeks of gestation requires a woman to have proper nutrition. During this period, preference should be given to fruits and vegetables, to monitor the amount of fats and carbohydrates in food.
If a traditional dinner, which consists of three dishes, caused the expectant mother a feeling of heaviness in her stomach, she is recommended to eat more often, but in smaller portions. Eating 5-6 times a day in the form of small portions will help to cope with the problem. You can replace fried and spicy dishes with stewed and boiled.
But do not get hung up on this advice. Do not rush to strictly deny yourself all your favorite dishes. It is important not to overeat, controlling the amount of food by setting a certain limit.
Try not to purchase products that are not good for your health so that you are not tempted to try them. The family should be sympathetic to this and support the woman. Then, even at midnight in the refrigerator, a woman will be able to take a jar of yogurt, one of the fruits, stewed fish.
The abdomen at 18 weeks of pregnancy increases, as the uterus grows. This organ exerts pressure on the intestines, affecting its peristalsis along with actively produced estrogen.
If at this time a woman does not eat properly, there is a risk of constipation, very undesirable in this position. To quickly solve the problem, eat a serving:
- prunes
- beets;
- kefir or yogurt;
- light vegetable soup daily.
Maintaining water balance remains very important. As a rule, a woman’s appetite at 18 weeks of pregnancy is good because toxicosis attacks no longer attack her. But if a woman does not take care of weight control, it will be more difficult for her to return to normal after childbirth. And the process of the birth of a baby with normal weight will be easier.
The use of alcohol, smoked and salted foods should be excluded due to water retention in the body. This can cause swelling. Set a limit for fatty foods, do not get involved in sweets. Drink more natural vegetable and fruit juices made from fresh plants.
It is important to consider what happens to the baby at 18 weeks of gestation. To ensure hematopoietic processes, which are characteristic for this period of intrauterine development, vitamins and minerals are necessary. In the diet of the expectant mother, there must be such dishes:
- buckwheat;
- fresh beef liver;
- vitamin C;
- folic acid;
- tomato juice.
Natural dairy products will be required to protect women from oral diseases such as osteoporosis and tooth decay. Vegetables and fruits will help normalize the stool of a pregnant woman.
What do doctors advise
Describing what happens to her mother at 18 weeks of gestation, doctors note that her fetus is no longer growing as intensively as in earlier periods. If this is a girl, the number of eggs in her ovary reaches a maximum of about 5 million. At birth, this figure will decrease to 2 million.
In the photo of the 18th week of pregnancy, the fetus acquires the facial features of a full-fledged person. They are becoming clearer. The position of the ears becomes constant, they begin to hear.
Due to the fact that the center of gravity has shifted, a woman has problems in terms of urination. Urinary tract infections may develop. Doctors recommend that you do not ignore the manifestations of pain in the lumbar region and treat them very carefully. You will need to exercise strict control over the process of urination.
The appearance in a pregnant woman of regular and prolonged abdominal pain, if they are similar to contractions, if there are bloody or brown discharge, this should be the reason for an immediate doctor's call. With such symptoms, there is a risk of premature birth.
In addition to the tests that you need to pass to a pregnant woman in this period, it is also necessary to perform an ultrasound scan. Right now you can make sure that there are no congenital diseases:
- defects of the cardiovascular system;
- heart disease;
- Down syndrome.
The survey will help evaluate:
- how the placenta develops;
- whether there is a risk of deviations;
- fix the size of the circumference of the head and abdomen of the baby, the parameters of the frontooccipital area and the length of the bones.
Be sure to pass urine for tests to assess whether the kidneys cope with stress in pregnancy and blood, in order to exclude the development of anemia. The hemoglobin level should be normal so that the baby is fully provided with oxygen. You may need to use vitamins with iron in the composition.
A triple test screening may be required to detect chromosomal abnormalities.
Tips for expectant mothers
A photo of the abdomen at 18 weeks of gestation indicates average sizes. While it is not so difficult to move around, you can begin to collect the dowry for the baby. Make a list of the necessary things, start with those that need to be prepared for the hospital. You can hide the assembled package for a while, but know that everything is ready for the most important moment.
Start choosing:
- a crib made of natural wood;
- natural bedding materials;
- pram;
- Mobile
- a pacifier;
- sling;
- diapers;
- baby cosmetics;
- set of diapers.
To summarize
The 18th week of pregnancy is the time when the expectant mother has the opportunity to pay attention to herself and concentrate on feelings. Almost half the term before delivery.
It is important to take care of your well-being, positive emotions, relaxation, proper nutrition. The more fresh air the expectant mother will receive, the more actively the fetus will be able to develop. He already hears mom’s voice, reacts to her emotions. If a woman includes calm music or reads fairy tales, the crumbs like it a lot. A special contact is established, which will only strengthen after the birth of the long-awaited child.
In anticipation of a meeting with a new little man, a woman continues to visit her gynecologist and follow his recommendations. Already you can choose things for the long-awaited crumbs. After all, so much is needed to make the pet enjoy living outside the mother’s bosom in the world of people.
The close environment of a woman should understand the peculiarity of her position and help the expectant mother cope with emotions and difficulties as much as possible. A positive attitude will help you tune in to the appearance of the baby.