Week 18

Development of 18 weeks fetus

How does 18 week old fetus develop?

The fetus at 18 weeks of age is about the size of a bell pepper, weighs nearly 200g and is about 14 cm long from head to toe.

Your baby's ears will move to the correct position and extend to the sides according to the complete ear shape. At this time, mom should take the time to learn how to lullaby for the baby , because in the next few weeks, your "little angel" will already be able to hear it! Thanks to the middle ear bones and nerve endings from the developing brain, your baby will hear sounds like the mother's heartbeat, the sound of mother's blood moving through the umbilical cord and may even be startled by loud noise.

Your baby's eyes are also developing and they are now facing forward, not sideways as before. Your baby's retina can now detect light if the mother holds a flashlight in her belly.

Until now, your baby's bones at 18 weeks have developed but are still soft. This week your baby's collarbones and leg bones will begin to harden. The baby's development process is still going on completely.

A change in the mother's body at 18 weeks of pregnancy

18 weeks pregnant, how does mother's body change?

Mother's back pain is becoming serious? Are you afraid you can't get up by the ninth month of pregnancy? Don't worry, this is just one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy.

There are two main causes of this condition: First, during pregnancy, the mother's pelvic joints begin to loosen to allow the baby to move out of the mother's body more easily during labor.

Second, the mother's abdomen will become oversized and the ability to balance will be severely impaired. Unconsciously, the mother will tend to push her shoulders back, raise her neck and stand up straight with her stomach pushed forward for better balance. As a result, the mother's lower back has to bend a lot, the muscles behind her back will stretch and suffer a lot of pain, leading to the back pain that she is currently suffering.

Here are a few tips to help mothers alleviate back pain during 18 weeks pregnancy :

Avoid sitting for more than an hour without walking or resting and relaxing joints and muscles. The best mother should be active after sitting still for about half an hour to avoid back pain from occurring.

Avoid standing for too long. If your work forces you to stand still, use a low chair to prop one leg up to reduce the pressure on your back. If you have to stand on a cold kitchen floor to wash dishes or cook, stand on a thick, soft carpet to reduce body pressure on your back.

Avoid lifting heavy objects. If you must do this, do it slowly. Mom should stand with her legs on her shoulders to keep her balance well, then get on her knees instead of bending to pick up heavy objects. You should use the force from your arms and legs, not your back. If you have to carry heavy shopping bags, divide one bag into two and carry it on either side of your hand instead of carrying heavy bags in the front.

What are the things you need to pay attention to?

Sometimes the appetite during pregnancy at 18 weeks will make mom eat a lot of spicy and hot foods. Think carefully before eating! You will be at a higher risk of heartburn if you eat too many of these foods because during pregnancy, your digestive system will be less effective due to hormone changes in your body. Heartburn will make mom feel uncomfortable or even painful, so avoid spicy and hot foods. Mom can alleviate the cravings with healthy and delicious snacks for pregnant women .

Doctor's advice about 18 week pregnancy

What should mom discuss with the doctor?

The fetus is 18 weeks old, at this time mother's vision may be limited. Again, pregnancy hormones are the cause of this phenomenon. Do you feel odd: parts that are unrelated or play a role in pregnancy like the eyes have been unjustly affected like that?

This dry eye phenomenon occurs when the hormone that stimulates the production of tears in the mother's body decreases. Therefore, fluid in the mother's eyes will increase, causing the mother's irises to change and as a result she may be nearsighted or farsighted. Do not worry! Mother's vision will return to clarity and her eyes will return to normal after birth.

If you feel blurred vision or often see floating spots or particles, or a blurred vision for more than two or three hours, call your doctor right away. Blasting fireflies after standing for a while or after standing up suddenly are fairly common and are nothing to worry about, though you should report it to your doctor at the next visit .

What tests do you need to know?

Depending on the specific needs of the mother and the doctor's examination, the mother will be performed the following tests and tests:

Measure your weight and blood pressure

Test for blood sugar and protein in the urine

Check the heart rate of 18 weeks fetus

Check the size of the uterus by touching the outside

Measure the height from the base of the uterus

Check to see if mother's hands and feet are swollen or varicose veins

Tell your doctor about any symptoms your mother experienced, especially any unusual symptoms

Ask questions or issues you want to discuss. You should make a list of questions before the exam date.

Maternal and fetal health at 18 weeks

What do you need to know to ensure safety during pregnancy?

1. Toxic substances in seafood

You can still eat fish and other seafood if you eat in moderation. Seafood is an excellent source of nutrients but this food can also contain harmful substances including methyl mercury and also dioxins, PCBs (often used as refrigerants) and pesticides in low doses. . When a mother eats a too high amount of toxic substances, her baby's future development may be affected.

Even so, there's no reason to ban or not eat seafood. However, mothers should also avoid eating large fish containing many harmful substances such as mercury, especially shark, mackerel, swordfish and tilefish.

2. Exhausted 

If you find it hard to breathe or exhausted while jogging or doing housework, immediately stop these activities. Working until exhaustion is never a good idea. During your 18th week of pregnancy, this is especially harmful because the work will tire both mother and baby. Instead of running a marathon, you should walk slowly step by step. Work or exercise for a bit and then take a break so that mom can get work done or exercise without feeling exhausted. If mom still can't get everything done from time to time, just consider these as training sessions for later child-care, when work is always piling up and making you unable to do it.