18th SSW: Hurray, Libra climbs up!

This is how the baby develops in the 18th week of pregnancy

Fingers and toes can now be clearly identified on the ultrasound. Even small fingernails have already grown. In addition, your baby already develops its very individual characteristics in the 18th week of pregnancy: his fingerprints, Incidentally, the uniqueness of the grooves on our fingers is caused by quite random factors such as temperature differences in the womb or pressure fluctuations during the development phase. Even identical twins do not have the same fingerprints.

In addition, thelung in the 18th week of pregnancy. Your baby "breathes" amniotic fluid on and off and can even get hiccups. This in turn prepares the lungs in the second trimester for the time after birth, strengthens and trains them.

At the time of birth, your baby will be over nearly have all the reflexesthat we also have as adults. And this is what it already practices diligently during pregnancy. In particular Sucking and swallowing are trained in the 18th SSW. Thumb sucking is already very popular.

Gymnastics in the stomach: First child movements in the 18th SSW

Roll backwards, move legs, play with the umbilical cord: Everything works! The fetus uses its abilities and moves diligently. There is still enough space in the stomach for small gymnastics exercises. It is already about 14 centimeters SSL large (crown-rump-length)? like a big orange? and weighs about 190 grams.
Do not forget: that's all Averages! As pregnancy progresses, babies become more and more individual, and if your baby is smaller or taller, that is no reason to worry, Your gynecologist will keep a close eye on your baby's development.

If you look deep into yourself, you may already be able to do so in the 18th week of pregnancy the first tender child movements feel? especially if you are already pregnant for the second time. But even some first-time mothers can feel a delicate flutter or slight trembling in the stomach. For some, it feels as if small bubbles rise to the abdominal wall, in others as if they have onebutterfly swallowed up.

Contacting the baby in the second trimester

Since the baby can already hear in the stomach and recognize light, you canmake contact with him through little sensory games, The heartbeat and the mother's voice are the first sounds to be perceived, but even environmental noise penetrates your baby as early as the 18th week of pregnancy:

Whether classic Music, your favorite song or clapping, nursery rhymes or books ? Try out if your baby is already reacting to something.
On toolight Your baby is already reacting. For example, if you hold a flashlight against your stomach, your little one might try to move or kick. But do not overdo it. Your baby sleeps a lot, after all, it takes a lot of strength to grow. Therefore, please do not wake!

If the baby is still in this week of pregnancy no reaction show, be patient and get in contact for the next few weeks. The neurobiologist Gerald Hüther from Göttingen, but also brain researchers around the world are convinced that the prenatal experiences are important for our entire life.

Do not expect too much. In the 18th week of pregnancy, the baby does not have a sleep-wake cycle and it may sleep up to 20 hours a day!

Babies Gender: boy or girl?

In the 18th SSW, the internal and external genitalia are already formed. In girls, follicles that contain eggs are already forming in the ovaries. The next ultrasound, which is scheduled for the 19th SSW, could Gender of the child already be recognized.

So: Think beforehand, whether you want to know or not, and inform the doctor before the next ultrasound.

This happens in SSW 18 in your body

You're pregnant. So the best reason to be over to look forward to increasing weight! What you should not do? To think of the after-baby body of various stars! Because your baby is developing magnificently and yours Body works exactly as it should. After all, not only is the baby getting bigger and heavier, but also the uterus with the amniotic fluid in it.

The body produces more blood and the breasts become heavier. And a small portion of the weight is applied as a fat pad, which you actually need during pregnancy and later for breastfeeding.

Pregnancy symptoms in the 18th week of pregnancy:

Circulatory problems: Your heart works 40 to 50 percent harder than before pregnancy and pumps much more blood faster through your body, to care for you and the fetus. No wonder you get dizzy if you get up too fast. On low blood sugar level can also contribute to a dazed feeling. What helps: Rest, put your feet up and always a small snack (fruit, glucose, etc.) in your pocket. Also changing showers and movement get your circulation going. But please do not exaggerate and always listen to your body and your gut feeling!
Pull, prick, sting in the stomach:He's probably already familiar to you, the pain that feels like the menstrual pain? Also in the 18th SSW are the Mother straps heavily used and there may still be a strain pain. If this seems strange to you, the pain is stronger or bleeding, then once to the doctor and the gynecologist to clarify.What helps: Calm, a comfortable position sitting or lying position
Leg cramps: Pregnant you excrete more magnesium than usual. This can lead to cramps, for example, in the calves. What helps: The additional intake of magnesium. But beware: The intake of magnesium in turn inhibits the absorption of iron. If you also take an iron supplement, should be between the income of magnesium and iron a distance of three to four hours.
Heartburn:Hormones ensure that during pregnancy relax your muscles in the body ? Unfortunately, the sphincter, which prevents the flow back of the stomach contents. At the same time, your growing uterus needs more and more space and pushes against the stomach. This provides for many expectant mums for nasty heartburn. What helps: Better eat smaller, low-fat meals throughout the day than eat large ones. It also helps to chew hazelnuts or almonds slowly. This binds excess stomach acid. At night you can reduce the rising of the stomach acid by a thicker pillow.

Pregnancy calendar: This is in the 18th SSW

Logically, at this stage of pregnancy, the favorite jeans not anymore. If you are suffering from an acute lack of trousers, but you still get a pre-pregnancy pant over your hips, you can go with the Scrunchy-trick help:

Pull one end of the hair tie through the button opening.
Lead an end through the resulting loop and tighten.
So you can then wrap around your pants button.

Memo to you: Book birth preparation course!

If you have not already done so, now it is the highest railway, one Childbirth class to book, The courses in the courses are very fast gone? as well as midwiveswho look after pregnant women in the puerperium!

If you want to book an intensive course over several evenings, you can do it with or without a partner. But there are also weekend seminars that inform you well about the birth. Courses lasting several weeks may prepare you a bit more intensively and you can as well Get to know pregnant women, who are about the same week of pregnancy as you are.

Pregnancy exercises in the 18th week of pregnancy? Only too!

Fancy exercise gymnastics? The fatigue phase is over in the second trimester, and exercise is just fine now. Yoga, swimming, cycling are also no problem for pregnant women. If you fancy light exercise, perfect! It's also an excellent opportunity to meet other pregnant women and to exchange ideas.

But watch out for yours anyway circulation, The increased amount of blood now being pumped through your body can cause balance problems or mild dizziness.

Hospital, birth house or home birth?

Even if the birth may seem a long way away for you, you almost have that Halftime of your pregnancy reached. Time to deal with the topic of birth and the choice of place of birth. Many hospitals and birth houses offer information evenings for expectant parents. Here you can take a look in the delivery room and ask questions. More and more women now want one again Birth at home, In many places, however, it is difficult to find a midwife. Best discuss the issue with your doctor and your midwife.

Parental leave: Who takes her and how long?

Have you already thought about parental leave and parental allowance? If not, now is a good time to be clear about it, like you split the months want. You can customize the parental leave individually. The There are many possibilitiesbut often also dependent on one's own finances. During pregnancy, you have enough time to think about how you want to handle the parental leave and if you also get along well, if both get only the parental benefit, instead of the full salary. Therefore, do not delay so long and mark thick in the pregnancy calendar!

Are you looking forward to what happens in the next week of pregnancy? Read how your baby develops in the 19th week of pregnancy.