How Many Months Pregnant Would You Be if You Can See the Baby's Hands

Calendar week 18 – your 2nd trimester

You lot may feel your baby move for the get-go fourth dimension around at present. If you are feeling something now, it may feel like a gentle fluttering sensation.

What'south happening in my trunk?

Y'all might be starting to feel a bit clumsier as your belly gets bigger. Your breasts may have gone up a size, too, especially if it's your first pregnancy. Your blood pressure level is probably a scrap lower than it was, so do not spring upward from the sofa, or it could make you experience dizzy.

Your baby has been moving around for the by couple of months, but yous probably will not have noticed. Y'all may beginning feeling some movement now though – information technology feels like a bubbles or fluttering within your belly.

You may also detect a line down your stomach, called the linea nigra (Latin for "black line"). This is normal pare pigmentation and cipher to worry about. Information technology volition probably vanish a few months after the birth.

Your anomaly scan

You'll be offered an anomaly scan at around xviii to xx weeks. This is a browse that looks at your baby in particular to see if there is anything unusual about their development and appearance. It can pick upwardly a range of weather, merely not all of them.

The scan will not hurt yous or your baby, only it may feel a bit uncomfortable equally the sonographer may have to employ a bit of force per unit area on your tum to become the best possible view.

Read more about why scans are offered and what they involve on the NCT website.

Is it a boy or a girl?

The sonographer may be able to tell you at this scan, merely not anybody wants to know, and information technology's not e'er the hospital policy to reveal the sex activity of the baby. If yous do non want to know, tell them before you lot start of your scan engagement.

Free prescriptions and dental care

Did you know that prescriptions are complimentary during pregnancy? NHS dental treatment is too gratuitous. You just need a Maternity Exemption Certificate or card (MatEx). Enquire your midwife, GP or health visitor for the application form FW8. Your certificate volition be valid for up to a year afterwards your baby'south due appointment or engagement of nativity.

2nd trimester pregnancy symptoms (at eighteen weeks)

Hopefully you are feeling more energetic and able to manage your pregnancy symptoms at present. If you are struggling with 24-hour interval-to-solar day life, talk to your midwife or dr., they are at that place to support you lot.

Your signs of pregnancy could include:

• stretch marks
• tiredness and sleeping bug
• bloated and bleeding gums
• pains on the side of your belly, acquired by your expanding womb (known every bit "round ligament pains")
• headaches
• nosebleeds
• bloating and constipation
• indigestion and heartburn
• sore breasts
• leg cramps
• feeling hot
• dizziness
• swollen hands and feet
• urine infections
• vaginal infections
• darkened skin on your face or brown patches – this is known as chloasma or the "mask of pregnancy"
• greasier, spotty pare
• thicker and shinier hair
• symptoms from earlier weeks, such as morning time sickness, weird pregnancy cravings, a heightened sense of odor, mood swings, a white milky pregnancy belch from your vagina and light spotting (seek medical advice for any haemorrhage)

Tommy's, the baby charity, has a farther listing of common symptoms.

What does my infant look similar?

Your baby, or foetus, is around xiv.2cm long from head to bottom, and weighs around 190g. That's approximately the size and weight of a sweet red pepper.

Your baby'southward hearing, feeling, swallowing and sucking reflexes are developing this week. They will also be doing a lot of wriggling around and moving their arms and legs.

Action stations

Many women volition tell their employer subsequently they've had their offset pregnancy scan at effectually 12 weeks. Once y'all tell your employer, yous have maternity rights and can attend antenatal appointments during paid work time. You lot can also ask for a risk cess of your workplace to ensure that you're working in a safe environment.

Information technology'due south a good fourth dimension to tone upwardly those muscles "downwards nether". Gentle exercises can assist to forestall leakage when you laugh, sneeze or cough. Get the muscles going by pretending that you lot're having a wee and stopping midflow. Visit Tommy's for more ideas.

We can unremarkably become enough vitamin D from sunlight, but betwixt October and March it's best to have a vitamin D supplement every day. Merely 10 micrograms is all you demand (it'due south the same for grown-ups and kids). It's worth checking if you lot're entitled to free vitamins.

It's recommended that pregnant women do 150 minutes of practice throughout the week. You could outset off with simply x minutes of daily practise - mayhap take a brisk walk exterior. Check out Sport England's #StayInWorkOut online exercises (gyre to the pregnancy department). Listen to your body and do what feels right for you.

Don't eat for 2! Eat for you. Yous don't need any extra calories until the tertiary trimester, which starts in calendar week 28. Try to consume healthily, with plenty of fresh fruit and veg, and avoid processed, fatty and salty foods. You may exist able to get free milk, fruit and veg through the Healthy First scheme.

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Source: https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/pregnancy/week-by-week/2nd-trimester/week-18/

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