Second Trimester
🫑
Week 18: Hearing Your Voice
Your baby's ears are now well-developed and they're actively listening! They may startle at loud sounds. Yawning, hiccuping, and stretching are common baby activities.
Your baby is the size of a...
🫑 Bell Pepper!
Length14.2 cm
Weight190 g
Week18 of 40
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👶 Baby Development
- ✓Ears are in final position and hearing is improving
- ✓Baby may react to loud sounds
- ✓Yawning, hiccuping, and stretching regularly
- ✓Myelin is forming around nerves (insulation for signals)
- ✓If female, the uterus and fallopian tubes are formed
- ✓If male, genitals may be visible on ultrasound
💊 Common Symptoms
- •Clear baby kicks and movements (quickening)
- •Lower back pain
- •Leg cramps, especially at night
- •Dizziness when changing positions
- •Increased blood volume (40-50% more than pre-pregnancy)
- •Swollen feet and ankles
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✅ To-Do This Week
- Prepare for your anatomy scan ultrasound
- Decide if you want to find out baby's sex
- Start sleeping on your left side for optimal blood flow
- Elevate your feet when sitting to reduce swelling
- Eat bananas and potassium-rich foods for leg cramps
- Consider a maternity support belt for back pain
🩺 Questions for Your Doctor
- ?When exactly is the anatomy scan?
- ?Should we find out the sex?
- ?Is my blood pressure stable?
- ?Are leg cramps a sign of a deficiency?
- ?Is swelling in my feet and ankles normal?
- ?How is the baby's position?
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