Sometimes, you may notice a periodic pain in your legs. This pain is called Sciatic nerve pain. Sciatic nerve runs near your Uterus to your legs and provides sensory and motor functions to the lower part of your body. Your growing baby and Uterus can cause pressure on the nerve causing pain.
By week 18, your Uterus is below your navel. You slowly begin to look pregnant and this is the time for maternity clothes which are loose-fit and comfortable. Your blood pressure may be lower than usual, which can make you dizzy. You may be asked to check your blood sugar to eliminate the possibilities of Diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) in your next visit to the obstetrician.
Your growing baby
Your baby is getting bigger and smarter. If you have not started feeling your baby move, now is the time when the movements become more intense. Your baby is capable of moving, flipping and doing somersaults in your Uterus.
At week 17, he/she weighs around 140 g and is 13 cm long and as big as a knol-khol. The little hands and legs are slowly reaching their relative proportions, and will continue to grow evenly with the rest of the body after this week.
At week 18, your baby is enjoying periods of deep and renewing sleep. The nerves get covered by myelin, a protective covering. If your little one is a girl, her fallopian tubes and Uterus get placed in the right position. If you are having a little boy, his prostrate glands start developing.
The tiny finger tips and toes start developing pads under them. Meconium, comprising of the necrotic tissue in bowel is accumulating within the bowel. The baby’s first bowel movement will expel after birth.
Your precious one’s hearing improves more and more. Tiny air sacs (alveoli) get formed in the tiny lungs, which will help your baby to breathe when he/she is out of your womb. By the end of this week, your little one will be as long as a brinjal (14 cm) and weigh around 190 g.
Things to consider
Do not forget to eat properly as what you eat is what your baby will get. Click here to read more on eating for two. Keep monitoring your little one’s movements. Consult your obstetrician immediately if you feel a difference in the frequency of movements. Take medical treatment, if you are having discharge that is accompanied by itching or burning as you might have a yeast infection.
Making pregnancy easier
Taking small naps will help you to give your tired body a break. If you are a working mom-to-be, try to close your eyes and take a short break nap. As sleeping on your back can compress your pelvic veins, decreasing blood return to the lower half of your body, sleeping on your left side is advisable. Healthy snacks like dry fruits will boost your protein intake.
Try to read more on the different stages of pregnancy and labor. |