Pregnancy Week 18

All those pathways are being built

Weighing in at 190g (just one the amount of butter that goes into a cake!) and is over 14cm in length!  Continuing to enjoy the space your little one is darting around and kicking out so you may be feeling movement.  Don’t worry if not everyone is different!

The bones are developing from cartilage into solid bone and as baby moves and dances around the muscles are getting stronger and bigger.

For all the messages needed in life to function it is important that all of the nervous system passages are protected and so the Myelin that covers the nerve cells is building everyday and will continue to do so until your baby is one year old!

How are you?

You may be experiencing some swelling, especially around the hands and feet. This is normal but shouldn’t be excessive so if you are really struggling mention this to your midwife.

As your pregnancy is progressing your muscles and ligaments start to relax.  This is caused by a combination of hormones and your growing size but can cause some quite significant back ache and pelvic pain.  Avoid heavy lifting and crossing your legs.  If you get too uncomfortable you may need to ask your doctor to refer to you physio.

Further information on Pelvic Girdle Pain can be found here.