18 weeks pregnant: your baby, body & emotions

You at 18 weeks pregnant: physical symptoms

Dizziness

You might feel light-headed or dizzy if you get up quickly to stand. Try getting up slowly from lying or sitting.

Indigestion, heartburn and bloating

It’s common to experience indigestion, heartburn and bloating at this stage of your pregnancy. You might feel more comfortable if you eat smaller meals more frequently and avoid or eat smaller amounts of foods that give you these symptoms.

Constipation and haemorrhoids

Constipation is common in pregnancy and can lead to haemorrhoids. It can help to drink more fluids, keep active and increase the amount of fibre in your diet.

pregnancy illustration, week 18

Your baby at 18 weeks of pregnancy

How big is your baby at 18 weeks of pregnancy?

Your baby measures about 14 cm from head to bottom and weighs about 200 g.

What’s happening with your baby’s development at 18 weeks of pregnancy?

Your baby’s bowel is filling with meconium – this is the hard, black sticky stuff that will come out in your baby’s first poos.
Your baby is probably resting during the day, when you’re active, and playing at night, when you’re sleeping.

You might be feeling your baby’s movements now – like butterflies in your tummy. But it could still be a few weeks, so don’t worry if you haven’t felt movements yet.

Ultrasound scan at 18-20 weeks

You can have an ultrasound scan at 18-20 weeks of pregnancy to check that your baby is growing healthily and to check the position of your placenta.

This detailed ultrasound is one of the routine tests in pregnancy. It looks at your baby’s body parts and can usually pick up any obvious problems in development or growth, like spina bifida, heart defects and limb defects. You’ll probably see your baby’s heart beating, the curve of their spine, their face, and their arms waving and legs kicking.

If you want to find out the sex of your baby, this is the time to ask.

Things to think about at 18 weeks: emotions and relationships

Emotions

Pregnancy is a time when emotions can change.

Tell your doctor or midwife if you:

have had anxiety or depression in the past,
are feeling worried or sad
aren’t enjoying life the way you used to.

For information, you can visit the PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia) website or call PANDA on 1300 726 306. You can also call Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636. Many hospitals have mental health workers who can give you support and counselling.

Your relationship with your partner

You might:

feel more vulnerable and tired than usual and need extra support
need to talk about the pregnancy more than your partner does
not feel like sex as often as you used to.

If you have a partner, it’s a good idea to talk about the changes that your baby might bring to your lives.

Even if you feel like your relationship is strong, putting extra effort into communicating openly, working out your roles and sharing expectations is good practice for parenting and staying connected. This ‘relationship work’ can be everything from deciding on paid work arrangements to talking about who cooks dinner.

The second trimester is also a great time to be together as a couple and do things that you’ll have less time for in the early months after your baby is born. Sharing a special meal together, watching a TV show or movie and visiting friends and family are ideas.

Our Pregnancy for partners section has tips and information for your partner, if you have one. It covers essential topics like antenatal classes, relationships and feelings, wellbeing, birth support and early parenting.