18 Weeks Pregnant: What You Need To Know - Channel Mum

So you are 18 weeks pregnant and you are so close to getting to halfway now, aren't you? The countdown is on. So the textbooks say that your baby is now around 14 centimeters long and weighs in at about 200 grams, which is actually the size of a family size bar of chocolate. And let's face it, we all know how heavy one of those feels, don't we? But on a healthier note, they are actually roughly the same size as a bell pepper or a sweet potato, so they're really getting big now. So if you've already started to feel baby move around, then you'll know that this next part is true. But they are really starting to have a good old move inside your tummy now and they are kicking, they are rolling, they are turning and generally just having a good old wiggle in there. And if you can feel them now, it's about to get a whole lot more intense as the weeks go on. Now, some of you may be a little bit impatient like I was, and you might already know the sex of your baby. I know I couldn't wait until 20 weeks, so I booked a private scan. I'm terrible, but it was an amazing experience. Either way, baby's genitals are now formed and if you're having a boy, they will most likely be visible by now. Girls, on the other hand, are a little bit trickier to see for obvious reasons and it can all depend on positioning, but it won't be long until you find out if you want to. So speaking of scans, let's take a look at some scan footage for week 18. We've talked about baby, but what about you? How are you feeling and what is being 18 weeks pregnant really like? Well, here at Channel Mum, we're comparing the textbook versus the truth with a little help from some expectant mums just like you. While the 20 week scan is really exciting because you get to see your baby again and you get to find out the gender if you want to, it's actually a really important scan because it checks to see if your baby is okay. It's known as an anomaly scan and the sonographer will really take his or her time checking over you, your baby, and your placenta to make sure that everything is okay. Now, it's completely normal to feel quite nervous before scans and you're not on your own. I never found it helped having a full bladder either because I always needed a nervous wee. So in terms of other things that are happening with you, you might start to find that every week is kind of the same at this point because you're feeling better, your appetite's back, you might have more energy, and you're generally just feeling pretty good. With that in mind, one of our best tips would be to use this time to get a few things done and get a bit prepared. So maybe you're thinking about the nursery or maybe stocking up on some nappies and even hitting the shops for clothes, even if you're gender neutral for the meantime, why not hit the sales and buy a few sizes up so when the next season rolls around, your baby is all kitted out and you didn't have to spend as much money either. But let's get on to those 18 week bumps and see how some other mum's bellies looked at just 18 weeks pregnant. And this is my 18 week belly. I'm definitely getting big, I think you can definitely tell now. So what else can you expect? Well, here at Channel Mum, we have tons of vlogs for every week of pregnancy from other mums who are at the same stage as you are right now. So let's take a look and see what they had to say about being 18 weeks pregnant. This is my 18th week, which is crazy because I'm only a few weeks away from turning like halfway, which is incredible. Two of the weirdest symptoms that I've been getting is one, my hair doesn't get greasy. And two, I'm not, I'm not sweating. My heartburn has got worse. I've actually had to buy some Gaviscom because it was really, really bad when I was trying to go to sleep. And I just thought I was gonna be sick all the time because it just would not stay down. It's just burning my throat. I've been getting really achy legs. So another good excuse to be sat on my backside. I've had a constant headache for about three days now. I'll taste like soap all the time, which is why I'm drinking lots of water. I've been getting kind of back pains, but I've also been feeling the baby, which has been amazing the last two nights in bed. The baby now, it sticks its foot out right by my belly button and you can actually see it, which is so weird. Now some of the kicks are actually taking me by surprise. I'll be at work and I'm like, oh, oh yeah. The amount of food that I'm eating is probably halved because I just don't need as much anymore, which is brilliant because I was a little bit worried that I was going to put a lot of weight on because I had to eat to keep sickness at bay. I'm not emotional. I'm not teary. I'm not moody. I feel like all of my emotions are really, really high. Like when I'm happy, I'm so happy. And then when I'm sad, I'm very sad. And when I'm angry, I'm very angry. So it's quite exhausting being me right now. But I think, I think it's just hormones and there's like two girls in this body right now. So I'm pretty sure that that is the reason why. I've been getting some crazy cravings for chocolate and I've been starting to wake up in the night really hungry. I just, I can't sleep if I'm hungry. It's just, that's just how it is with me really. I'm just hoping that I get some energy soon. Isn't it nice to hear how other mums are feeling? I used to watch videos like this all the time when I was pregnant. And now it's time to get honest. So let's take a look at the channel mum, the good, the bad, and the ugly of being 18 weeks pregnant. The good. You might find that you've got the glow now with swishier hair and nicer nails too. The bad. If you want to know the gender of your baby, then you've probably wasted countless hours wondering if this symptom means boy or that symptom means girl. But there are loads of old wives tales. So we've linked a video down below where we've tested a few of them. So let us know what results you get if you've done any of them. And the ugly. So we might not all admit it, but pregnant ladies can get kind of gassy. Just blame the dog or the cat or your other kids if you've got some. Either way, it wasn't you. So we hope you enjoyed watching our textbook versus the truth of being 18 weeks pregnant. As always, we would love to hear from you in the comments down below. So let us know if you've got any funny symptoms or cravings or gender inklings to share, because we really do look forward to seeing them. And if you'd like something to watch after this, then why not check out all the other blogs of other moms who are 18 week pregnant over on channel mom. We'll leave the link down below for you, but that's it from me and the rest of the channel mom team. So we will see you again next week.