2nd trimester: Week 18

The fetus is switching from a period of rapid development to one of rapid growth.

© The Anatomical Travelogue

Your Baby

Your baby's about eight inches long and weighs a little more than five ounces. Although she's enveloped by the familiar sound of your beating heart and rushing blood, she's conscious of noises from the outside world, too. They filter through the bones forming in her ear and to her developing brain. Her sense of sight is evolving as well; the retinas are more sensitive to light, and if you bask under a hot sun, she'll perceive a red glow. Other skills she's showing off: yawning, swallowing, sucking, hiccuping, and making faces.

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Your Body

Now comparable in size to a cantaloupe, your uterus lies just south of your navel. As it grows and shifts your center of gravity, you may feel slightly off balance. The hormone relaxin also loosens your joints, which can tweak your posture and take a toll on your lower back.

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Do's and Don'ts

Don't be alarmed if you feel sharp pains running from the top of your uterus down to your pubic bone. Ligaments are stretching to support the growing weight of your womb. The feeling will pass if you lie on your side with a pillow supporting your belly.