18 weeks pregnant: your guide to symptoms, baby’s development, and more

As your baby grows and develops, you might be experiencing some of these 18 weeks pregnant symptoms.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy can cause your blood pressure to drop, making you feel faint or dizzy. Try to take things steady and avoid standing up too quickly, especially if you do start to feel faint6.

Some other things you should try to avoid if you’re prone to feeling dizzy are6:

• Very hot showers or baths
• Skipping meals
• Lying on your back
• Standing for long periods

Your growing, almost 5 months pregnant belly could be starting to put some added pressure on your lower back now, causing some aches and pain⁷.

It can help to sit or stand up straight and avoid arching your back too much. It’s also a good idea to wear comfy shoes and keep your weight distributed evenly over both your feet⁷.

You might experience sharp pains or cramps in your legs or feet, especially at night. If you do get leg cramps, try these exercises and stretches to help ease the pain⁸:

• Bend and stretch your foot up and down
• Rotate your ankle one way and then the other
• Pull your toes upwards towards your ankle
• Rub the muscle hard

Some swelling in your hands and feet is normal during pregnancy, especially when you get further along. It’s usually caused by water retention and comes on gradually, especially towards the end of the day⁹.

Swelling can be uncomfortable, but it’s not usually harmful to you or your baby. You can try to reduce the swelling by⁹:

• Resting with your feet up when you can
• Wearing comfy shoes and socks (nothing too tight)
• Taking regular walks during the day

Varicose veins are veins that have swollen or twisted. They might feel lumpy or bulge out under your skin¹⁰. They’re most common in your legs, but you might get them in other places, too⁸.

It’s common to get varicose veins during pregnancy. Try to⁸:

• Avoid standing for too long
• Avoid sitting with your legs crossed
• Sit or lie down with your legs raised
• Stay active with exercise like walking or swimming to help with your circulation

Varicose veins should get better on their own once your baby is born.

Have a look at what else is happening for you and your baby at 18 weeks.

Most people feel their baby’s movements (sometimes called ‘quickening’) for the first time when they’re 16 to 24 weeks pregnant. If you’ve been pregnant before, you might feel them a little earlier, and if this is your first pregnancy, you might not feel them until after 20 weeks¹¹.

An 18-week foetus is still tiny, so their movements will feel like a gentle fluttering or swirling at first¹¹. As they get bigger, you’ll soon be able to feel each kick, turn, and even hiccup!

Your mid-pregnancy ultrasound (also called a 20-week scan or fetal anomaly scan) will usually happen around now – when you’re between 18 and 22 weeks pregnant². 

This scan can tell you²:

• How your baby’s developing
• Whether there are any signs of conditions such as spina bifida
• The position of your placenta

Some hospitals will also tell you the sex of your baby if you’d like to know (although it’s not always possible to tell if your baby’s feeling shy!). If you’d like to be surprised, make sure you let your sonographer know at the start of your appointment¹².

You don’t have to tell your employer that you’re pregnant yet (the latest you can leave it is 15 weeks before your due date)¹. But if you do decide to let your work know now, it means you can get maternity rights like paid time off for your antenatal appointments and a risk assessment to make sure you and your baby are safe at work. You can also start planning your maternity leave.

You might have more energy in your second trimester than you did in your first trimester, but it’s still important to get plenty of rest to help you feel well and ease symptoms like backache and swollen feet¹³.

Finding time to rest can be easier said than done, especially if you have a busy job, older children to look after, or other responsibilities. Now’s a good time to lean on the people around you if you can, and accept help from friends, family and coworkers¹³.

You don’t need to eat a special diet while you’re pregnant, but it’s a good idea to eat healthily to make sure you and your baby are getting all the nutrients you need. This mainly means eating a wide variety of foods, including plenty of fruit and veg¹⁴.

You might feel hungrier than usual, but you don’t need to ‘eat for 2’. You won’t need to eat extra calories until your third trimester, when it’s a good idea to eat an additional 200 or so calories per day (around 2 slices of wholemeal toast with margarine)¹⁵.