Week 18 Of Your Pregnancy

Your baby’s sense of hearing develops this week and he or she can hear your heart beating. The brain also continues to develop cognitive skills and the nervous system continues to develop reflexes. The baby may recoil from a large noise.

Changes To Your Body

Week 18 Of Your Pregnancy

Your swelling belly may bring along some slightly uncomfortable symptoms, including heartburn. It’s caused when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, and causes burning sensation. Symptoms are most common during the second and third trimesters, because your growing uterus may compress your stomach and push its contents upward.

Lifestyle Considerations

To ease symptoms, you may need to eat five or six smaller meals instead of three large ones. Avoid fatty, fried foods, which take longer to break down, as well as things that are spicy, acidic or bubbly.

Good Advice

It is one thing to take classes about baby care and yet another to get experience with mothering first hand. Call up a relative or friend who has a baby and ask to spend the day with her so you can learn more about diapering and feeding a baby.