Week 18 of Pregnancy (Trimester 2 of Preganancy)

Finally felt a definite kick!! Well, to be honest I had been feeling fluttery, shifting, bubbling movement for a few days of last week, but because of the constipation I had wondered if it might be trapped wind. But on Monday there was a definite ‘pushing’ movement, immediately recognizable as a kick – I remember them from being pregnant with Rosie eight years ago! First time mothers might not feel any movement until somewhere between the 20th and 22nd week.

Baby’s bones are hardening up – an adult has 212 bones, but a fetus will have many more as they fuse together later in life. The fetus is beginning to test its reflexes – kicking, punching and maybe even sucking its thumb – as well as twisting, turning and wriggling about. Baby has a firm handgrip, and will sometimes clutch onto the umbilical cord. Movements gets stronger and more coordinated as the nervous system gets more sophisticated.