Pregnancy Week 18: Is My Baby A Girl Or A Boy?

Pregnancy week 18 is one of the most awaited weeks of pregnancy. It is the week wherein you would be able to know whether your baby is a boy or a girl through an ultrasound. Aside from the sex of your baby, an ultrasound also examines the development of your baby, the placenta, umbilical cord, amniotic fluid, the gestational age of your baby, estimated due date, and possible birth defects.

This week, your baby's senses of smell, taste, sight and hearing are all developing. His or her ears have now reached their final position and he or she can already hear sounds such as your heartbeat. He or she may even be startled by loud noises. The eyes are now facing forward and he or she would be able to detect the light of a flashlight if you hold one to your abdomen.

Ossification or the hardening of bones will also begin this week. The first bones to harden include the clavicle and the legs. Your baby's nerves are developing and making more complex connections. Myelin, which is a substance that makes the nerve connection travel faster, is now coating your baby's nerves.

His or her heart is building up muscle cells and is now pumping blood of about 25 to 30 quarts a day.

Your baby now weighs between 5 and 7 ounces and is about 5½ inches long.

This week, your uterus is now as big as a small melon. It is now just below your bellybutton.

Aside from knowing whether your baby is a boy or a girl, another milestone this week is you may begin to feel a flutter in your belly which doctors call "quickening". Within the next few weeks, these movements will become more obvious and stronger. You may experience gas pains. You may think that you are having indigestion when actually, it is just your baby moving around your tummy.

Pregnancy week 18 is truly a week to look out for during pregnancy because of the many milestones that occur during the week. The first movement of the baby that you can actually feel, meeting your baby through the ultrasound screen and getting to know whether your baby is a she are concrete proof that he or she really exists. These moments are one of the best moments during pregnancy. Look forward to it, enjoy it, and treasure it.

About the Author

Want to know more about what happens during each week of pregnancy? Visit http://www.pregnancycheatsheets.com for an intensive week by week pregnancy account.

Gender/Anatomy/Development Ultrasound - 20 wks

3-D foetal ultrasound Photo Mugs Foetal ultrasound. Three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound scan of the face of a human foetus. The image was produced by a third generation 3-D ultrasound scanner called Voluson 730. 3-D scanning enables physiological disorders such as harelip and spina bifida to be diagnosed before birth. Once detected, it may be possible to perform corrective surgery while the foetus is still in the uterus. Ultrasoun...

3-D foetal ultrasound Photo Mugs Foetal ultrasound. 3-D ultrasound scan of the face and forearm of a healthy human foetus. This foetus is estimated to be around 31 weeks old, which is midway through the third trimester (last three months) of pregnancy. 3-D scanning enables physiological disorders such as harelip and spina bifida to be diagnosed before birth. If detected, it may be possible to perform corrective surgery while the ...

3-D foetal ultrasound Photo Mugs Foetal ultrasound. Three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound scan of a human foetus. Its head is at right. In front of its face it the foetus hand and foot. The image was produced by a third generation 3-D ultrasound scanner called Voluson 730. 3-D scanning enables physiological disorders such as harelip and spina bifida to be diagnosed before birth. Once detected, it may be possible to perform correctiv...

National Geographic - In the Womb $8.00 Through the use of state-of-the-art imaging technology known as "4-D ultrasound," this National Geographic program takes you into the secret world of a human fetus inside the womb as never before. Follow the development of the embryo from its origin as a single-cell organism to the first beating of the heart, the awakening of the senses, and the opening of the eyes. AKA: "Life Before Birth." 89 mi...

National Geographic: In the Womb - Multiples $10.19 The in utero development of twins, triplets, and quadruplets has never been seen as close or as vivid as in this captivating program from National Geographic. Featuring state-of-the-art visual effects, computer animation, and pioneering "4-D ultrasound" technology, the film is a revelatory experience which sheds light on the many mysteries of the prenatal world. 90 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soun...

From Conception to Birth $9.75 FROM CONCEPTION TO BIRTH - DVD Movie...

Mayo Clinic Complete Book of Pregnancy & Baby's First Year $9.99 The 9 months preceding and the 12 months following child birth are exciting, trying, confusing times; they are the months of many questions. You wonder about your itchy palms, morning sickness, fetus development, home midwife or hospital doctor choices, what to eat, amniocentesis, miscarriages, labor painkillers, maintaining your physical and emotional health after childbirth, and, not least,...