Your Pregnancy: Week 18

At 18 weeks, your baby is about 14cm long and weighing between 150 to 200 grams.

By week 18, the ears and the nerve endings are nearly fully developed so your baby can hear your heartbeat, blood moving through their umbilical cord, and sounds from the outside. Loud noises may startle your baby which can result in you feeling more kicks but don’t worry, there isn’t any known association with loud noises in utero causing hearing loss at birth.

A white, waxy substance called vernix is starting to coat the baby’s delicate skin, acting as a barrier for protection from the amniotic fluid. Your baby’s bones are continuing to strengthen too.