By the 18th week of pregnancy, the expecting mother may start experiencing baby’s kicks. Learn more about the baby’s kicks and developments that can be expected in the 18th week of pregnancy.If you have not been lucky until now this should definitely be the week that you feel your baby's first movements as he or she is just raring to go. In first pregnancies, new mothers generally find it difficult to identify movements until this stage as they often feel that they may be imagining things.
But this week you can be sure it is not just your hyperactive imagination when your
baby kicks or throws a few punches as he or she begins to test his or her reflexes. It should be quite hard-hitting as his or her arms and legs are quite well formed and he or she has begun his or her most active phase. You can expect him or her to twist and turn and wriggle about all day as he or she is trying to prepare you for his or her friskiness once he or she is born. Your baby most definitely is sucking his or her thumb too, a habit you will have to deal with much later. Sorry, but you cannot correct him or her as yet.
Over the next seven days, tiny air sacs called 'alveoli' will begin to form in his or her fast developing lungs. Your baby now measures about eight inches or 20cm. this week.
How Do Baby’s Kicks Feel Like?
Are you wondering how the first movements shall feel like? Well, now that you are in the 18th week of your pregnancy, be ready for all the kicks and bounces happening inside. According to doctors, you are supposed to experience your
first kick in the 18th week of your pregnancy.
Ultrasounds performed this month shall help determining the location of the placenta and viability of your pregnancy. If your placenta is on the way of the movement, you shall feel stronger kicks.
While some describe it as a poke from inside, others say they feel like there is a butterfly trapped inside. Do not be surprised if you feel a water bubble bursting every time he or she kicks. Many are known to have confused the first kicks to be
indigestion or gas. However, you can visit your doctor for reassurance that it is nothing but the strong kicks of your little champ developing inside.
Counting the Kicks
You must pay attention to the kicks inside. In fact your doctor may even ask you to count the kicks on a daily basis. You must report to your health care provider if you feel decreased foetal movement inside.
Frequency of Baby Kicks
While in the beginning you shall only feel the flutters, it shall get more frequent and stronger with time. The kicks are generally stronger in the
second trimester. By the third trimester, you can expect 30 kicks every hour.
Babies have the habit of moving at a particular time in a day, as they tend to alternate between sleep and alertness. You may find him or her more active in the night when you are trying to get some sleep. Increase in his or her activities may be a result of increase in blood sugar levels. Your baby shall also start responding to the touches and sounds. You may even notice him or her kicking when your partner holds your belly.
Monitoring your Baby Kicks
Your baby’s kicks shall be well established by the 28th week. However, you can start keeping a track of his or her movements from now to ensure his or her developments are normal. Even though this is not taken as a standard method to measure his or her wellbeing, make sure to check with your healthcare provider from time to time.
What if you do not Feel the Baby’s Movement
If you are still not sure if he or she is moving or not, talk to your doctor without triggering the panic button. You shall be able to distinguish his or her movements better when he or she starts growing over the weeks. You can keep a track of the part of the day when he or she is the most active. Some of the babies are relatively calm inside, while others may kick quite often.
If you are not getting any kicks for long, perhaps he or she is asleep. While the kicks may increase over the weeks, they shall also reduce as he or she grows in size and there is lack of space to move inside.
In case you fail to get at least few kicks within 2 hours, you must bring it to the notice of your doctor immediately.
If you have any further concerns about the developments he or she is going through at this week, you can always have a talk with your doctor. Additionally, do not forget to continue with a healthy diet and relaxed approach to life.
Do not worry unnecessarily and enjoy your way through pregnancy. Wish you a healthy and happy pregnancy.
When is the first kick of the baby felt by a mother? How does frequency of kicks help in tracking baby’s development? What to do if kicks and babies movements are not felt by a mother? Discuss here. 
