17-18 Weeks Pregnant – Symptoms, Body Changes, Bump Update – Pregnancy Diary

August 24, 2023

Around 17-18 weeks pregnant, the more rapid weight gain and bump growth started.

In addition, my fatigue was still going strong, I developed melasma, and the cravings and snacking was impossible to get under control.

My favorite weeks? Not so much, but I know it is always just a phase, and whatever happens to my body does so to bring baby boy safe into this world.

18 Week Checkup

At 18 weeks pregnant, I was due for another checkup.

Usually, you only have checkups every 4 weeks this early on in pregnancy, and I had my last one at 16 weeks pregnant.

Since I did develop the condition of incompetent cervix in my first pregnancy, they decided to keep a closer look on me and those developments between 16-24 weeks of pregnancy. Which meant more appointments during that time.

For some reason, my doctor decided though to not check on my cervical length. I had my perinatology appointment scheduled for the following week anyways.

Instead, she used a doppler to check on the baby’s heartbeat, and measured my uterus. Everything looked fine and like it was developing on time.

Symptoms

Fatigue

Once again, weeks 17-18 of being pregnant with my second baby were marked by tremendous fatigue.

Even though I started using a liquid iron supplement* around weeks 15-16, I did not notice any major improvement.

Traveling and hosting my in-laws didn’t help the situation either, as we were quite busy. I even had to take some days off of sightseeing to rest instead (those days I kept my daughter home with me, so not that much rest was possible after all).

At my 18 week checkup, I mentioned this to my doctor, and asked to see if they can check my iron levels. To my surprise, she mentioned they’ll only check it once again, during the next blood work, which was not until week 24.

So I just continued taking my liquid iron supplement, and tried to take it as easy as you can with a toddler at home and took naps whenever possible.

Melasma

At 17 weeks pregnant, I also noticed something else changing, namely my skin.

While during this pregnancy my skin has been incredibly with almost zero acne outbreaks, all of a sudden I noticed melasma appearing on my face and arms.

On my face, it showed up as a cluster of red spots on my cheeks.

On my arms, it looked more like dark, brownish spots.

I knew this was a symptom of pregnancy that quite a few women experience, but it did not happen during my first pregnancy. So I was confused when it showed up this time around.

Considering that I am living in California and summer is in full swing, I am always wearing sunscreen when we are outside. But not even that seems to protect my skin enough.

I therefore started wearing a hat whenever I was outside in the sun to protect my face, and tried to wear the longest sleeve shirts possible even though it could get quite hot.

Cravings for Cereal and Candy

One thing that was hard to get under control during 17-18 weeks of being pregnant were my cravings for sweet things.

While the weeks before I was able to manage my cravings alright, this week I was more than weak.

The cruise set off a chain of indulgence in desserts, and it didn’t stop when we came back home. And hosting family and enjoying fun meals together can be quite challenging when you’re trying to eat a balanced diet and not give in to everything.

Nevertheless, I was just trying to listen to my body, and just accept these cravings and the accompanying weight gain as a season during my pregnancy journey.

And I still managed to eat a good amount of healthy meals, to ensure I am getting enough variety in my nutrition.

The Baby Kicks are Here to Stay

In the previous weeks, I noticed the first very subtle movements in my belly. They weren’t consistent or strong enough to be considered kicks just yet, but the baby was noticeably moving around.

By week 18, the kicks had fully arrived and started to pick up in frequency. It is truly one of the best feelings, to feel your baby kicking inside of you.

That’s one of the points of biggest relief during pregnancy. You finally don’t have to worry as much anymore about how the baby is doing. You’ll have reminders every day, sometimes all day long, that the baby is still growing and kicking strong.

Body Changes and Bump Update Pictures

Body Changes

At 17-18 weeks pregnant, I suddenly started noticing that my hips got even wider than before.

The pregnancy shorts and pants that I used to wear during my first pregnancy didn’t seem to fit as good. They were just a little too tight.

After my first pregnancy, my body never fully returned to its original size, which was completely fine with me. My hips just stayed a little wider.

And even though I was weighing the same as before, I had to get rid of half of my jeans because they were too tight.

While it is normal for the hips to widen during pregnancy, I didn’t expect them to get even wider than during the first pregnancy.

It was a slight bummer, especially because I already own maternity pants from 2 years ago that I just can’t use now.

But it is nothing I have any influence over, it is just what my body needs to do to grow this baby.

So I simply ordered some new maternity shorts* and put the others away. Out of sight, out of mind.

Weight Gain

One thing that worried me a bit during 17-18 weeks of being pregnant with baby number 2 was my sudden increase in weight over the last few weeks.

I suddenly gained around 10 lbs within 4 weeks, which is not necessarily normal. In my first pregnancy, my weight also went up in jumps, but never like this.

I addressed my concerns during the checkup with my doctor. I also mentioned that I have been just really hungry sometimes but also giving in to my unhealthy cravings quite a bit.

She did mention it is quite a rapid weight gain and maybe more than normal during that time frame. But she didn’t seem to be too concerned with it yet. She encouraged me to just listen to my body when it comes to hunger and just to try to eat a balanced diet.

Bump Update

17-18 weeks pregnant belly baby bump — Baby bump towards the end of week 18

During this time of pregnancy, my bump just keeps on growing!

It took a while to show initially, but ever since I feel like it’s growing much faster than during my first pregnancy. Which I knew is normal, and which I was excited for!

Previous Weeks:

Upcoming Weeks:

19-20 weeks pregnant

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