18 Weeks Pregnant With Twins: Belly, Ultrasound Pictures & Symptoms

by admin · Published 7. February 2019 · Updated 29. January 2020

When you’re 18 weeks pregnant with twins, you’ll be able to tell the sex of your babies if you get an ultrasound scan at this point in your pregnancy. However, be aware that sometimes the sonographer can’t get a good enough view to tell the genders.

Pregnancy diet, nutrition & prenatal vitamins

You should take iron supplements to prevent anemia and prepare for the blood loss when giving birth.

Also, if you have children, it can be a good idea to talk to them about your pregnancy – to the extent that they’d like. Let them touch your stomach and chat about the new additions to the family. Borrow or buy books about being a sibling of twins. Don’t pressure your child or children to express their feelings, but be prepared to accommodate their reactions – also if they are negative. If they say or ask you something, and you don’t feel that your answer was sufficient, talk to them again. It’s okay to let them know that you’ve thought more about it – maybe they have too.

Ultrasound scans & pictures

It’s time for your anomaly scan soon. You’ll probably have it any time between 18 and 20+6 weeks. The main purpose of the scan is to check that your twins are developing normally. The sonographer will look in detail at your twins bones, heart, brain, spinal cord, face, kidneys and abdomen. It’s also at this scan that a sonographer can look for the sex of your babies. You won’t get a 3D picture similar to the twin ultrasound picture below. At the anomaly scan you can get or buy a 2D black and white image.

The twins are di-di twins. They have separate sacs and placentas. The 3D scan was done at 18+1 weeks.

Baby size & development

When you’re 18 weeks pregnant with twins, your babies are approximately 14 cm (5.51 inches) from head to rump. Your babies sebaceous glands are starting to produce sebum – oil on the skin. Together with cells that have sloughed off your babies skin, and shed lanugo hair, this becomes vernix. Vernix has a whitish color and looks a bit like cream cheese. It protects the skin of your babies so the skin doesn’t dry out and also has an effect on body temperature regulation. It works as a lubricant, helping your children through the narrow birth canal. It also helps your babies manage the sudden drop in temperature outside the womb, functioning as an insulating layer.

Pregnancy symptoms & belly pictures

You’ve probably gained some weight by now, and you might get comments about you being “bigger” than average – but not necessarily. How much weight you’ll gain and how large you’ll look is dependent on many factors such as genetics, how fit you are, eating habits and whether or not you’ve given birth to children before. You may also feel: