Look at this yawn! Is it not the sweetest thing? Ultrasounds grant us an amazing glimpse inside the womb as our babies become living beings, able to survive without an umbilical cord providing everything needed to grow. While optional, limited ultrasound exposure (one routine ultrasound recommended by ACOG) is always best, and most women choose for that ultrasound to take place between 18 and 20 weeks gestation. This is the timeframe in which the baby’s sex can be confirmed! This is also the perfect chance to record your baby's heartbeat! But what else is happening in utero right now? Take a look at this 18-week ultrasound. You can clearly see the baby yawning wide, demonstrating the powerful muscles of the jaw that have developed. As your baby grows he will continue to swallow amniotic fluid and excrete urine, which he then swallows again, recycling the volume of amniotic fluid every few hours. STAY HYDRATED! Drinking water throughout the day will help to keep the amniotic fluid at a healthy volume.   At 18-weeks gestation, an ultrasound is performed on the abdomen. The baby is just under 6 inches long and weighs in around 6 ½ ounces. Your baby can hear all the swishing sounds happening inside of you, and will hear a muffled version of you as you talk. Her little fingerprints are almost completely formed and she is sitting more erect now, allowing her body the room for her organs to start ‘practicing’ for life outside of the womb. During the ultrasound, fetal measurements and development will be assessed and then talked about at your next appointment. Placenta placement will also be identified. It is a really exciting time of the pregnancy!