18 Week Old Baby Development

18 Week Old Baby Milestones 👶

Have you noticed your little one putting their gross motor skills to work lately? This week, you may begin to notice that when she is placed on her tummy, she is able to roll back onto her back (a skill that requires a bit more muscle strength and coordination than going from her back to her tummy!). She is using the large muscles in her arms, legs, and even her core to maneuver her body around, getting herself to the point of rolling over with ease.

You may also notice that she is rolling over to get herself around the room. This shows that she is problem solving—putting her cognitive skills to work in figuring out how to get from point A to point B!

Have you noticed that your little one is moving around a ton, but they aren’t talking as much as before? Or maybe you’ve noticed that she is talking all the time, but her movements have slowed down? It’s all good, mama. Babies tend to focus on one area of development, working hard to perfect and master one skill at a time.

You can still encourage and challenge her to work on a variety of skills—just make sure you don’t overwhelm. She will move on to other skills and developmental domains when she feels physically and cognitively ready!

You at 18 Weeks Postpartum 👩

Remember the days when life was all about YOU? There were days when you could lounge on the couch, read a book, or watch your favorite Netflix show without any interruptions. The house was so quiet, you could hear the rustle of the leaves, airplanes flying in the distance, or maybe even your own thoughts!

Now, your days are filled with breastfeeding, poopy diapers, swaddling, shhhing… shall we go on? The point is: As mamas, we spend all day nurturing others (especially our newborns!) and we often get pushed to the end of the list.

But it’s VITAL to fill up our tanks with small acts of nurturing throughout the day, so that we can parent well! While it's unrealistic to think that we'll get a spa day each week, even just a few minutes per day can make a drastic difference in how you feel about life. Here are some tips on how to gain a little “me” time throughout your day:

• Meditate. This can be done anytime, anywhere!
• Take a long, hot shower. Pretend you’re at the spa.
• Try forest bathing. Check out this article to learn how this can work wonders for your health—and give you some much-needed peace and quiet, surrounded by nothing but nature!
• Lay down in a quiet, comfortable place. Try this when baby is napping. Put some of your favorite essential oils in the diffuser, relax, and read a favorite book (not a parenting one!).
• Rub lotion of your feet each night. 
• Diffuse a calming or invigorating essential oil.
• Flip through a favorite magazine.
• Color with a new set of pencils.
• Blow dry your hair. 
• Take a bubble bath. 
• Eat a few squares of decadent chocolate.
• Sip on a warm mug of bone broth or tea.
• Watch your favorite show.
• Take a nap.

There are so many different ways you can gain a little bit of quiet, alone time throughout your day. Your partner can come in handy for this, or even a close family member or friend.

By doing a few each day, you’ll feel so much better. Little acts make a difference, trust me! And remember, a relaxed, peaceful mama is a happy mama!

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Try This With Your 18 Week Old Baby

• Talk to your baby to encourage language development and communication skills