Highlights this week
Your baby can hear you
Between 16 and 22 weeks, your baby will start to hear sounds inside your body, including the noises made by your heartbeat, breathing, and digestion.
Better sleep
Resting easier in the second trimester? Enjoy it – and switch to sleeping on your side soon if you haven’t already. Side sleeping places the least pressure on your veins and internal organs, ensuring the best blood flow to the uterus. That means your baby will get maximum nutrients and oxygen.
Maternity pictures
Make sure to capture photos of your beautiful pregnant self. Whether you have a professional photographer, a friend, or your partner take photos, here are some great maternity picture ideas.
Baby development at 17 weeks
Your baby’s bones
Your baby’s skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone. Support your baby’s bone health (and your own) by eating calcium-rich foods. Getting enough calcium also reduces your risk of hypertension and preeclampsia.
The umbilical cord
The umbilical cord – your baby’s lifeline to the placenta – is growing stronger and thicker. By the end of pregnancy, it will be approximately 9 inches long and an inch thick. The umbilical cord delivers nutrients to your baby and ferries away waste products.
Your baby’s skin
Sweat glands are starting to develop. And by next week, the layers of your baby’s skin will be fully formed.
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- The umbilical cord, your baby’s lifeline, is now thicker and stronger
- Your baby’s pancreas is making insulin
- Cartilage in your baby’s skeleton is hardening into bone
Your baby is about the size of a turnip
length
8.03
inches
head to toe
weight
6.38
Pregnancy symptoms during week 17
Dizziness
Feeling a little lightheaded or like the room is spinning? This is a common symptom during the second trimester and is most likely due to normal pregnancy-related cardiovascular changes (a higher heart rate, bigger blood vessels to accommodate an increased blood volume, and temporary changes in circulation). Here’s how to handle feeling dizzy during pregnancy.
Vision changes
You may notice your vision seems blurrier and your eyes are drier. Strange though this seems, vision changes are common during pregnancy. Pregnancy changes in hormones, metabolism, fluid retention, and blood circulation can all affect your eyes and eyesight. These changes are usually minor and will go away after you have your baby. Sometimes vision changes can be caused by a more serious condition, though, so talk to your doctor or midwife if you have blurry vision, double vision, temporary loss of vision, or anything else unusual.
Itchy skin
Mild itching is a normal pregnancy skin problem. You may feel it especially around your breasts and belly where the skin is stretching a lot. Sometimes eczema worsens during pregnancy, also making for itchiness. For relief, try applying an ice pack or a cold compress to the itchy area, moisturize using fragrance-free lotion (refrigerate the lotion first for extra cooling), or take a warm oatmeal bath. Be sure to call your healthcare provider if you’re very itchy or if you develop a new rash.
Stretch marks
Try not to worry if little indented lines crop up on your breasts, belly, or behind – many women get stretch marks during pregnancy, and they tend to fade postpartum. Stretch marks are genetic, so they’re more likely to show up on your skin if your mother or sister have them. You can apply a good lotion or stretch mark cream to relieve itchiness, and try to gain weight slowly and stick to the recommended amount of pregnancy weight gain to reduce your chances of getting stretch marks. But generally there’s not much you can do to stop these badges of motherhood from appearing.
Weird dreams
Your pregnancy dreams may get extra strange, thanks to hormones and intense emotions. Vivid dreams, sex dreams, and nightmares are all normal. Reflecting on your dreams can give you information about your emotional state, and they may be interesting to look back on later. Write down your wildest dreams as soon as you wake up, before you forget them.
Constipation
Unfortunately, constipation during pregnancy tends to pop up a lot due to hormonal changes and your expanding uterus. Iron supplements and prenatal vitamins can add to the problem. To prevent and ease constipation, make sure to drink plenty of water, eat high-fiber foods, and exercise regularly. You can also talk to your provider about taking a stool softener or magnesium, and perhaps switching your prenatal vitamin to one with less iron.
- Your growing belly may cause you to be off balance
- Blood pressure changes can make you dizzy, so don’t stand up too fast
Pregnancy checklist at 17 weeks pregnant
Try some relaxation techniques
Deep breathing, guided imagery, prenatal yoga and massage, and progressive muscle relaxation can help you stay on an even keel and even sleep better. Try practicing these relaxation techniques now – they may be important tools to navigate early parenthood.
Learn the best way to buckle up
It’s extra important to wear your seat belt during pregnancy – and to buckle up the right way. Secure the lap portion low under your belly and snug across your hip bones, and position the shoulder harness snugly between your breasts and off to the side of your belly. If you get in a car accident, even a fender bender, let your healthcare provider know right away.
Get meal planning help
Eating well during pregnancy is crucial to support your growing baby and get the nutrients you both need. But it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by pregnancy nutrition advice and worry that your diet will never measure up. Don’t worry: There are a few simple, online tools to help with pregnancy meal planning. You can also check out our list of the best foods for pregnancy and try these healthy pregnancy recipes.
Wear sunscreen
To avoid changes in skin pigmentation during pregnancy (called melasma or chloasma), be sure to wear sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher whenever you’re outdoors, even on cloudy days. Sun exposure intensifies pigment changes, so you may also want to wear a wide-brimmed hat and avoid being in direct sunlight between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun is strongest. See which pregnancy-safe sunscreens and other skin products are best to use
17 weeks pregnant bellies
Has your bump finally popped? If so, make sure you’re taking plenty of bump photos and you’ve announced your pregnancy before it gets too awkward. Some people will be fine with finding out over social media or through the grapevine, but your long-distance friends and relatives may want to hear from you directly.
As your belly grows, you may also want to be prepared to handle rude comments and belly-touchers. Try to never take anything personally: What someone says has more to do with them than you. To shut down unwanted belly pats or rubs, it’s best to be concise and firm: “Please don’t” or “No thank you” should do the trick.