Overview

The 17th week of pregnancy is a comfortable time as the body has adjusted to the growing changes in the body. This is the time when you can develop rashes or allergies which tend to flare up with a change in diet or medical prescription. You can check with your medical practitioner before taking any medications to heal the rashes or whether you need to stop any medications that you are having presently. You might start noticing your baby’s movements at this stage or after the next few weeks for sure. Queer movements such as bubbles, twitches or butterflies might be experienced by you at this stage indicating the baby’s movements. Change positions while standing, sitting or sleeping to avoid discomfort and cramps. You might feel lightheaded, dizzy or faint especially if you are prone to low blood pressure and you need to lie down and elevate your feet with the support of pillows. Munching in between meals on healthy snacks like dry fruits, fresh fruit or juice might help. All women might not experience this and some women might even be feeling much better and energetic at this stage of pregnancy.

Baby’s Development

The baby is about 61/2 inches long and weighs 4 ounces. The umbilical cord becomes stronger, thicker and longer as the weeks advance and carries blood and nutrients to the growing baby. The baby’s sense of hearing is progressing as the ears move to their final position and the internal parts are well developed by now. The baby develops adipose tissue which helps in regulating the baby’s body temperature. The baby has distinctive features now and holds up the head more erect. The body and limbs of the baby are longer than the head by now making the whole body more proportionate. The baby develops pads on the tiny fingertips and toes. The eyes are well developed now but remain firmly closed. Meconium or the excretory waste is formed which consists of a black gooey substance. If the baby is a male fetus the prostate glands start developing. The skeleton transforms from cartilage to bone and the bones remain flexible to be able to pass through the birth canal. The baby’s skin develops further but is transparent as yet. A protective cover starts developing around the baby’s skin called vernix. Brown fat deposits will start forming under the skin which will help to maintain the body temperature of the baby when the baby is born. The baby now weighs more than the placenta and loud noises can actually startle the baby.

Changes with your body

The abdomen is growing in size and will move the other internal organs to provide space for the uterus and the baby to grow. The top of the uterus is more rounded at this stage and is increasing in length. The uterus starts pushing your intestines up and out towards one side of the abdomen and you can feel your uterus while standing rather than in the sleeping position. There might be periodic pain in the legs called as sciatic nerve pain which can be unbearable for some women. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body and runs under the uterus right down the entire length of the leg. The cause of the pain can be related to the pressure on the nerve caused by the growing baby and can be reduced by avoiding standing in one place for too long or putting pillows under the legs while sleeping at night to provide support. The secretions all over the body increase due to increase in blood volume and sweating might increase. If at this stage if you have nasal congestion or increased vaginal discharge there is no need to worry as this will disappear after the baby is born. Eating a balanced and healthy diet will help to boost your immunity and prevent you from falling sick. Besides keeping a clean and hygienic lifestyle can be a preventive for all those fungal and bacterial infections from cropping up. If you are expecting twins make sure you are eating sufficient amount of protein as the requirement will double as compared to a single pregnancy.

What to expect

You are in total control of your pregnancy by now and can handle any situation with ease except for the occasional butterflies that you might experience in the stomach indicating movements in the fetus which can actually uplift your spirits. Some women might not look pregnant as yet especially if they are tall because the weight of pregnancy gets evenly distributed over the entire body. To ensure your baby’s prenatal health several routine tests will be offered to you at every visit such as blood pressure could be checked, urine test for a urinary tract infection or a blood test to analyze the levels of protein in your blood. Some tests are performed just once while other routine ones will be done all through the pregnancy. The Alpha-Fetaprotein and Triple test is generally performed between the 15th and 17th week and is carried out to detect the possibility of chromosomal abnormalities or birth defects, it can also indicate the possibility of pregnancy problems such as miscarriage or premature birth in some cases. Fetal ultrasound is done mainly in the 10th and 20th week by most women but it can be done more than twice as it is not harmful to the baby’s health. It uses high frequency sound waves to create internal images of your baby which can be visualized by you on the screen these days both 3d and 4d images of the baby can be photographed giving you details about the development. Amniocentesis is a test used to detect genetic defects of the baby and is performed between the 15th and the 18th week by using a needle to remove fluid from the amniotic sac. The accuracy levels of this test are very high but there are some prenatal risks such as miscarriage associated with this as a result of infection or injury to the amniotic sac while conducting this test.