Now that you are in the seventeenth week of pregnancy, you have to take many decisions. You have to plan for the prenatal classes, yoga classes, selecting the name of the baby and so on. Throughout this decision-making process you might feel excited but also become anxious by thinking what is going on inside your body.
State of your baby
Your baby is about the size of an orange, about 12cm long, and weighs roughly 150g. Your bump is getting bigger. At this time the umbilical cord of the baby is increasing its length, also becoming thick and strong. Your baby’s ears are now fully developed and developing its sense of hearing. Your baby is also developing its adipose tissue that will help you to regulate the temperature of the body as well as help in metabolism.
At this stage Baby’s muscles are becoming increasingly strong & their hands each have 27 bones, and they are all formed now they can grip index finger and thumb together from now.
Sensory systems develop in a specific order – touch, smell, taste, hearing, vision.
How are you feeling?
You may start to feel happier and more confident as your bump becomes more noticeable and you start to feel baby move. Some women and men find that their pregnancy suddenly feels more real when they first see the baby at a scan.
Your symptoms of this week
As you are in the seventeenth week, the abdomen is growing continuously to provide space to the growing uterus. You might get some symptoms caused due to the growth of your baby.
- Your bump might become visible for some of the mom-to-be and your waistline disappears.
- Fluid discharge from the body such as sweat, mucus, vaginal discharge and other body fluids are secreted more from the body.
- Due to the growth of the baby the skin started stretching and become sensitive. You just have to keep in mind that you must not scratch your body just apply some cooling ointment that will reduce the itching.
- During these days your appetite will increase as your baby is growing and it needs more nutrition. However, during this time you must follow your diet and eat healthy as well as fresh foods.
- Gaining weight is common during this time. At the time of second trimester every pregnant woman gains weight and it may cause some problems in the body. However it may ease post to consultation of the doctor.
Tips for this week
During this period you may notice a pain in the legs. This type of pain is known as sciatic pain which is the main nerve of the lower part of the body. Some rest is advised to you that will help in reducing the pain of the legs. Get enough vitamin D and it will help to make the baby’s bones stronger and reduces the chances of occurring rickets.