Now you are 17 Weeks Pregnant and many other symptoms may you observe this week. One of the common signs many women experience is Dizziness in second trimester.
Your baby may also begin to develop the brown layer of fat under the skin. This adding fat may offer the warmth after birth but now this work is done by uterus.
17 weeks pregnant in months?
If in the case, you’re 17 weeks pregnant, you’re in 4th month of your pregnancy. Here you are in second trimester. Many women still have some confusion about their pregnancy. So, we have some information about their baby growth, their body changes during pregnancy.
17 Weeks baby
How big is my baby at 17 weeks?
Your baby is now growing at good pace. At this week, baby is about the size of a large onion. His body length is about 13cm (5.12inch) and he weighs around 0.14 kg (4.94oz).
Your baby is almost doubled in weight from the last two weeks.
Growth of the baby
During this week, fat starts to develop in baby’s body. This fat helps the baby in maintaining his body’s heat production and metabolism.
Baby is practicing more and more skills which he required later (out your womb).
Bone development: The cartilage starts changing into bones of his limbs. After that, bones will keep harden and fuse into their early years of life.
Sweat glands: During this week, baby is developing sweat glands. Though, baby is not actually sweating. It can take few weeks for all the glands to develop in his body.
Sucking and swallowing: Now your baby is getting prepared for the sucking and ingesting for the survival outside the womb or those activities of eating milk from the breast or the bottle.
Many of them, start sucking their thumbs in the womb.
Umbilical cord: The umbilical cord is one of the most important parts which connect your baby to the placenta. It can be considered as the lifeline for your fetus. Because, It is the one which carries nutrients and other food, necessary for your fetus.
It has three vessels; a vein that carries blood rich in oxygen and nutrients for the baby and two arteries that carry blood from the baby to the placenta. These arteries contain waste products such as carbon dioxide from the baby’s metabolism.
It is getting thicker and longer during this week.
Fingerprints: During this week, your baby’s fingerprints start forming. Within the next week, the pads on your baby’s fingertips and toes will turn out to be more adorned with fully individual swirl and creases, also called fingerprints.
Skin: Your baby is now begin to cover him with the coating of vernix – which is a waxy substance that contains antioxidants, as well as anti-infection and anti-inflammatory properties. This coating will protect your baby from all infections after the birth.
Regulation of the heart: Baby’s heart is now much more regulated than earlier. This means that his heart is not beating randomly, about twice as fast as yours.
Hearing: Your baby’s sense of hearing is also developing this week. As the ears have almost fully formed and have already taken their positioned.
Fat: Your baby starts forming fat tissue or adipose. This will help in keeping your baby’s body warm and maintain metabolism.
17 Weeks Pregnant Mother
Physical changes
Sweating and Warming: Most of the women normally experience warming and sweating more in this weeks. This is because of increased blood flow in woman’s body.
There is pregnancy hormone progesterone also makes your small blood vessels in the skin called capillaries more relaxed and expand to become fuller. This causes the attachment to skin’s surface refers to as vasodilation.
This process and fast metabolism additionally increased your body temperature. You can use single sheet while sleeping in winters also.
Vaginal discharge: Several women observe the changes in their vaginal discharge. Pregnancy hormones can cause the vaginal pH more alkaline and causing women prone to annoying infections such as thrush or gardnerlla.
Further considerations
Over-the-counter drugs and medication:
During these modern days, pregnant women have become more alert or aware of the substances they intake or use more often. But in this condition many of the home remedies they find in the kitchen or products they buy normally through retail shops may be unsafe. So be careful about what you are taking and eating.
Raspberry leaf:
This is traditional herb that has been accepted as a possible uterine tonic for childbirth. It is surveyed that up to 20% of the pregnant women take some type of raspberry leaf extract during their pregnancy or after the birth. But most of the caregivers don’t suggest it until 33 to 34 weeks.
Natural treatment:
Dietary therapy treat the patient by using proper diet and hence avoid diseases or discomfort. It is based on the fact that problem can be due to deficiency of vitamins and minerals making immune system weak.
Several health disorders can be treated involves infertility, miscarriage, diabetes, postnatal depression, anxiety and illness.
Increasing appetite:
Many women considered that the second trimester not only give relief form sickness but also increased more appetite. So don’t get surprised if you all of the sudden start feeling hungry. But take care of what you eat, don’t get careless.
Now if you are wondering about your increased appetite, then the simple answer of that is your developing baby. With the size of the baby, the appetite is also increasing. You gain weight with this pregnancy and accurate measurement of gaining weight you can take from your practitioner. He or she can also help you to gain healthy weight.
Symptoms of 17 Weeks Pregnant
Braxton Hicks contractions:
Your body starts preparing for labor as you are moving towards your due date. Braxton Hicks contractions are practice contractions you may feel in these weeks. They give feeling like tightening across your belly. But these are irregular. If these contractions are getting more severe or intense, call your healthcare provider.
Baby’s kick:
During these weeks and sometime later, most of the women start feeling the kicks from the baby.
You may feel like gas or vomiting to you at early stage, but later you begin to identify it known as quickening. It is considered second most important event in pregnant woman’s life.
Increased melanin:
Now your body is releasing extra melanin because of increased estrogen. This can make a mask of pregnancy on your face or the line of pregnancy down your belly. It is thick dark line down the center of the belly called linea nigra. But it removes itself after birth.
Morning sickness:
Many of the women get rid of this morning sickness in this second trimester. But there is chances that it can be go longer in this trimester. You may be at risk of dehydration and malnutrition. So it is better to consult from your medical care provider.
Stretch marks:
During pregnancy, most of your body is stretching more and more. Due to this you can get some lines like tiger straps. But there is nothing you can use for these stretches and lines. What you can do is keep hydrating your body and lotion up it regularly. With the passage of the time these will fade.
Conclusion:
You can have enough information through this blog regarding your pregnancy when you are 17 weeks pregnant.
For getting knowledge on next weeks of pregnancy , you can visit pregnancyweekmonth.