17th week of pregnancy: how the fetus develops and what happens in the body

The seventeenth week of pregnancy is almost the middle of the second trimester. Your baby has been developing for five months now. This is the most favorable period: no longer toxicosis, the body is accustomed to hormonal changes, the woman feels a surge of strength. Now you can take long walks and generally lead an active, full life.

17th week of pregnancy - sensations

The most vivid sensations of this week for many mothers are the first movements of their baby. Of course, these shocks are still very weak and can easily be confused with normal bowel movements. But this only happens because the baby is still very small. Depending on the individual development of the baby, movements begin to be felt before the 20th week of pregnancy. It is best to remember the date of the first movement - this will help to more accurately determine the expected date of birth.

The uterus is growing rapidly, which means that the load on its ligaments increases. Because of this, there may be slight nagging pain in the lower abdomen. If the pain is not severe and it goes away when you change body position, then there is no reason to worry. Otherwise, problems may occur and you should consult a doctor. A growing belly causes a woman's center of gravity to shift. She has to lean back when walking and standing. This causes pain in the tailbone and lower back.

In connection with pregnancy, a restructuring of the nervous system occurs. The woman is predominantly in a distracted state; she does not react to external problems and stimuli. Therefore, you need to make your work easier and not try to overload your brain with studying.

17th week of pregnancy - what happens to the baby

Now has come the phase of pregnancy when the fetus is actively developing. Its size is rapidly increasing. Now he has grown to fifteen centimeters, and his weight has increased to 170 grams and exceeded the weight of the placenta.

The baby’s body also changes significantly:

• Vellus hairs completely cover the body of the unborn baby. They will fall out a few days after birth. Now these hairs protect the baby.
• To improve the thermoregulatory process, a subcutaneous fat layer is formed in the baby’s body.

• The baby begins to perceive the world around him by ear. At the same time, he already hears not only sounds inside the mother’s body, but also sounds coming from the external environment. Now you need to actively talk to the baby. This way he will better remember his mother’s voice and will respond to her immediately after his birth.

• The baby can already coordinate the movements of his arms and head. He studies his face for a long time and sucks his fingers.
• At the seventeenth week, pregnant women’s bellies are quite large, even though they are carrying a small child.

17 weeks of pregnancy - happens to mom

The most important change happening to your body this week is the rapid growth of your belly. Now the stomach is gradually stretching upward. Weight the expectant mother should constantly grow, but it is necessary to ensure that the increase does not amount to more than half a kilogram per week.

Some women develop age spots on their faces. Moreover, dark-skinned girls most often suffer from this. The reason for this is the increased production of hormones. If you notice such spots on yourself, use a high-protection sunscreen. This will to some extent help protect your face from excessive pigmentation.

Due to the weakening of the muscle that closes the stomach and separates it from the esophagus, gastric juice is sometimes thrown into it. Therefore, pregnant women often experience heartburn attacks. The abdomen propping up the diaphragm sometimes causes the woman to feel like she is short of air.

Due to an increase in blood volume, some women experience disruption of the heat exchange process and may experience hot flashes. The growing fetus again puts pressure on the bladder, which is why the woman constantly wants to go to the toilet. Some expectant mothers experience problems with the vestibular system: they may experience slight fainting, their gait is disturbed, and they sway slightly.

Increased stress causes swelling of the legs. Sometimes swelling spreads to the arms and legs. In addition to swelling, itching may occur on the skin of the feet or palms.

Changes occur not only in the body of a pregnant woman. Some people experience very vivid emotional sensations. They often see colorful emotional dreams, sometimes even of an erotic nature. Others see nightmares in their dreams, striking in their reality.

Now it is possible to slightly increase the number of vaginal discharge. If their consistency, smell and color do not change, then this phenomenon can be considered normal. Many pregnant women note that at this stage they begin to produce small amounts of colostrum.

Pay attention to how you feel when you urinate. Pregnant women have a rather weak immune system, so they can easily catch cystitis - a very unpleasant disease. If you experience pain when urinating, especially if it is sharp, be sure to call your doctor. Some women may develop late toxicosis or gestosis of pregnancy. To monitor the condition of a pregnant woman at this stage, it is possible to conduct laboratory tests and perform an ultrasound.