What happens in the 17th week of pregnancy? Amazingly, your baby’s toes and fingers will form their own unique patterns this week as they develop the fingerprints that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Your baby in the 17th week of pregnancy:
- Your baby's size now is comparable to a pear
- Finally, at 17th week, baby's ears are fully formed, functional and are already in their right positions
- Your little one's height is 5 inches and weighs up to 5 ounces
- The baby is starting to layer on some body fat and will accumulate fat until it makes up about one-third of the weight
- Your baby is bigger in size than placenta that nourishes your baby and removes waste
- The placenta now contains thousands of blood vessels which carries oxygen and nutrients to your little sweetheart
- Also the umbilical cord which serves as the lifeline of your baby is now growing thicker, lengthier and sturdier
- The umbilical cord contains two arteries and one vein surrounded by a white thick gel called workmen's jelly
- The baby's cartilage is being replaced by hard bones
- The sweat glands and body fats are also developing, and
- The skin of the baby remains slightly transparent
- The blood vessels that supply nutrients to organs for growth are now visible
- Adipose fats continue to form which help regulate body's temperature
- Your little one's heart is beating 140 or 150 beats per minute
- Sucking and swallowing has become your baby's daily schedule now
Your body in the 17th week of pregnancy:
At 17 weeks you will begin to show. Your abdomen grows as your internal organs move around, providing space for the uterus and baby. Your uterus begins pushing your intestines up and outwards, towards the sides of your abdomen, allowing you to feel your uterus more when you’re standing rather than sleeping or lying down.
There may be an occasional pain in the legs called sciatic nerve pain, which can be excruciating for some women. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body and it runs under the uterus, traveling down the entire length of the leg. The cause of the pain is usually pressure on the nerve caused by the growing baby, and it can sometimes be alleviated by avoiding standing in one place for too long, or by putting pillows under your legs while sleeping at night to provide support.
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