17th week of pregnancy: photo of the fetus, abdomen, ultrasound, sensations

The fruit and its development

All the baby’s organs are already formed, some are at the stage of completion of formation.
The child grows, gains weight and fat is already deposited, which is responsible for preserving his body heat and maintaining body temperature. The fat that is now accumulating in the baby is called adipose tissue. This tissue is also involved in metabolism and is a source of energy. This week of pregnancy is a period of active growth for the baby.

As for the size of the fetus, by the end of the week the child will grow to 17 cm and weigh up to 140 grams.

The baby behaves even more actively, moves and tumbles, actively moving his body. And there is a chance that you will feel his movements for the first time, if you have not felt the baby moving before.

Your baby leads an active lifestyle, his movements become more conscious and coordinated. The baby improves swallowing and sucking reflexes. He constantly sucks his thumb and swallows liquid. His facial expressions are developed, he smiles and even yawns when he wants to sleep.

The genitals are in the final stages of formation. In girls, the uterus and vagina are formed. Boys develop a penis and prostate gland.

During this period, the child's hearing is well developed. Now you can start accustoming your child to music and talking to him. Not only for you, but also for the future dad. After all, the voices that he hears now, he will recognize when he is born, they will become family to him. Your baby also reacts to light. If you bring a lamp to your stomach, the baby will turn towards the light at this time, although his eyes are still closed, he sees the light through his eyelids.

Changes and sensations

As the child grows, the uterus enlarges. It is located in the abdominal cavity and is already below two centimeters from the navel. As it grows, it pushes away the organs that interfere with it. Because of this, some changes occur in the female body and entail unpleasant sensations.

This is how the fetus is located in the tummy

The gastrointestinal tract is primarily affected. The uterus constantly puts pressure on the intestines, which can result in heartburn and improper bowel function. During this period, you need to adjust your diet.
There is a heavy load on the heart. Now the blood volume in your body has increased by 20%. The heart diligently pumps blood to deliver the necessary substances and oxygen to your baby in a timely manner. Due to increased blood circulation, you may experience increased sweating and vaginal discharge. Don't worry, this is a normal process, just improve your hygiene. Please note that normal discharge during pregnancy should be white with a sour odor. If you have other discharge, be sure to consult a doctor, as any infection is dangerous to the child’s health.
Now your body is completely attuned to pregnancy, you feel how your view of the world around you is changing, you are a happy expectant mother. Because you're so caught up in your pregnancy, you may be distracted and have trouble concentrating right now.
The breasts become less sensitive. Small white pimples may appear near the nipples, and veins may be clearly visible. These are all normal phenomena during pregnancy. Pigmentation on the body, a brown stripe on the stomach, and darkening of the nipples also appear.
At the 17th week of pregnancy, many women begin to experience late toxicosis.

Late toxicosis is not vomiting, nausea and bad mood, but the appearance of swelling of the limbs. The first signs of swelling that you will notice is that your shoes become too small as your feet become swollen. Swelling can also occur on the hands and even on the face. The main factor that you need to pay attention to in case of swelling is weight gain more than normal.

Well-being of a woman at 17 weeks of pregnancy

For an expectant mother, the 17th week of pregnancy is a very joyful time. She increasingly listens to herself, trying to catch the baby’s movements. The first feelings will be very blurry and will more likely resemble the movement of small bubbles or the flutter of a butterfly, so sometimes it is difficult to distinguish them from the normal processes of the body. Those mothers who are not carrying their first child have probably already been able to feel it and begin to learn to communicate. At the 17th week of pregnancy, grows not only in width, but also in height. Gradually, the pressure from its growth moves other internal organs to the sides, although the movements are not yet great. The mother's heart is forced to work harder, and due to increased blood flow, gums may sometimes bleed or sudden nosebleeds may occur. Some expectant mothers already notice back pain at this stage, so it is advisable to start learning relaxation techniques and give yourself more rest.

In addition to frequent trips to the toilet, mommy may suffer from shortness of breath and swelling, excessive sweating and rapid heartbeat. A woman’s thyroid gland is actively working, producing hormones, so malaise and general lethargy may occur.

Pain in the lower back and abdomen is possible due to the fact that the fetus grows, shifting the center of gravity and causing sprains. There may be discomfort in the intestines and pressure in the anal area. As a rule, this occurs due to constipation and flatulence tormenting the woman. It is important to adjust your diet in time to prevent painful anal fissures and hemorrhoids.

The legs buzz and twist if the pregnant woman has intense swelling or lacks calcium. Now not only she needs it, but also the baby - to build a skeleton and teeth.

How should you eat?

Now your musculoskeletal system activity begins to decrease. You begin to move and walk less, while the uterus also puts pressure on the gastrointestinal tract, thereby causing your body to malfunction, causing heartburn and constipation.

First of all, start eating more often, but in small portions. You need to eat about five times a day. After eating, introduce a 30-minute walk into your daily routine. When walking, the gastrointestinal tract works better. That is, by walking you promote good absorption of nutrients. Also at this moment you help the heart and circulatory system by saturating your body with oxygen. And your body produces vitamin D with the help of sunlight.

In order to prevent the symptoms of heartburn, change your diet, adding a daily intake of soups, cereals and jelly. These foods will create a lining in the stomach, thereby preventing the symptoms of heartburn. Remove from your diet foods that help the stomach produce gastric juice, such as sour berries, smoked and fatty foods, coffee, tea.

The child begins to form red cells in the blood, for this he needs iron. To do this, you need to include iron-rich foods in your diet. Try to fully provide your body with the required amount of iron.

Weight control

During the second trimester, you have a good appetite, which can lead to overeating and, as a result, a sharp weight gain, which should not be allowed. Watch your weight. If you constantly feel hungry, split up your diet, that is, the amount of food remains the same, but the number of meals is larger. Eat less and more often.

During the 17th week you should gain about 500 grams. Watch your own weight. It is easier to control your weight by doing light sports: brisk walking or swimming. Exercising will help you control your weight. Exercise is also useful because it prepares your body for future childbirth.

Remember that on average a woman gains 11-16 kg during pregnancy. That is, now you should gain 3-5 kg from the weight you had before pregnancy.

Pregnant weight

Normally, the expectant mother should gain weight by 250-300 g every week. If everything is normal, then at the 17th week of pregnancy the woman’s body weight at the time of conception should increase by an average of 2.5-3.5 kg. However, some mothers find out at 17 weeks that they have gained 6-7 kg, even though both they and the baby are fine. In general, weight at a given stage of pregnancy depends on the woman’s complexion, heredity, age, conditions in which it occurs, and other factors.

Recommendations for the expectant mother:

First of all, control your weight and watch your diet. The diet should be enriched with vitamins and iron.
Every woman has her own tummy. It all depends on the constitution of the body, but it’s time to start wearing loose clothes and forget about high-heeled shoes.
During this week, you can have sex, but you just need to take care of comfortable positions for the pregnant woman.
Since your heart is now working as hard as it can, it is not recommended to take a hot bath or visit the bathhouse or sauna.
Your kidneys work in active mode, they filter not only the waste products of your body, but also that of the baby. Because of this, watch your urination, as stagnation of fluid in the body may occur. Control this process, go to the toilet more often. Perhaps you need to drink lingonberry broth during this period.
Your baby is very sensitive to radiation, so try to use household appliances less. Try to sit at the computer less, use the microwave oven, and use the cell phone.
Eliminate all possible stressful situations during pregnancy. Stress affects fetal development. Research has shown that if a woman experiences constant stress during the second trimester, this can increase corticotropin-releasing hormone in her body, which causes preterm labor. If for some reason you cannot avoid stressful situations, you need to learn to relax so that your body can rest. Start doing yoga or meditation to help you relax and increase your resistance to stress.
Be wary of medications, both those sold with a prescription and especially those sold without a prescription. What was harmless before pregnancy can provoke fetal fading now. After all, even Aspirin can cause bleeding. Remember that self-medication is not an option during pregnancy. Consult your doctor before starting any medications.

Volume and shape of the abdomen

At 17 weeks, the placenta already weighs 500 g and increases significantly in size. This leads to an increase in the volume of the mother's abdomen and even the possible appearance of stretch marks on the skin around the hip joints and on the sides of the abdomen.

And although there are predisposing genetic factors for their formation, it can be prevented with constant care.

To do this you need:

monitor your diet, including foods rich in collagen, vitamins A and E;
regularly use a scrub of ground coffee or sugar;
lubricate the skin with natural oils against stretch marks (olive, almond, cocoa butter, and wheat germ);
Moisturize your skin regularly.

You can also use pharmaceutical creams and ointments for stretch marks, having first read the information about the composition and contraindications.

In some women, at 17 weeks the stomach is still practically not enlarged. This should not be a cause for concern. The explanation for this may be the low presentation of the fetus or the structural features of the mother's body.

The shape of the abdomen can be round, oval, pear-shaped and even asymmetrical. It depends on the:

embryo position;
the amount of fat deposits in the waist and abdomen;
condition of the abdominal muscles;
volume of amniotic fluid;
anatomical features of the structure of the mother’s pelvis;
number of fruits.

An “irregular” abdominal shape is not considered a pathology. However, if frequent pain and discomfort occur, this may be a symptom of increased uterine tone. Therefore, if such signs appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Question answer

Q: 17th week of pregnancy - what month is it? A: The seventeenth obstetric week of pregnancy is the 15th week from conception or 3 months and 3 weeks of pregnancy.
Q: Please give me some advice, I am 17 weeks pregnant, and my husband has a severe cold, high fever and cough. How to avoid getting the flu from him? A: To prevent influenza and acute respiratory viral infections, upon contact with a patient or at the first signs of a cold during pregnancy, it is recommended to instill/inject influenzaferon into the nose (release forms: drops or spray).

Analyzes and examinations

If the pregnancy proceeds without complications, there is no need to conduct any clinical tests. They may be prescribed if the expectant mother suffers from pyelonephritis or anemia.

Ultrasound is generally not performed this week, except in cases with serious indications. If it is carried out, you can already observe the child’s movements: if he does not sleep, you can see how he plays with the umbilical cord, moves his arms and legs, and grimaces. It is too early to determine the sex of the child, errors are possible.

This is interesting: How to determine the sex of a child - 5 best methods

At 17 weeks of pregnancy, genetic screening is performed. It helps to identify chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus, assess the health of the mother and make a pregnancy prognosis. If the screening is unfavorable, a more detailed repeat ultrasound is performed.

Ultrasound photo at 17 weeks of pregnancy

Ultrasound photo of the child

By the 17th week of pregnancy, the baby has become just like the person who lives in your tummy in his own little world, where for him you are already the most beloved and most important in the world. By the way, some studies have shown that when the baby is still in the womb, he dreams. The proof of this is that his eyes move quickly, like those of an adult, when he dreams. So maybe now your baby, when he sleeps, has bright and colorful dreams.

Child

Now your baby leads a very active and mobile lifestyle: he constantly changes his body position, explores his arms and legs. By the way, if previously only they were sensitive, now this ability appears in other parts of the baby’s body.

If you don’t yet notice the baby’s movements, wait a little. In general, how early a woman begins to feel the first “signals” depends on several factors: what kind of pregnancy it is (with a second pregnancy, the baby becomes “more noticeable” a little earlier), on the mother’s build (thin women notice the baby’s kicks a little earlier).

Fetal development at 17 weeks of gestation

At the 17th week of pregnancy, the baby can already “fend for himself” - now his body independently produces its own interferon and immunoglobulin to protect against infections. However, this is not a reason for mothers to be less careful and careful about their health and less afraid of infection from others, especially during epidemics.

In general, the child’s endocrine system becomes more and more mature: the adrenal glands produce hormones in full, and the hypothalamic-pituitary metabolism is activated. And the baby’s body becomes covered with fat. This is not yet the subcutaneous fatty tissue that every newborn and adult has. This is the so-called brown fat, which will subsequently change. But now it is participating in heat exchange.

At week 17, the baby’s body is already covered with birth lubricant - it will remain until the moment of birth. Nature provides this barrier as protection against infections that could be contracted in utero or during childbirth. After birth, the midwife, when washing the baby for the first time, will remove this lubricant as it will no longer be needed.

The baby’s skeleton and muscles continue to grow and strengthen, which is why he “swims” so actively in the amniotic sac.

Now your child is especially dependent on the emotional state of his mother, on her physical sensations. Loud sounds, mother's fear and any of her negative emotions frighten him and cause discomfort. While the mother’s joy and pleasure, her cheerful and cheerful mood, tell him that everything is fine, the world is beautiful, and he has a place in it. Therefore, spare your child’s feelings and don’t get nervous over trifles. Pamper yourself, because by giving yourself pleasure, you are thereby caressing your child. Sing to him, talk kindly, tell him how you and dad are waiting for him. Understand that now for the baby you are not just a bridge to the world, you yourself are his world. So let it be beautiful!