17 weeks pregnant

At the 17th week of pregnancy, you will definitely notice the next changes in your well-being. Now your baby is growing rapidly and is going through new stages of its development.

What month?

The seventeenth obstetric week is the beginning of the fifth lunar month of pregnancy. Your baby was conceived about 14 weeks ago. More accurate timing information find out in a separate article.

What happens to the fetus

The main process is the mineralization of the skeleton, that is, the gradual hardening of the bones. In the tiny gums, another serious work is going on: dentin is formed in the rudiments of milk teeth. This is a hard tissue on which tooth enamel is later formed. Now it’s important for your baby to get enough calcium.

If your diet is poor in these elements, two main complications can occur. First, you will notice the fragility of your own teeth. Even not very hard nuts or crackers can bite your tooth when bitten. If you come across hard meat or vegetables, you are surprised to note that you chew them with difficulty. Even with a little pain.

Secondly, there will be complications in the development of the fetus. A child may be born weak, develop poorly. And milk teeth after teething will be unstable and will be susceptible to pathologically early caries.

What else can be noted in the development of the fetus:

• the formation of the entire auditory system is being completed;
• handles and legs lengthen;
• thin bronchi actively develop, become like tree branches;
• on closed eyelids, cilia grow;
• primary formation of subcutaneous fat begins;
• in the intestine, the first particles of meconium, original feces are formed;
• the blood vessel system is actively branching;
• in the fetal blood appear their own immunoglobulin and interferon - the most important components of the immune system;
• in girls, a tiny uterus forms;
• the power of the baby's shocks increases.

Perhaps it is on these days that you will feel the first movements of your crumbs. Of course, if this has not happened before. But more often it’s different: for another 2-4 weeks you will have to wait for a “signal” from the baby. This is normal.

Do you know? Now under your heart there lives a real fluffy! The body of the fetus is completely covered with delicate, silky hairs, doctors call them "lanugo." This fluff will disappear at the time of delivery.

Your body

Your main change is the growth of the tummy. Now it looks round, but gradually stretches up. Surely you have repeatedly said about yourself “round” or even “thick”. But now is the time when a slight weight gain is good and necessary. You will definitely be weighed in the antenatal clinic.Over the next seven days, body weight should not increase by more than 500 grams.

You need to know. There is such a thing - "mask of pregnant women." These are age spots, which are usually located on the upper part of each cheek, as well as on the forehead and chin. Brunettes and dark-skinned women may even have dark shadows under their eyes. This effect appears due to the fact that under the influence of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, the skin of the face unevenly produces melanin. It is impossible to remove the mask of pregnant women. If you notice this feature in yourself, protect your face from sunlight, pigmentation will decrease.

Your feelings

Take a look at the list below. You can feel and see a lot from this list or nothing.

1. Heartburn. These are small discharges of gastric juice into the esophagus. They arise because the muscle-valve that separates these two organs is weakened.
2. Feeling of lack of air.
3. Heat exchange disorders, a frequent feeling of heat.
4. Running around the toilet “for little” is again becoming more frequent.
5. Problems with a sense of balance: impaired gait, slight swaying, dizziness.
6. Swelling of the legs, less often - hands and faces.
7. Redness and itching of the palms and feet.

Expectant mothers often note that they have very vivid, emotional and often erotic dreams. Why does this happen, no one knows yet. Unfortunately, nightmares are extremely vital and really scary. If you wake up at night from bad dreams, be sure to remind yourself that in reality, everything is fine. Learn to disconnect from negative dreams.

Discharge and pain

At the 17th week, the number of vaginal discharge may noticeably increase. This is quite normal if there is no yellow pigmentation, pungent odor and impurity of blood.

Colostrum stands out from the chest, literally drop by drop. If there are spots on the clothes - there are special pads for the bra.

When the stomach hurts a little or pulls, this indicates a sprain of the internal ligaments that support the uterus.

Now your stomach is growing a little every day. In this case, the center of gravity is slightly shifted. You may feel slight pain throughout the back or along the spine.

Photo of the tummies:

Especially pay attention to your sensations when urinating. Your immunity is slightly weakened. Because of this, cystitis can easily begin - a very unpleasant disease. Any real, sharp pain is an occasion to go to the doctor or even call an ambulance.

In unfavorable circumstances, you may have the first signs of gestosis, or late toxicosis of pregnant women. Read about this complication here..

Medical supervision

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Your doctor at the antenatal clinic should prescribe specialized blood tests this week or next:

• HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin);
• free estriol;
• AFP (alpha-fetoprotein).

At a gestational age of 16-18 weeks, the levels of these hormones in the blood should be kept within certain limits. If the result is out of the norm, this can mean pathologies of the fetal development, including very serious ones.

Depending on your condition and well-being, general tests and ultrasounds can be prescribed. During the scan, the doctor will check the amount of amniotic fluid, the position of the placenta. Plus, the main indicators of the fetus (private and general sizes, heart rate, etc.). If you still know the gender of your child, with the successful location of the baby, the specialist will be able to reveal this secret for you.

Recommendations

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1. Stick to all the principles of nutrition for pregnant women. Your diet should be 30% vegetables and fruits. Eat fish, meat, cereals and dairy products. Sweets - only natural (marmalade, marshmallows).
2. With heartburn, drink jelly more often.
3. If you notice a tendency to be overweight, monitor the weight especially strictly.
4. Avoid any jerks or jerky movements. Sit down, get up and walk smoothly, take care of your muscles and internal ligaments.
5. Be very careful in public transport. Other passengers may not notice your pregnancy and act carelessly. Do not be afraid to say about your upcoming motherhood, ask to give you a place or skip somewhere.
6. Has a cramp begun? As far as possible, pull the fingers of the affected leg. If the shoes do not allow this at all, take off your shoes or just rub the shin vigorously. Tell your doctor about frequent seizures, you are clearly not enough potassium. It's time to adjust the nutrition.
7. Another enemy is headaches. They occur with a lack of iron in the blood. Try not to drink tea and / or coffee after eating. There are studies where thein and caffeine interfere with the proper absorption of iron from foods.
8. Do not be in the drafts, do not allow yourself to freeze. Even a slight hypothermia can trigger a cold with a kidney complication.
9. Ask relatives, friends, colleagues not to smoke with you if you have not done this before. Do you still smoke yourself? Most likely, the child will be born with severe malformations.
10. Do not drink alcohol in any situations. Any traditions and customs in your position can be violated.
11. For swelling of the legs, do a simple procedure in the evenings: pour alternately cool and warm water on your legs. This will temper your blood vessels, improve blood circulation and water metabolism.
12. Simple gymnastics will help your legs: move your feet in different directions and in a circle. Wear only cotton socks.
13. Even if your legs do not swell or “hum”, raise them higher when sitting.
14. Many already now become uncomfortable sleeping. You can’t lie on your stomach for a long time. It is not recommended to lie on your back - placental circulation may be impaired. To make the sleep on your side as comfortable as possible, stock up on pillows and place them not only under your stomach, but also under your back.
15. Whenever possible, take a walk in parks, groves and in the forest.
16. If your gums are bleeding - consult your doctor, he will pick up an individual tool for the oral cavity.
17. You may have nosebleeds. In this case, it is better to always carry wet wipes with you. At the first sign of bleeding, attach a piece of ice or a scarf moistened with cold water to the bridge of the nose. Do not throw your head back.
18. For an intimate life, there are only basic prohibitions: oligohydramnios, the threat of miscarriage or multiple pregnancy. In other cases, sex just has to be cautious and non-aggressive.
19. Talk to your baby out loud. Offer to do the same to the future father. This habit is very useful to you when the baby is born.
20. If you notice that you are becoming forgetful and distracted, start a special diary.
21. Do not be afraid of your maternal feelings. Perhaps now you have little to worry about besides your own condition. It's quite normal. Nevertheless, at work or while studying, be collected and attentive.

The 17th week of pregnancy will pass without unpleasant events, if you do everything right.

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Video guide: 17th week of pregnancy what is happening, sensations, screening, snoring, dreams, loss of balance