The development of the baby at 17 weeks of gestation, which is 4 months of pregnancy, is marked by the beginning of the accumulation of fat that will be important for the maintenance of heat and because it is already larger than the placenta.
Regarding the development of the fetus at 17 weeks of gestation, it has a soft and velvety lanugo throughout the body and the skin is very thin and fragile. The lungs have trachea, bronchi and bronchioles, but the alveoli have not yet formed and the respiratory system should not be fully formed until 35 weeks of gestation.
The baby already dreams and the outline of the first teeth begins to appear in the jawbone. Calcium starts to be deposited in the bones making them stronger and in addition, the umbilical cord becomes stronger.
Although the baby can move around a lot, the mother may still not be able to feel it, especially if it is the first pregnancy. This week you can already decide that you want to know the sex of the baby and inform the doctor about your choice, because on ultrasound it will be possible to observe the testicles or the vulva.
Fetus photos
Fetus size
The size of the fetus at 17 weeks of gestation is approximately 11.6 cm measured from head to buttocks, and the average weight is 100 g, but it still fits in the palm of your hand.
Changes in women
The changes in the woman at 17 weeks of pregnancy can be heartburn and hot flashes, due to the greater amount of progesterone in the body. From now on, women should gain around 500 g to 1 kg per week, but if they have already gained more weight, regulating their diet and practicing some type of exercise can be useful to avoid gaining too much weight during pregnancy. Some exercises that can be performed in pregnancy are Pilates, stretching and water exercises.
Some symptoms that a woman may experience at 17 weeks are:
- Body swelling: blood flow is in full swing so it is normal for women to feel more swollen and less willing at the end of the day; Itching in the belly or breasts: With the enlargement of the belly and breasts, the skin needs to be super hydrated so that stretch marks do not appear, which initially manifest through itchy skin; Very strange dreams: Hormonal changes and anxiety or worry can lead to very strange and meaningless dreams;
In addition, at this stage the woman may feel sadder and cry more easily, so if this happens, talk to the partner and the doctor to try to find the cause. This change in mood should not be harmful to the baby, but this sadness increases the risk of postpartum depression.
Your pregnancy by trimester
To make your life easier and you don't waste time looking, we have separated all the information you need for each trimester of pregnancy. What quarter are you in?
- 1st Quarter (from the 1st to the 13th week) 2nd Quarter (from the 14th to the 27th week) 3rd Quarter (from the 28th to the 41st week)
