Seventeenth week of pregnancy

By week 17 of pregnancy, you may find that your dreams have become more frequent or more realistic. The baby is very active, but it may still be early to feel her movements.

Weight and length at 17 weeks

 

How many months is 17 weeks pregnant?

At ^week 17 you are in the second half of the fourth month of gestation. To know the exact correspondence between months and weeks of pregnancy you can use our conversion table .

17th ^week : frequent symptoms

• Vivid dreams
• Increased sweating
• Dizziness
• Vision disturbances
• Itching
• Leg cramps
• Backache
• Pregnancy Rhinitis (stuffy nose)

How your body changes

More vivid dreams

Many mothers-to-be report that they dream more during pregnancy. Most likely, this happens because you wake up much more often while pregnant , due to symptoms such as back pain, cramps and the need to urinate often, or simply because it is difficult to find a comfortable position.

These repeated interruptions allow dreams to be remembered better, so that they seem not only more frequent, but also more vivid .

Furthermore, don’t forget that gestation is a period of intense and sometimes conflicting emotions , which can easily be reflected even in dreams.

An extraordinary organ: the placenta

In your body, right now, you have an extra organ that supports your baby’s growth: it’s the placenta , which supplies your little one with all the oxygen and nutrients it needs through its blood vessels .

This extraordinary organ also acts as a barrier against some infections and potentially dangerous substances, and produces the hormones essential for the continuation of the pregnancy.

How the child grows

It is about 12 centimeters long , the size of an onion , and weighs about 140 grams .

A transparent skin

The head is increasingly proportionate to the rest of the body and the features begin to be more defined. The skin is still thin and wrinkled, revealing the underlying arteries and veins. In this period, however, subcutaneous fat begins to form , which in addition to being very important for regulating body temperature , will gradually stretch your baby’s skin and make him gradually more rosy and plump .

In constant motion

Your baby continues to suck and swallow the amniotic fluid, thus stimulating the maturation of the respiratory system . The trachea is in its correct position and the bones of the skeleton continue to harden thanks to the calcium you provide, although they will remain flexible to facilitate passage through the birth canal.

Meanwhile, your little one trains his muscles by floating in the amniotic fluid and his movements are increasingly stronger and more frequent. If at 17 ^weeks you still can’t feel your baby moving in your belly , don’t worry: for many expectant mothers it’s still too early , especially if it’s the first pregnancy. Try to be patient a little longer: it’s almost time for the thrill of his first kick!

Do you know that…

Inside the placenta, your blood and your baby’s blood come into close contact, but never mix . This is because you and your little one may have  blood types that are not compatible with each other: nature has really thought of everything!

For the dad

Now that your partner has regained her well-being and energy, it could be the right time to organize a romantic getaway ! To make the car journey more comfortable, she tries to schedule frequent stops , so that the expectant mother can often stretch her legs (and go to the toilet!)

Checks and exams to do

Click here to see the tests you can take between the 15th and 19th week of gestation

Advice from the 17th ^week of pregnancy

• Because of the increased blood volume, you may feel hotter than usual or notice increased sweating . To avoid irritation, wear loose-fitting, breathable clothing, and try to replenish lost fluids by drinking plenty of water .

• A 3-4cm heel is ideal for back pain relief . Instead, avoid wearing shoes that are too high or too low (like ballet flats), which could accentuate posture problems.

• Do you like music? Let your child listen to it too! On the market there are real musical bands  or  “earphones” for the belly , which you can use to let your little one hear your favorite songs. In any case, remember that the music he will love the most will always be your voice!