17 weeks of gestation: symptoms and changes of this phase

At 17 weeks of gestation, the baby is developing more and more every day.

Moms who have already had other pregnancies can begin to feel their movements, such as “air bubbles” or “butterfly wings” inside the belly.

First-time pregnant women, on the other hand, tend to have more difficulties to feel the baby’s movements.

Whether experienced or not, the pregnant woman should know that rest (about 8 hours in a row) and food (rich in vegetables, grains and lean meats) are of utmost importance for the baby to maintain this peak.

Contents

What are the symptoms?

Each stage of pregnancy has its own symptoms. In case of doubt, consult the doctor who accompanies you.

But in general, at the 17th week, the most common signs and symptoms are:

Bleeding

Now, with the baby growing more and more, the body increases the flow and pressure of the circulating blood, facilitating bleeding in the gums and nostrils .

When cutting or injuring herself, the pregnant woman may also experience bleeding with greater than normal flow.

But if they are checked in a few minutes, they are common and need not panic.

If they occur very often or the flow is not contained within a few minutes, the ideal is to talk to the obstetrician about it.

Itch

The itching can manifest in the belly or in the breasts and can happen because the skin tends to stretch, since it is natural for the mother to put on weight with the presence of the baby and with the production of milk.

It is important to remember that itching is one of the first symptoms of future stretch marks . To avoid them, creams and moisturizers can be used to nourish the skin.

Heat

The body produces many hormones during pregnancy. One of them is progesterone which can cause an intense feeling of heat in the body.

The hormonal amount is also increased during menopause , so it is normal for pregnant women and women over 45 to experience the famous “heat”.

Weight gain

At this stage of pregnancy, the woman may have an increase in weight that varies between 2.5 kg and 4.5 kg.

This weight increases not only due to the presence of the baby, but also because the body is storing energy (in the form of fat) to produce breast milk after delivery.

Dreams

Due to the large amount of hormones present in the woman’s body during pregnancy, it is common for them to have strange or more vivid dreams.

Pregnant women are also more likely to have nightmares and intense dreams with anxiety and distress.

In addition, it is also possible to notice that they have an easier time remembering what they dreamed more often.

How big is the baby at 17 weeks?

Being in the belly for 17 weeks, the baby measures approximately 11cm and weighs an average of 100g. If you were born with that weight and size, the little one would fit in the palm of your hand.

At this stage, he is starting to gain fat which will be important to maintain body heat after birth.

The skin is thin and covered with a layer of hair whose main function is to protect the baby (lanugo).

Even with the presence of the lanugo, the veins and arteries are still visible in the arms and legs, which are already delimited.

Some organs, structures and systems are beginning to form (such as lungs and bones). The little heart of the little one is controlled by the brain and beats relentlessly, pumping blood to all parts of his body.

At this stage of pregnancy, the baby is forming his fingerprints on his hands and feet. He also yawns and likes to sleep most of the time.

17 weeks of gestation is how many months?

The 17th week of pregnancy corresponds to the 4th month of pregnancy . Considering a full 40-week pregnancy, there is 23 weeks (or approximately 5 months) left for the baby to be born. The mother’s belly is already visible and the clothes from before may be getting tight.

Talk to the obstetrician who accompanies the pregnancy about the possibility of doing physical exercises and their intensity.

Yoga, water aerobics, pilates , gymnastics and walking are good examples of activities to do during pregnancy.

Ultrasound

The baby’s sex can already be discovered by ultrasound. If you don’t want to know, tell the doctor before you accidentally spoil the surprise. But if you want to know, after finding out whether it will be a boy or a girl, you can think of the baby’s name.

In this exam, the doctor will also want to listen to the little one’s heart and check on the heartbeat and fetal growth.

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