Dizziness during pregnancy often kicks in at effectually calendar week 17 in the second trimester. Blame hormones, your growing uterus and a rapidly expanding circulatory system.

Meanwhile, your little one is learning to suck and consume, and is as well starting to develop fingerprints.

Your Infant at Week 17

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Hey Mom…It might be time for a loftier-five, considering that's how big your babe is this calendar week — the size of your open palm. At a less-than-whopping three and a half ounces, your little one is starting to layer on some trunk fat, though she's got a long mode to go before she's anywhere approaching plump.

From here on out your baby volition accrue fat until it makes up nigh one-third of her weight. That means by the time she makes her big debut, this skinny Minnie will be a relatively chubby cherub. Just she'south not all lightweight. This calendar week marks the first time your baby is bigger in size than the placenta that's nourishing her. Now that's something to brag almost!

In other news, baby'southward feisty little ticker is going full speed ahead thanks to another evolution this week. Until at present, your wee ane's heartbeat was spontaneous and irregular. At present, her brain is in the driver's seat, regulating her centre charge per unit to 140 or 150 beats per minute. Have a listen — that steady sound volition brand your own heart sing.

Regularity is the name of the game these days as your precocious educatee is hard at piece of work honing some central skills for her big debut. That includes making up and downwards movements of the breast wall in training for breathing actual air when the time comes. Sucking and swallowing sessions as well make upward a adept office of her daily schedule at present — and that'southward a good thing. This mode she won't miss a trounce when it's time for that offset succulent mom-made meal.

At a Glance

Getting ready to feed

Your trivial one is practicing sucking and swallowing as he gets ready for the real thing: a breast or bottle!

Baby will soon exist able to hear you!

Baby'south sense of hearing is making big strides this calendar week. His ears are close to existence fully formed and he's starting to exist able to hear your voice.

Warming up

Fat stores are showtime to develop under your baby's pare. This provides energy and volition assistance keep your piffling one warm (and cute) after birth.

17 weeks pregnant is how many months?

If you're 17 weeks pregnant, you lot're in month 4 of your pregnancy. But five months left to go! All the same have questions? Here's some more information on how weeks, months and trimesters are cleaved downward in pregnancy.

How large is my baby at 17 weeks?

My, how your baby has grown! Your little one weighs about v or more than ounces and is the size of your palm, or around five inches long. Trunk fat (babe's, that is) is starting time to form and will continue to accrue through the cease of your pregnancy — join the society, infant!

Infant's practicing sucking and swallowing

Since exercise makes perfect, your baby is sharpening his sucking and swallowing skills in training for that first and second…and 3rd suckle at your breast or the bottle.

In fact, virtually of the survival reflexes your baby will take at birth are existence perfected in utero right now.

Fingerprints are forming

Here's some proof that your infant is truly one of a kind — as if you needed any! Within the next week or then, the pads on your baby'south fingertips and toes volition become adorned with completely individual swirls and creases, aka fingerprints.

Baby'southward heartbeat is more regular

Infant's centre is now regulated past the brain, so no more random beats, and is churning out 140 to 150 beats per infinitesimal — most twice equally fast as yours.

Your Body at Week 17

17 weeks pregnant woman

Here come the tum touchers!

Now that you're starting to show, chances are that friends, coworkers and even strangers may experience the urge to reach out and affect your tummy. If you don't heed, that's fine. But if you lot do, speak up kindly but firmly.

Your growing appetite

Call back when you lot were so queasy you could barely tummy ginger ale and a cracker? Happily, your toilet-hugging days and nights are probably over. And happily, these days information technology's more probable that you lot can't get enough to eat.

For most women, the second trimester not merely brings relief from morning sickness but also a hearty appetite. Don't be surprised if you all of a sudden feel hungry plenty to polish off a sizable cut of steak or a whole tray of baked ziti at 17 weeks pregnant.

What'southward backside your increase in appetite? Simple — you lot're taking signals from your baby, who'due south getting bigger and hungrier. Not sure exactly how much weight y'all should gain during pregnancy? Talk to your practitioner, who will be able to help y'all maintain a salubrious weight gain. Your physician or midwife can also help you lot play weight gain catch-up if you didn't gain enough or lost weight during the first trimester.

Finish snoring

I inexplicable pregnancy symptom? Snoring! But take eye: The stuffiness that often triggers earth-champion snoring is common — and temporary. That's right, even your nose is afflicted by pregnancy hormones!

Try putting a humidifier in your bedroom, using i of those nasal strips on your olfactory organ to open up your nasal passages, or sleeping on a couple of pillows to continue your head slightly elevated. And if your partner complains? Banish your sweetie to the sofa for the night — it'due south more important that you become a expert night'south sleep.

Heightened symptoms

More new developments with your body may be on tap this week: an increase in vaginal discharge (leukorrhea) and a greater sensitivity to allergens. Both are totally normal!

Pregnancy Symptoms Week 17

Increased appetite

Does your appetite seem insatiable these days? That's because your growing baby is demanding more than nourishment. Listen to your hunger pangs and eat when you demand to; try to choose foods that fill up you lot upwardly and meet your nutrient needs, like high-fiber grains, produce and lean protein. Read More

Stretch marks

This bluecoat of pregnancy is hereditary — so if yous get-go finding some stretch marks on your body, it may be considering your mother had them too. But if you gain weight at a steady rate instead of in big spurts, this may keep the stretching gradual and, as a upshot, less extreme. Read More

Occasional headaches

Whether hormones, fatigue, tension or another culprit causes your headaches, information technology's usually okay to take acetaminophen during pregnancy to convalesce the pain. Merely check with your practitioner get-go. Read More

Faintness or dizziness

Dehydration can cause dizziness, so make certain you stay hydrated by drinking at least eight glasses of h2o a twenty-four hour period — aim to beverage more than that if y'all've been exercising. Read More

Heartburn and indigestion

If you find yourself feeling the burn after a big meal, avert lying down subsequently eating to go on gastric juices in the tum where they belong. Read More

Backaches

Ease this common pregnancy symptom by making sure you accept a supportive chair at piece of work and a firm mattress at abode. Otherwise, get a cushion for your chair to identify behind your back so you can continue your posture in line and identify a board underneath your mattress to firm it up. Read More

Tips for You lot This Week

Breast growth (and no breast growth) are both normal

Hormones and milk-producing glands are developing to prepare for nursing. All this activity, plus an increase in blood flow, can cause your breasts to abound up to three cup sizes.

Of class, every significant woman'due south symptoms are different. While breast growth is common — and for some women quite a lot — you might non notice whatsoever changes at all in your breast size, especially if you're busty to begin with. Even if you lot have no breast growth, information technology'south not cause for business organization.

Stretch to prevent sciatica

The sciatic nerve, the largest in the body, starts in the lower back, runs down the buttocks, and branches downward the back of the legs to the ankles and feet.

In nearly cases, sciatica — precipitous, shooting pain, tingling or numbness that starts in the dorsum or buttocks and radiates all the way downwards the legs — happens when this nervus gets compressed past bulging, slipped or ruptured discs.

Arthritis and a narrowing of the spinal canal, besides chosen spinal stenosis, can too be culprits. Endeavour a heating pad or back stretches to ease the pain.

Time for the Tooth Fairy again?

Take y'all noticed a mildly looser molar that suddenly makes yous feel like you're back in elementary school?

Hormones tin can affect the gums, ligaments and basic in your oral fissure, which in turn can slightly loosen the teeth, specially if yous have more than serious untreated conditions like gingivitis or periodontis.

Encounter the dentist as soon every bit possible if y'all notice a very loose tooth or have other significant dental issues — don't put information technology off! And be sure to go on upwards with twice-daily brushing, regular flossing and other of import oral hygiene practices during pregnancy.

Ease circular ligament pain

Your uterus is supported by thick bands (chosen ligaments) that run from the groin upward the side of the abdomen.

As your uterus grows during pregnancy, these bands stretch out to accommodate your growing bump — which can cause sharp pains and ho-hum aches in the lower belly.

To relieve circular ligament pain, make sure to spend time off your feet and decrease the intensity of your workouts. You can besides consider wearing a abdomen ring for a little actress support.

Stay out of the sun

Seeing spots — on your face? A line downwardly your lower belly? Skin tags dotting your upper artillery?

No demand to dash to the dermatologist. These strange peel symptoms, including darkening moles and heat rashes, are all normal and temporary. Equally usual, hormones are to arraign, just the sun can exacerbate these changes in your complexion.

So stay shaded whenever you can — now's the time to invest in a wide-brimmed hat — and utilize a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher when yous venture out in the daylight. Sunscreen is safe and smart to apply when you're expecting. Ask your md about anything y'all're concerned about.

Check your hands

Practice the palms of your easily look as if you've touched a hot pan? You could have palmar erythema, a skin condition in which the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet appear redder or darker than normal.

The good news: It disappears afterward you requite nascency. But definitely check in with your doctor just to make certain everything is normal.

Try non-dairy, calcium foods

If milk or other dairy products aren't your thing, you'll take to cash in on calcium a different way. Luckily, dairy products aren't the simply sources of calcium — they're just the nearly well-known.

Calcium-fortified orangish juice and other fruit juices can offering about as much calcium as milk, cup for cup. For other not-dairy dietary sources of calcium, plough to leafy green vegetables, sesame seeds, almonds and calcium-fortified soy products like tofu.

Withal aren't getting enough? Enquire your practitioner about a calcium supplement for extra insurance.

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author ofWhat to Look When You're Expecting. What to Wait follows strict reporting guidelines and uses simply apparent sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, bookish enquiry institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

  • What to Look When You're Expecting, 5th edition, Heidi Murkoff.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Snoring During Pregnancy, March 2021.
  • WhatToExpect.com, What Sunscreen Is Safe During Pregnancy?, May 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Palmar Erythema During Pregnancy, February 2021.
  • WhatToExpect.com, How Much Calcium Do You Need During Pregnancy?, May 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Sciatica During Pregnancy, December 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Round Ligament Hurting During Pregnancy, Dec 2020.
  • National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Fetal Development, June 2021.
  • Mayo Dispensary, Fetal Development: The second Trimester, June 2020.
  • Johns Hopkins Medicine, The 2nd Trimester, 2021.
  • National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Snoring, May 2021.
  • National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Sciatica, April 2021.
  • American College of Rheumatology, Spinal Stenosis, March 2019.
  • Periodical of the American Dental Clan, Dental Care During Pregnancy, November 2018.
  • National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements, Calcium, March 2021.
  • American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Exercise During Pregnancy, July 2019.
  • American Higher of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Skin Conditions During Pregnancy, June 2020.
  • American Academy of Dermatology, Sunscreen FAQs, 2021.

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