By week 17 your baby is around 12 centimetres long – as big as an pear and weighs nearly 150 grams!
Because of this growth you may be able to feel the baby moving inside you which can feel like gas bubbling in your tummy. Don’t fret if you can’t; some women report not feeling their baby move until they are in week 20 or so. But some do, so if you’re one of the lucky ones, enjoy it – it is a magical experience!
Your baby is starting to hear sounds outside your body now, and some may even make it jump.
You may start to sweat more than usual due to the extra blood in your system which can cause congestion.
If you find you’re suffering from a blocked nose or your partner is giving you an extra nudge at night due to snoring, a humidifier in your bedroom and a couple of extra pillows can help. See more here
Make sure you are getting plenty of dairy this week. Your baby’s soft rubbery skeleton is hardening into bone and needs calcium to grow strong.
If you’ve not booked in for antenatal classes, now is the time to do it. If you’re not sure what to expect from these classes, there’s more information here.
It’s also a good time to start discussing baby names. Choosing a name is much harder than we expect it to be, so start early so you’re well prepared when your baby is born. We have a great tool for choosing a name, so start your name search here.
Your 20 week scan is getting closer, so if you haven’t booked in already, contact your doctor to find out how to do it. You’ll be able to find out your baby’s sex at this scan, so you should have the conversation with your partner about whether or nor you’re going to find out. You may have already decided what you’re going to do, but in the meantime you can have a bit of fun with this Chinese Gender Chart.