17. week of pregnancy – when your baby hears your voice

Week 17 is the end of the 4th month of pregnancy. The middle of pregnancy is slowly approaching. This is the time when the expectant mothers may have back pain, shortness of breath and gum sensitivity. You should take special care of yourself during this time.

17. week of pregnancy – what month is it?

Week 17 is the end of the 4th month. We are slowly approaching the halfway point of the pregnancy and with it the time when the parents-to-be can find out the sex of the baby if they so wish. At this time, you can see the fetus on the ultrasound image sucking its thumb, waving its arms or legs. You can hear its heart beating. At 17 weeks of pregnancy, the baby weighs about 140 g and is about 13 cm long.

What happens in the 17th week of pregnancy?

In the 17th week of pregnancy, the belly slowly becomes visible, because the baby is still growing and developing intensively. Of course, the baby is still very small, but his body slowly begins to store fat. In the 17th week of pregnancy, the bone structure hardens and the joints are strengthened. This process continues until the baby is ready to function outside the mother’s body. The fetus is waving its arms and legs, slowly clenching its fists, and exercising its grip on the umbilical cord. This is also the time when it begins to suck its thumb.

During the 17th week of pregnancy, the baby’s individual features are formed:

• Facial features form
• Fingerprints appear on the hands and fingers

In the second trimester, the baby’s heart beats about twice as fast as that of an adult. It is about 140 beats per minute. The mother can hear its beating during the Doppler examination if she lies down properly.

By the end of the 4th month of pregnancy, the reproductive organs are forming, which allows the baby’s sex to be determined. However, this is not always possible – sometimes you have to wait until the 19th week to find out. During this time, both the internal and external genital organs develop.

The 17th week of the baby and the bond with the mother

Your baby’s movements in the 17th week of pregnancy are often a reaction to the voices he is just beginning to hear. By the end of the 4th month, the senses are already developing dynamically. First of all, the fetus begins to hear. So it is worth talking to the baby at this time, because by listening to the mother’s voice, he learns to recognize it. It is a good time to slowly introduce the baby to music, which can help its development in the following weeks. Talking to the child and listening to music together is a perfect way to build a bond.

Wellbeing in the 17th week of pregnancy

The belly in the 17th week of pregnancy becomes more and more apparent, as the uterus slowly no longer fits into the pelvis. At this stage, the future mother may have already gained 2 to 4 kg. The growing abdomen causes some discomfort. First and foremost, the woman feels back pain, she can also breathe faster. The stretching of the uterine ligaments and the pressure of the uterus on other organs contribute to cramps and pain in the lower abdomen. So, the 17th week is the time when the expectant mother should slow down and take care of herself during pregnancy. The gums may start to bleed and the capillaries may break, which is due to the hormonal changes in the body. This is not a cause for concern, but throughout pregnancy it is worth visiting the dentist regularly.