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At 17 weeks pregnant, your baby is full of life in your womb - flipping, flopping, and doing somersaults! If you aren't already feeling your baby's movements, it won't be too long now. These movements are called "quickening," and you will feel them sooner if you are an experienced mom.
Your little one started moving in the first trimester, around pregnancy week 7 or 8, but it's not until the second trimester that you will feel his little acrobatics! Most pregnant women notice fetal movement between 16 weeks pregnant and 22 weeks pregnant.
Enjoy this wonderful experience, and share it with your partner. The two of you may want to share some intimate moments touching your belly and dreaming of the new baby and what he will be like.
Your Pregnancy Weight Gain So Far
Your pregnancy weight gain at 17 weeks pregnant may be anywhere between seven and ten pounds. For the average sized woman, you have about twenty more pounds to go. (The recommended weight gain for the normal sized woman is between 25 and 35 pounds.)
Continue to eat healthy and live a healthy lifestyle as your pregnancy week by week continues. Your baby continues to develop and grow, so you will steadily gain at least one or two pounds with each week that passes in the second trimester.
Shifting Center of Gravity in Pregnancy
As your belly gets larger, you should be aware that your center of gravity shifts upward. You may start to feel uneasy on your feet or unbalanced. This is a normal pregnancy change and shouldn't cause you any concern. To avoid any falls at 17 weeks pregnant, you may want to opt for low-heeled shoes instead of high-heels.
Heartburn and Indigestion in Pregnancy
Your uterus continues to grow this week. During pregnancy week 17, it is probably the size of a small round ball and has risen just below your navel. Your expanding uterus is pushing upward, against your other abdominal organs. As this happens, you may start to experience heartburn, indigestion, and other gastrointestinal discomfort.
In addition to growing baby pushing against your abdominal cavity, your pregnancy hormones are also to blame for your heartburn. The levels of the hormone progesterone in your pregnant body relaxes the valve that separates your stomach from your esophagus, making it easy for your stomach acid to seep back up into your esophagus and giving you heartburn.
How to Prevent Heartburn and Indigestion in Pregnancy
Unfortunately, heartburn is a common side effect of pregnancy that will last until your baby arrives into the world. You won't be able to completely eliminate it, but there are certain steps you can do to try to prevent it from occurring.
At 17 weeks pregnant, you can help prevent heartburn and indigestion by:
- Change your eating habits. Instead of large meals, eat smaller meals throughout the day. You should also take it slow, chewing thoroughly and eating slowly. This will make it easier for your stomach to digest the foods that you're eating.
- Don't lie down immediately after you eat. You may want to wait an hour or two before lying down.
- Avoid eating foods that trigger heartburn, such as greasy or fatty foods, spicy foods, and caffeine-containing foodies.
- You may want to limit how much you drink during meals. Sipping during your meals is best. Avoid using straws.
- If you are love chewing gum, you should have a piece of gum after you eat. Saliva can help neutralize the acid in your stomach.
- Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes. Clothes that are too tight or pinch can contribute to heartburn.
At pregnancy week 17, you can take an over-the-counter anti-acid that has calcium or magnesium to ease your discomfort. However, always talk to your doctor or healthcare provider before taking one. Some anti-acids contain aspirin, which is not recommended for some pregnant women. If you need stronger relief, you may want to talk to your doctor about prescription medications that are safe to take during pregnancy.
More Energy in the Second Trimester
Many pregnant women find that they have more energy during pregnancy at 17 weeks. You can look forward to this renewed energy until your third trimester!
Interact with Baby!
The most exciting part of this week is your baby can now hear! That means it's time to get out the recorder and play some music for your baby. Gentle and soothing music may be just what you need to relax! You can also start talking to your baby during 17 weeks pregnant. Don't feel shy about talking out loud. You want your baby to hear you.
Your baby can also sense your touch throughout your pregnancy week by week, so be sure to rub your belly gently often. You may notice that your baby responds by fluttering here and there during pregnancy week 17 and beyond.
By pregnancy week 17, your baby is practicing his first breathing movements. With each little "breath" baby takes, his diaphragm contracts and his chest wall moves up. Fluid is also pushed out of the lungs. These "breaths" last less than a second, and your baby may even open his mouth and swallow amniotic fluid at the same time.
At this stage of fetal development, these breathing movements occur only occasionally. It is not until the end of the second trimester, around 24 weeks pregnant (when air sacs form in the fetal lungs), that your baby will spend more time practicing his breathing movements.
At 17 weeks pregnant, your baby can now open and close his mouth. He can also yawn and swallow amniotic fluid.
Your little one's skin is still transparent this week, and there is little fat underneath the skin. If you were to take peek inside your womb, you could easily see your baby's blood vessels.
It's common for your baby to bring his hands to the face and even suck his thumb. However, sucking is not coordinated at this stage of development.
Your baby is a little acrobat in the womb at 17 weeks pregnant. He is in a constant state of movement - changing positions, stretching and curling his arms and legs.
This week, your baby's heartbeat may be strong enough for a doctor to detect with a Doppler ultrasound. At this point in your pregnancy week by week, your baby's heartbeat is twice as fast as your own.
At 17 weeks pregnant, you may want to use your new burst of renewed energy to do some household cleaning. Vacuuming and laundry will not be a problem, and they may even be a good way to exercise! However, when it comes to common household cleaning products, you should take some precautions.
Because some household cleaners contain harmful chemicals and toxins that can be inhaled or absorbed through your skin (crossing the placenta to your baby), you have to be careful about the products you use to clean.
Tips for Cleaning in Pregnancy
When cleaning during pregnancy, keep these precautions in mind:
- Read the labels on your cleaning products very carefully. Throughout your pregnancy week by week, you need to avoid any products that are considered "toxic."
- Always wear rubber gloves when you clean. You may want to also wear long sleeves and long pants. You don't want to risk getting the cleaning products on your skin.
- Make sure that the area that you are cleaning has good ventilation. You may want to keep windows and doors open.
- Ask your partner or husband to clean the oven. Commercial oven cleaners are considered toxic and can harm your unborn baby. Plus, the oven is a tight space and does not offer good ventilation.
- Don't mix different chemicals (such as ammonia and bleach) together, because they can create dangerous fumes that can harm both you and your baby.
- Stay away from fumes. Not only are some fumes dangerous but they may also trigger nausea.
If you are worried about using commercial cleaners, you may want to use more natural products instead. For example, you can use baking soda to scrub greasy areas, pots and pans, bathtubs, and ovens. For countertops, you can mix distilled vinegar and water for an effective cleaner. Lemon juice is another natural substance that you can use as a cleaner.
Although using bleach and spray air fresheners is safe during pregnancy, some studies have linked them to your baby developing asthma in the future. You may want to avoid them, especially if their odor makes you nauseous.
Always use common sense when you clean at 17 weeks pregnant.
If you can, try to get your partner or husband to clean for you. Pregnancy is a wonderful time for dad to be involved in the household chores!
Read About Your Pregnancy Week by Week - 18 Weeks Pregnant
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