What is happening in week 17
Doctors count pregnancy weeks from the first day of your last period, so week 17 sits in the second trimester (week 14 to week 27). That is about 23 weeks to go until week 40, and about 3.9 months by a rough conversion. In week 17 the baby is about 12cm long, can react to loud noises and is growing fingernails.
Your baby
The NHS guide gives about 12cm, roughly a pomegranate. The baby can move its eyes behind closed lids, react to loud noises and open and close the mouth. Fingernails are starting to grow and each baby has unique fingerprints.
Your body
Your waist may start to disappear as the womb rises out of the pelvis. The NHS says many women first notice movement between 18 and 24 weeks, as bubbling, fluttering or rolling. Stretch marks affect up to 8 in 10 women and usually fade after birth.
This week’s to-do
- Start thinking about where you would like to give birth and discuss options with your doctor.
- Notice when the baby moves; the NHS says movements may increase after meals or when you relax.
- Keep up pelvic floor exercises and gentle exercise.
When to call
Call your doctor or hospital if you have any vaginal bleeding, or if symptoms become hard to manage.
Chaitanya Hospital in Kadapa, near RTC Bus Stand, Simhapuri Colony, provides delivery and emergency care 24/7. Our antenatal check-ups team can answer questions about your own pregnancy.
Use the week-by-week guide to jump to your week, or the due date calculator to work out your dates. Timings for scans and tests come from NHS guidance in the UK and can differ from your doctor’s schedule, so always follow your own doctor’s advice. This page is educational and not a substitute for a doctor.
Sources
Text on this page is paraphrased from the sources above. Sizes are averages and vary between babies.