Week 17

Development of 17 weeks fetus

How does the 17-week fetus develop?

The baby is now the size of a radish, weighs about 150g and is about 12cm long from head to toe.

Your baby's most powerful part of this time is probably the placenta . The mother's placenta has now developed thousands of blood vessels to optimize the fetal nourishment function with nutrients, oxygen and eliminate waste for the baby.

A change in the mother's body at 17 weeks of pregnancy

How does the mother's body change?

You may notice that your breasts have changed significantly since the start of your 17th week pregnancy. More and more milk glands are developing to prepare your baby to breastfeed. This can increase the mother's breast size and make the veins so prominent that they can be seen. Choose bras the right size for each stage of fetal development .

What are the things you need to pay attention to?

Mom can feel hot and sweat a lot these days. This is because hormones are increasing blood flow to the skin; Besides, the metabolism during the 17th week of pregnancy also increases strongly and makes the mother always feel extremely wet.

Doctor's advice about 17 week pregnancy

What should mom tell the doctor?

Sometimes you feel dizzy and extremely worried about it? Please calm down, this is not a dangerous phenomenon. In fact, it's a fairly common symptom that almost always appears when you're 17 weeks pregnant.

When you feel dizzy, lie on your left side and raise your leg as high as possible; Or she could sit down and put her head between her knees. Take a deep breath and loosen any cramped clothing.

As soon as you feel better, eat and drink a little and let your doctor know about this dizziness at your next visit. Fainting in practice is very rare, but if you do, see your doctor right away.

What tests do you need to know?

Depending on the specific needs of the mother and the doctor's examination, the mother will be performed the following tests and tests:

Measure your weight and blood pressure

Check for sugar and protein in the urine

Check the fetal heart rate

Check the size of the uterus by touching the outside

Measure the height from the base of the uterus

Check to see if mother's hands and feet are swollen or varicose veins

Tell your doctor about any symptoms your mother experienced, especially any unusual symptoms

Ask questions or issues you want to discuss. You should make a list of questions before the exam date.

Maternal and fetal health at 17 weeks

What do you need to know to ensure safety during pregnancy?

1. X-ray

It is usually quite safe to have an X-ray during 17 weeks pregnancy . However, the safe level will depend on the type of X-rays the mother needs to take and the amount of radiation she will be exposed to.

Most x-ray tests usually do not cause any serious effects on the mother's fetus. It is a proven truth. However, mothers need to know that too much radiation exposure and exposure to high intensity radiation will increase the risk of disease for the baby.

When the fetus is exposed to X-rays of more than 10 radians, the risk of mental retardation and diseases that cause the baby's eyes to become abnormal increases. Don't worry, because in very rare cases X-ray tests exceed 5 radians.

2. High body temperature 

Mom will feel hot and sweaty these days. This is one of the consequences when pregnancy hormones in the mother's body increase.

To always feel cool, mothers should avoid exercising outside in the hot sun during the day. Take a walk before breakfast or after a meal when it is cool and comfortable. You can also take fitness classes at an air-conditioned fitness center. Whatever you choose, please pay attention to stop exercising immediately before you feel too hot!