17 weeks

• How big is your baby now? Spread one of your hands wide open and take a good look. Your baby is about the same size. From the top of his head to the bottom of his buttocks, he's about 11 to 12 cm (4.4 to 4.8 in) long and, over the last two weeks, his weight has doubled to about 100 g (3.5 oz).

• This week your baby starts to develop fat, which will play a crucial role in his metabolism and the production of body heat. At this point in your baby's development, about 85 percent of his body is composed of water and less than one per cent is made up of fat. Over the coming weeks, he'll put on plenty more fat and by the time he's born, almost 70 percent of his body will be made up of fat.

Have you felt your baby move yet? If not, you will soon, but you may not recognize the sensation as a movement of your baby. It may feel like a gas bubble, a fluttering, or even like a fish tail swishing back and forth inside your uterus.

As your baby continues to develop, his movements will become stronger and you'll feel them more often. But don't expect to feel him move every day yet. Not only does he rest quietly without moving for several hours at a time, but he sleeps inside your uterus, too.

And as he continues to grow, your body will continue to change. You're probably more noticeably pregnant now, with a round mound around your lower abdomen. Chances are you've gained about 5 to 10 pounds since the beginning of your pregnancy.

This weight gain is normal and healthy for you and your baby. Women gain an average of 25 to 35 pounds while they're pregnant, though weight gain varies widely from pregnancy to pregnancy. As the following chart shows, most of the pounds you put on aren't fat at all.

The average pregnancy weight gain is comprised of:

Maternal Fat Stores - 7 pounds
Baby - 7½ pounds Increased Fluids Volume - 4 pounds
Uterus - 2 pounds
Amniotic Fluid - 2 pounds
Breast Enlargement - 2 pounds
Placenta - 1½ pounds

 

...it's important not to skip an appointment with your medical caregiver?

What's up with all those tests your caregiver does at each appointment anyway? Here's the lowdown:

Sizing Up Your Uterus
Get set for a belly check. Your caregiver measures the size of your uterus to track the growth and position of your baby and ensure that he is growing normally. If the measurements are smaller or larger than normal, it may indicate that your due date is wrong, your baby's growth is delayed, or you're carrying more than one baby!

Blood Pressure & Weight
Your caregiver monitors your blood pressure and your weight at every appointment to make sure you're not developing any complications, such as pre-eclampsia (pregnancy-induced high blood pressure), which if left untreated may lead to serious problems for you and your baby. S

Urine Test
Not another urine test! Your caregiver asks you for a urine sample at each visit to check for high levels of protein - a sign of pre-eclampsia (see above) - and sugar. Although it's normal for the level of sugar to increase in your urine during pregnancy, if it remains high for a for a few consecutive checkups, it may indicate that you're developing gestational diabetes - pregnancy-induced high blood sugar that usually disappears after the birth of the baby.

Baby's Heartbeat
Your caregiver will also monitor your baby's heart rate to ensure it's in the normal fetal range - 120 to 160 beats per minute.