Week 17: Double the Beat

It's week 17 and your baby's heart is beating twice as fast as yours

By Dr Janice TUNG, Associate Consultant and Associate Professor Tan Thiam Chye, Visiting Consultant, , Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, KK Women's and Children's Hospital

fresh carrots

What's Happening to Your Baby?

Your baby is between 126 and 154g this week, is the size of a carrot, and even has individual fingerprints on those tiny fingers. Your wee one's precious heart is now regulated by the brain and beating twice as fast as yours. Your little dear is gearing up for the first breastfeed by practising sucking and swallowing. The skeleton is also hardening from soft cartilage to bone as the body develops and grows stronger every day.

What's Happening to You?

You might be experiencing an increase in vaginal discharge during week 17 but don't worry – this thin, milky-white substance is called leukorrhea, and is totally normal during pregnancy. Have you been having vivid dreams lately? That seems to be quite common and is a result of your body coping with interrupted sleep cycles and raging hormones. Around this time you might feel your baby move for the first time, which can feel like a build-up of gas or fluttering in your belly. But don't worry if you can't feel much movement yet — this will likely increase with each new week.

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This article was last reviewed on 22 Nov 2023