Time to grow and mature

How is your baby growing?

Your baby's proportions change in the 17th week of pregnancy. Their arms and legs are getting longer, while their head is growing more slowly in comparison. Your baby now has its own fingerprints – so it is clearly recognizable ;-) Your baby can curl up and stretch out and kick with its arms and legs. You may have already noticed this, because in first pregnancies, the baby's movements are usually felt between the 16th and 24th weeks of gestation.

Your baby's skin is still transparent because it has little subcutaneous fat. From the 17th week of pregnancy, your baby slowly begins to gain a little fat. This layer of fat will later serve to regulate body temperature.  

How is your belly growing?

Your uterus continues to grow, putting more and more pressure on the large ligaments (uterine ligaments). You may feel this as a slight to painful pulling sensation to the right and left of your navel and in your groin/back area. This varies greatly from woman to woman.   
The hormone estrogen is responsible for the production of melanin, the pigment in the skin. Because estrogen levels are elevated throughout pregnancy, freckles, spots, and/or pigmentation spots may appear. You may also notice something on your belly: most expectant mothers develop a dark line in the center of their belly. This line is called the 'Linea nigra' and may remind you of a teddy bear's belly button. Don't worry: all areas of skin with intense pigmentation usually fade or disappear completely after giving birth.  

To ensure your baby is well nourished, more blood is now flowing through your veins. You may have already noticed this increased blood circulation because you sweat more quickly. Your increased body weight also contributes to this. 
Now it is important to pay attention to the balance of minerals in your body. This is because you can 'lose' valuable minerals through sweating.  

Adequate iron intake is particularly important now, in the 17th week of pregnancy, as this requirement doubles during pregnancy. 
You will be checked regularly for this during your preventive examinations. However, if you feel tired, have headaches, feel exhausted, have lost your appetite, and suffer from insomnia, it would be a good idea to have your iron levels checked again.
You can significantly contribute to the iron balance in your body through your diet, for example by eating lots of green vegetables, red meat, and red juices. Here you will find good and tasty recipes that can help you cope with iron deficiency during pregnancy.

What makes you grow as a family?

Especially during pregnancy, you can maintain your favorite habits. 

If you like to take a hot bath—even with your partner—there is no problem. Just pay attention to the temperature and duration of the bath. The water should not be too hot (around 33–34 °C) and the bath should be limited to 10–15 minutes.

You can also continue to go to the sauna. In this case, the same applies: stay in the sauna cabin for a maximum of 10 minutes and sit at the bottom, where it is not too hot.  

If you suffer from calf cramps at night, this is due to magnesium, which you now need more of. A gentle massage of the cramped muscles, alternating showers, and stretching as preventive measures can help. You can find information on how to add magnesium to your diet and other tips in our guide.