Welcome to week seventeen!
You should be having an anatomy scan in a couple weeks to evaluate how your baby is growing.
If you don’t already know the gender, you will most likely also find out the sex of your baby at that ultrasound which is always exciting! It is a very detailed exam, and you will be surprised to see how much he/she has grown and how busy they are! If you are someone who is having a hard time believing that your pregnancy is real, that ultrasound should do it!
You should be having an anatomy scan in a couple weeks to evaluate how your baby is growing.
How my Baby Grows
- Your baby is about the size of a pear by the 17th week
- The soft cartilage is now hardening into bone and your baby is moving joints and skeleton
- The umbilical cord is lengthening now which allows baby more freedom to move, this lifeline between baby and mom is a cord of three vessels held together by gelatinous tissue
- There is a single vein that carries blood with oxygen and nutrients to the baby
- And two arteries that carry blood from the baby back to mom with waste material like carbon dioxide
Symptoms Mama may Feel or Experience
- Thankfully, for most women nausea and vomiting is a thing of the past
- If you stand sideways now in front of a mirror, you can see your bump as it grows
- Some women experience varicose veins which show up on their legs and even in vulvar tissue, support/compression stockings will help with this if it is bothersome, they will worsen by the end of the pregnancy and generally resolve during the postpartum period
- You may have noticed that you have more constipation than you are used to and should treat that early with stool softeners
- Eating a diet rich in fiber will help with constipation
- Of course, your intake of water is also important
- Exercise will also help get your bowels moving
- Sometimes due to anemia that is common with pregnancy you are asked to add an iron supplement which is also constipating
- It is best to work at being regular to avoid abdominal cramping and painful bowel movements
Thoughts to Consider
- You may be wondering how long through the pregnancy you should work
- Generally, we feel that working and continuing your normal activities is good for the following reasons:
- Being around people, staying active and doing normal activities like work can be good for your emotional state, especially if you really enjoy your work
- Working during the pregnancy will more likely give you extra weeks with your baby if you are planning to go back to work
- It can help you financially so that you are better prepared for all your needs while you are out of work
- Of course, there are some jobs that require restrictions because they are unsafe for you to perform during pregnancy and your doctor or midwife can write a letter describing the necessary restrictions such as:
- A job that requires you perform heavy lifting
- Or, one that could expose you to potentially dangerous chemicals
- There may be other reasons specific to what you do each day that you would discuss with your provider
- Most offices have a “general restrictions” letter that they can provide for you when you find out that you are pregnant, and it is good to take this letter to your human resource office early in the pregnancy so that when assignments are made your pregnancy is not a surprise to them and accommodations are made
- After you have your baby, the normal time out of work to recover is 6 weeks for a vaginal birth and 8 weeks for a cesarean section because of additional time needed to heal
Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy
- It may be time for your dental appointment if you have not had one during the pregnancy and this is an important exam to receive if due
- It is safe and recommended that you keep your every 6-month dental cleaning appointment
- You should always let your dentist or hygienist know that you are pregnant or even think that you might be pregnant, and what medications you are taking
- Regular brushing and flossing continue to be important in preventing dental disease
- All health care professionals who care for women agree that dental exams during pregnancy are important appointments
- Most work that needs to be done is safe during pregnancy and your dentist will communicate what he/she wants to do to your provider, assuring that it is safe
- You will be happy to know that the safety of local anesthesia (numbing medicine) is well studied and considered safe to use during pregnancy
- It is also safe to have dental x-rays during pregnancy if needed as the radiation is extremely low and your dentist or hygienist will cover you with a lead apron for additional protection
- Hormonal changes of pregnancy may cause inflammation and tenderness of your gums, if you notice this it is a good idea to discuss it with your dentist or dental hygienist
- Don’t forget your 64-80 oz daily water intake, you need it now more than ever
