position of baby at 17 weeks pregnant?

Week-by-week guide to pregnancy
group of pregnant women
When you're pregnant, you have lots of questions. Our week-by-week pregnancy guide is packed with lots of useful information. From what's happening inside your body, to how your baby is developing, and tips and advice on having a healthy pregnancy – this is your one-stop pregnancy guide!

1st trimester
2nd trimester
3rd trimester

2nd trimester

Our week-by-week pregnancy guide is full of essential information. From staying fit in pregnancy to advice on your maternity rights, you'll find it all here.

Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Week 17
Week 18
Week 19
Week 20
Week 21
Week 22
Week 23
Week 24
Week 25
Week 26
Week 27

Week 17 – your 2nd trimester

You might start to feel your baby move now. You will not be able to tell exactly what your baby's up to, but soon you could be feeling every kick, punch, hiccup and somersault.
What's happening in my body?

Week by week, your baby's getting bigger, and so is your placenta, which is feeding your baby and also removing waste. By the end of your pregnancy the placenta will weigh around 500g, which is as heavy as a packet of pasta.

Your waist will start to vanish as your womb moves up and out of your pelvis. This will make you look more obviously pregnant.

Around 1 in 10 women feel stressed or anxious during their pregnancy, and hormones can make even small problems feel overwhelming. If you feel sad or worried, talk to your doctor or midwife – there's a big support network out there for you.
Your baby's movements

Many women spot the first signs of their baby moving between 18 and 24 weeks. Inside your tummy, you might feel:

bubbling
fluttering
rolling

You might find that your baby moves more:

after meals
when you listen to loud music
when you rub your tummy and talk to your baby
when you relaxing to go to sleep

Tommy's has information about baby movements in pregnancy.

Stretch marks

At some point, you might notice red or purple streaks over your stomach and breasts. You could also spot them on your bottom and thighs. These are stretch marks and affect up to 8 in 10 women.

They are usually caused by hormones and your skin stretching. They usually fade to silver and become much less noticeable after your baby is born.

Read more about stretch marks on the NHS website.

2nd trimester pregnancy symptoms (at 17 weeks)

You may be getting a few aches and pains as your bump gets bigger. Your symptoms should be manageable, but talk to your doctor or midwife if they're not.

Your signs of pregnancy could include:

tiredness and sleeping problems (week 19 has information about feeling tired)
swollen and bleeding gums (week 13 has information about gum health during pregnancy)
pains on the side of your belly, caused by your expanding womb (known as 'round ligament pains')
headaches
nosebleeds
bloating and constipation (read about bloating on week 16's page)
indigestion and heartburn (week 25 talks about digestive problems)
sore breasts
leg cramps
feeling hot
dizziness
swollen hands and feet
urine infections
vaginal infections (see week 15 for vaginal health)
darkened skin on your face or brown patches – this is known as chloasma or the "mask of pregnancy"
greasier, spotty skin
thicker and shinier hair

You may also experience symptoms from earlier weeks, such as:

morning sickness (read about dealing with morning sickness on week 6's page)
weird pregnancy cravings (read about pregnancy cravings on week 5's page)
a heightened sense of smell
mood swings (week 8's page has information on mood swings)
a white milky pregnancy discharge from your vagina and light spotting (seek medical advice for any bleeding)

Read Tommy's guide to common pregnancy symptoms.
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What does my baby look like?

Your baby, or foetus, is around 12cm long, from head to bottom, and weighs around 150g. That's roughly the size of a pomegranate and the weight of a ball of mozzarella.

Your baby can:

move their eyes, although they'll stay shut for now
react to loud noises
open and close their mouth

Your baby's fingernails are starting to grow and will have their own unique fingerprints. Even identical twins have different fingerprints.

Action stations

Have you decided where you'd like to give birth? Read more about choosing a hospital, midwife-led unit or home birth. Talk to your doctor or midwife about your local options. It's a big decision but you can always change your mind later.