Location:  Home » Pregnancy Week By Week                                     

  Print   |    Bookmark 

11/15/2008 - by Anne Marie Nielson
  
Pregnancy Week 17

You're Pregnant! Week 17

With morning sickness a distant memory for many of you, your appetite may really kick into gear. You may be fine one moment, and ravenous the next. Keep healthy snacks with you at all times so you can grab a quick bite. Nutrition is important for remaining healthy during pregnancy and for growing a healthy baby. Stopping for fast food won't hurt occasionally, but don't make it a daily habit. If you have been found anemic, eating foods high in iron can help. Organ meats, seafood like shrimp and clams, turkey, enriched cereals, beans, pumpkin seeds and blackstrap molasses can help with anemia and add a lot of nutrition to your diet. Supplements may or may not be effective depending on what type of iron they are. Some are more easily absorbed by the body than others. Iron supplements can be particularly binding as well, and may cause constipation. If you do end up taking supplements, be sure to eat plenty of fiber and drink enough fluids to prevent that from happening.

YOUR BABY

Baby's organs are continuing to grow and develop. That lanugo hair we mentioned a few weeks back is now hard at work holding vernix onto your baby's skin. Vernix is a white, waxy or cheesy substance that protects your baby's skin from being submerged for so long. Most babies have lost most of their vernix and lanugo by the time they are born. The small amount that is left is great to rub into baby's tender skin, as it tends to dry out once exposed to the air. Your baby starts adding brown fat to his or her body, which will help them regulate their temperature after they are born. Baby has grown to around 6 inches long and weighs close to seven ounces.

YOUR BODY

Your uterus has grown out of your pelvis by now, and may be putting some pressure on your stomach. This can cause heartburn as some of the gastric juices may get pushed up into your esophagus. This burning sensation can be merely annoying or quite painful. Antacids like Tums can help. Celery also cools down your esophagus, relieving the burning. Some women recommend almonds for heartburn, as well. Break your meals into several small ones throughout the day. This will keep your stomach happy, but not overfull, when heartburn is more likely to occur. You may want to prop yourself up a little higher at night, since it can also occur while you are lying down.

You may want to add a short afternoon nap to your agenda if you're feeling tired. Like during the first trimester, as you get larger, you may find yourself feeling a bit tired in the afternoon. A short nap can help rejuvenate you and meet the needs placed on your body by the growing baby. Putting your feet up will help your circulation, too. As pregnancy progresses, your smooth muscles (like veins, small intestines, etc) will become less effective. Putting your feet up will help return blood and fluid from your feet and legs to the core of your body.

At From Pregnancy To Baby, we try to provide you with all of the latest information about going through your pregnancy from your first trimester to the first years of your new babies life. We also provide the highest quality books and products to help you through that time.

Source: http://www.frompregnancytobaby.com/pregnancy-week-17.html