During the week-by-week pregnancy process, you have entered the 17th week of pregnancy. Your baby's development both excites and makes you curious. So, what happens in the 17th week of pregnancy, what awaits you? What are the 17-week baby's height and weight? What does a 17-week baby look like?

Yeditepe University Hospitals Gynecology and Obstetrics Department Head and IVF Specialist Prof. Dr. Erkut Attar answered.

How Big is a 17-Week Baby?

At week 17, your baby's head-to-butt length has reached 13 cm, and weighs 140 grams. Your baby is the size of an avocado.

Baby Development at 17 Weeks of Pregnancy

During this period, fingerprints continue to develop, and the hearing continues to develop. Toenails also begin to form. The size of the head and body become more harmonious this week. The eyes have moved to the 
front of the face and are looking forward. As the baby grows, the umbilical cord between it and the placenta grows and thickens.

Image of a 16-17 Weeks-Old Baby

1 Question | 1 Answer about Pregnancy

• I often have bad dreams after I got pregnant. My friends say it is normal. Is there a scientific explanation for this?

After the second half of pregnancy, several problems arise due to the hormonal and physiological changes caused by pregnancy. The increased blood pumping causes more urine, and the pressure of the uterus on the bladder causes more frequent urination. The growing uterus pushes the diaphragm, heart, and lungs upwards, the heart rate increases and breathing becomes constricted. The nagging reflux in the stomach is added to back pain, lower back pain, and leg cramps. All these unpleasant stimuli not only wake the expectant mother but also change the content of the dream, sometimes turning it into a nightmare. Most dream material consists of elements or symbols that normally have to be expelled from the subconscious mind and which, if they cannot be expelled, cause discomfort. Expectant mothers who drop, forget or lose their babies in their dreams, who transform them into strange creatures and are terrified by them, should not be interpreted but should be told that these are only the result of the physiological changes the mother is going through. Most of the problems will be solved by themselves if quality sleep is ensured with some simple but rational methods, such as not eating heavy and fatty foods after a certain time in the evening, a bedroom with plenty of oxygen, and relaxation exercises.