Pregnancy calendar - week 17

Your baby’s development

Your baby is now about 13 cm long and weighs 140 grams. The kidneys are now working well, so like you, baby is urinating several times per day. The foetal urine is filtered back to you through the placenta and is managed by your body. Your baby’s hearing is also getting much better, so you may notice that they respond to sudden loud noises from the outside world.

You & your body

Constipation during pregnancy is a common problem caused by an increase of the hormone progesterone. This hormone slows down the intestine by softening the muscles and constipation may be more troublesome from now on in your pregnancy, especially as your baby gets bigger. A diet rich in fibre can help, including foods such as kiwifruit and prunes. Include high-fibre food at every meal and try to snack on fruit and vegetables between meals.

Adding fruit to your breakfast cereal makes a good fibre-packed breakfast and during the rest of the day, you can top it up with wholegrain bread, wholemeal pasta, pulses, or perhaps a jacket potato. Remember that plenty of fluids are vital to ensure that you avoid constipation, so have at least 6-8 glasses of fluid (ideally water) throughout the day.