At 17 weeks your baby is approximately 5 inches long from crown to rump, and weighs approximately 5 ounces(about as much as a turnip, a large onion or a pomegranate).
Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord – its lifeline to the placenta – is growing stronger and thicker. Baby can move its joints, and the sweat glands are starting to develop. Baby's sense of hearing is making big strides this week. The ears are close to being fully formed and it’s starting to be able to hear your voice. Fat stores are beginning to develop under your baby's skin. This provides energy and will help keep your little one warm (and cute) after birth. Baby's heart is now regulated by the brain (no more random beats) and is churning out 140 to 150 beats per minute — about twice as fast as yours. Your little one is refining sucking and swallowing techniques for the day he first(and second…and third) suckle at your breast or the bottle. In fact, most of the survival reflexes your baby will have at birth are being perfected in utero right now. Also worth noting: The placenta is almost as big as your baby. It provides vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, and oxygen, along with removing waste and filtering carbon dioxide. Precious Images will now be able to tell you if you are having a girl, or a boy, if you want to know!!
Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. This information is to give you a general idea of your baby's size.
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