Parenting

Pregnancy Week Seventeen - Pregnancy Week by Week - Pregnancy Calendar

By Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, About.com Guide

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Mother:

Your uterus is now about halfway between your pubic bone and navel. Your secretions all over your body may increase, due to the increased blood volume. So if you are sweating more, have nasal congestion, or are suffering from increased vaginal discharge this is nothing to worry about and will go away after the birth of the baby.

Baby:

Your baby is forming brown fat deposits under his or her skin, by the end of pregnancy this will account for 2-6% of their total body weight. This will help them maintain their body temperature when they are born. The baby weighs in at about 5 ounces (142 grams). This means that the baby now weighs more than the placenta. No new structures have formed.

Loud noises outside may actually cause the baby to startle.

Dad/Partner:

Do you know if there are any expectant dad classes in your area? You might try calling the hospital, birth center or local childbirth educators to find out what is offered in your location.

Readers Share:

Childbirth classes can offer women and their families so much. But some women seem really down on their childbirth classes. My take is that they didn't have the right class or a good class. So tell me, what does a good childbirth class look like? What do you learn? What is the class environment like? How many students? What kind of resources?

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Twin Tips:

Make sure you're getting about 120 grams of protein a day for twins, more for higher order multiples. It's not as hard as it might seem. A quick peanut butter sandwich, or an egg can help boost those numbers up there. Some women find that protein powders added to other meals is easier for them.