Week 17.

How Far Along: 17w5d

Total Weight Gain: 4lbs

Maternity Clothes:2 pairs of maternity pants and definately going to be buying some maternity shirts very soon!

Gender: Next THURSDAY!!!!

Movement: felt a flip today! :)

Food Craving: Arby's is still going strong!

What I miss: Be a little wreckless.

Sleep: Is being deeply cherished right now...I know I will miss it come December.

What I am looking forward to: Thursday morning!

Big Sister: I super excited to find out what the baby is!!

ABOUT WEEK 17:

You are 17 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 15 weeks)
•The umbilical cord is growing thicker and stronger.
•Fetus weight is just over 5 ounces (150g).
•Baby is about 5 inches (14cm) long crown to rump.
•and would be about 9 inches (23cm) head to toe, if it could stretch out.
•The retina has become sensitive to light.
•The first stools (meconium) are now beginning to accumulate.
They recycle the amniotic fluid by swallowing up to a litre a day. Meconium (composed of products of cell loss, digestive secretion and swallowed amniotic fluid), is accumulating in the bowel. Fat stores begin to develop under your baby's skin this week. The fat will provide energy and help keep your baby warm after birth.

Baby's eyes are looking forward now, but they are still firmly closed. The skeleton is tranforming from cartilage to bone. The bones remain flexible to make the journey through the birth canal easier. You can feel your uterus just below your bellybutton. If you put your fingers sideways and measure, it is about two finger-widths (1 inch) below your bellybutton. Your uterus is the size of a cantaloupe.

The crown to rump length of your growing baby is 5 to 5.6 inches (12.5 to 14cm) by this week. Weight of the fetus is about 5.25 ounces (150g).