17 weeks pregnant: fetal development

Medically reviewed by Joseph Aquilina, Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist

Your baby is now almost 13cm from head to bottom (crown to rump) and weighs the same as a turnip, about 140g (Hill 2019).

Your baby's fingerprints and toeprints continue to develop their unique swirls and patterns (NHS 2018, Visembryo nda), and his ears are developing every day (Hill 2019).

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Your baby's recent growth means his head and body are more in proportion than they were in earlier weeks (Hill 2019, Visembryo ndb). His eyes have moved in from the side of his head to be forward-facing (Moore et al 2019, Visembryo nda).

His skeleton is continuing to harden from rubbery cartilage to bone (Moore et al 2019). As he gets bigger, the umbilical cord, his lifeline to your placenta, grows stronger and thicker (Visembryo nda).

Find out how your life and your body are changing this week with our guide to 17 weeks of pregnancy.

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Note: Every baby develops differently. This page is designed to give you a general idea of how a fetus grows in the uterus.

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Sources

BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organisations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.

Hill MA. 2019. Fetal development. University of New South Wales, Embryology. embryology.med.unsw.edu.auOpens a new window [Accessed March 2020]

Moore KL, Persaud TVN, Torchia MG. 2019. Fetal period: ninth week to birth. Chapter 6 in The developing human: clinically oriented embryology. 11th ed. Elsevier

NHS. 2018. You and your baby at 17 weeks pregnant. NHS, Health A-Z. www.nhs.ukOpens a new window [Accessed March 2020]

Visembryo. nda. 16 wks post fertilization: fingerprints and toe prints begin. The Visible Embryo. www.visembryo.comOpens a new window [Accessed March 2020]

Visembryo. ndb. 14 wks post fertilization: fetal sexual organs are now clearly visible. The Visible Embryo. www.visembryo.comOpens a new window [Accessed March 2020]

Megan Rive

Megan Rive is a communication, content strategy and project delivery specialist. She was Babycenter editor for six years.

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