Month 5 - 2nd Trimester

Your pregnancy at 17 weeks

Important developments are taking place within your baby's nervous system this week. A fatty substance called myelin is started to coat his spinal cord. This will help to speed up messages from his nerves to his brain.

Your baby's hearing is getting better. If you play music, he may react to it by moving around. You may even start to feel him bopping along in the next few weeks.

Pregnancy symptoms at 17 weeks

A dark line may be emerging down the centre of your belly. This is called the linea nigra, although not all pregnant women get it. It’s a harmless side-effect of pregnancy, and it usually fades after birth. It's caused by pigmentation in your skin accumulating where your tummy muscles are being stretched.

You may have also noticed your nipples and the surrounding skin (areola) getting darker too. This is due to increased blood supply to your breasts. Once you have your baby, they may remain slightly darker than they were before you were pregnant.

Dark patches that appear on your neck, hands or face are called chloasma. Two thirds of mums-to-be will have chloasma during their pregnancy, so you're not alone. It happens because your body is making more of the hormone melanin, which tans your skin to protect it against the sun. These patches, along with the linea nigra, will probably have faded by the time your baby's about three months old.

What you need to know at 17 weeks pregnant

No matter how much you or your partner earn, your family finances will change once your baby arrives. Looking for easy ways to save money now gives you plenty of time to put away extra cash.

Try to cut down on your everyday expenses, such as food shopping, and look for ways to reduce your energy and water bills. And find out what benefits and tax credits the government offers, to help you with the cost of raising a family.

Your pregnancy at 18 weeks

This week, your baby's ears reach their final position on the sides of her head. Her tiny eyebrows are taking shape, and the muscles around her eyes begin to twitch.

If you're having a girl, her vagina, womb (uterus), and fallopian tubes have now formed. If you're having a boy, his testicles are moving down from his pelvis, and his penis is defined.

Pregnancy symptoms at 18 weeks

The uncomfortable feeling you sometimes get after eating is probably indigestion, a very common side-effect of pregnancy.

Pregnancy hormones relax the muscles in your body, including your digestive system, making digestion slow and sluggish. As your baby grows bigger, your stomach is pushed up, making it easier for stomach acids to come up into your gullet, resulting in heartburn.

Try keeping indigestion and heartburn at bay by having smaller meals throughout the day, avoiding rich or fatty foods, and sitting upright after eating. If your symptoms are particularly bad at night, try cutting out evening snacks.

Or you could give gravity a helping hand, and ask your partner or a friend to raise the head of your mattress with some cushions or rolled up towels. Try to find a position where you can still sleep on your side though. By the third trimester, side-sleeping reduces the risk of stillbirth.

What you need to know at 18 weeks pregnant

You may start to feel your baby moving any day now. If this is your first pregnancy, you may not realise what you're feeling at first. Early movements may feel like tiny bubbles popping in your tummy, or a fluttering sensation.

You may even mistake your baby's first wriggles for a rumbling tummy! In a few weeks, there will be no mistaking your baby’s movements, as they become stronger and more defined.

Your pregnancy at 19 weeks

This is a crucial time for the development of your baby's senses. The nerve cells that will help him to understand the world around him are growing in specialised areas of his brain.

Your baby's limbs are now in proportion to the rest of his body. He's busy kicking and flexing his arms and legs, and you may even get to see him in action at your anomaly scan.

Pregnancy symptoms at 19 weeks

The aching in your lower belly is nothing to be alarmed about. The tissues holding your womb (uterus) in place are known as the round ligaments. As your bump gets bigger, these ligaments stretch to support it and can become tense. This tension is what causes cramps and aches.

It's normal for your ligaments to be more painful on one side of your body. Although you may think that your womb sits in the middle of your body, it actually rotates to the right as it gets bigger. This means you're more likely to have pains on your right side.

What you need to know at 19 weeks pregnant

You need more iron in your diet now that you’re pregnant. Your body uses iron to make haemoglobin, a substance that helps your blood to carry oxygen around your body. If you don't have enough iron, your haemoglobin levels will drop. This is called iron-deficiency anaemia, and it can be harmful to your baby if it's left untreated.

Eating plenty of iron-rich foods such as red meat, poultry, fish, lentils, leafy green vegetables and fortified cereals, will help ensure your iron stores are healthy. You should also include vitamin C in your diet, as it helps your body to absorb iron. Oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruit and potatoes are all packed with vitamin C.

You don't need to take iron supplements unless your GP or midwife prescribes them for you. They can give you unpleasant side-effects such as constipation, tummy ache and nausea, so it's best to take them only if you really need them.