This is the time when you should start relaxing and enjoying the fact that you will soon have a little one in the house with you. It is a long way to look forward to another 24 weeks, but you need to rest as much as possible because you will need it in the weeks to come. This is a great time to get out and about meeting other pregnant women and learning from them.



At sixteen weeks the baby weighs about four ounces and is about five and half inches long. You will start feeling life inside at this point as the baby moves and reaches for the umbilical cord.

First time mothers may not realize that the fluttering feelings in their stomach are the movements of the baby. However, once you realize that they are becoming more frequent, if you don't know what is happening, all you have to do is ask someone who is farther along in the pregnancy or a woman who has had children.

The baby movements are starting to become more coordinated. The head is not as large as it was in previous weeks and is now more in proportion with the rest of the body. The fingernails and toenails are growing by this week as well. The lungs are starting to develop and although the baby can breathe air yet, it does inhale and exhale the amniotic fluid.

The 17th week is the one in which the doctor will order some tests. This includes a glucose test to see how well your body can manage a high dose of sugar when you drink a really sweet mixture. If you pass this test, you won have to worry about gestational diabetes and follow a special diet. Another of the tests your doctor will order at this time is a blood test to see whether you are Rh positive or negative. If you are Rh negative, you will need to have a needle during the 28th week.

One of the most noticeable changes during the 17th week is that you will have aches and pains in your abdomen if you make any sudden movements. You may also have achy pains in your hips and buttocks and in your sides. This is because the ligaments and muscles are stretching to make room for the uterus to expand as the baby grows. Many mothers first think they are experiencing slight contractions, but these aches and pains are normal.

You are prone to infection when you are pregnant. When you do eat meat make sure it is thoroughly cooked so that you can avoid becoming ill or contracting a virus. You can also contract a virus if you have cats as pets when you change the litter or spend any amount of time with them. During your pregnancy it is better to have someone else in your household to take over changing the litter.