How many months is 17 weeks pregnant?

17 weeks pregnant puts you in month 4 of pregnancy. Week 17 is the last week of that month, and month 5 starts at week 18. Providers count in weeks; months are approximate.

How big is the baby at 17 weeks?

At 17 weeks, the baby is about the size of a pomegranate, roughly 12 cm long and around 140 g. That is an average; healthy babies vary.

Can my baby feel me touching my stomach at 17 weeks?

No one knows for sure at this stage, because studies have looked at older babies. In a 2015 study that filmed 23 babies with 4D ultrasound between 21 and 33 weeks, the babies moved their arms, heads and mouths more when their mothers touched their bellies. That suggests babies can respond to touch by the later weeks of the second trimester. Stroking your bump now can still be a nice way to feel close to your baby.

Where is the uterus at 17 weeks?

At 17 weeks, the top of the uterus is usually between your belly button and the point halfway down to your pubic bone. It reaches the belly button at around 20 weeks. After that, your provider may measure your bump with a tape, and the result in centimetres roughly matches your weeks. Twins, fibroids, extra fluid or your build can make it measure bigger or smaller.

Are there symptoms of a boy or girl at 17 weeks?

No. Signs like a fast heart rate, bump shape or how sick you felt don't reliably show the baby's sex. When researchers compared early heart rates in 477 pregnancies, boys and girls averaged almost the same, about 155 and 152 beats per minute. You won't have long to wait: the anatomy scan, usually at 18 to 22 weeks, can often show the sex, as long as the baby is lying in a helpful way and you want to find out.

Is cramping normal at 17 weeks pregnant?

Mild cramps are usually harmless at 17 weeks. Most are round ligament pains from the growing uterus. Some people also start to notice Braxton Hicks contractions, which can begin in the second trimester. These are brief, irregular tightenings that feel like mild period cramps and stop when you walk or change position. Call your provider about cramps that get stronger or come at regular times, or that come with bleeding, fluid leaking, or a fever.

What are good signs at 17 weeks pregnant?

Reassuring signs include a heartbeat heard at your checkup, a bump that is slowly growing, and, for some, the first flutters of movement. Many people first notice movement between 18 and 24 weeks, so not feeling it yet is normal. Feeling well or unwell on a given day doesn't tell you much about how the baby is doing. Warning signs to report are bleeding, fluid leaking from the vagina, cramps that come regularly, or a fever.

17 Weeks Pregnant

At 17 weeks pregnant, your baby is roughly 12 to 13 cm from head to bottom, close to the size of a pomegranate. Fingernails are growing, and the fingertips carry prints that will be unique to your baby. The baby can move its eyes behind closed lids, open and close its mouth, and react to loud noises. For you, the waist is starting to disappear as the uterus grows up and out. This page covers where your uterus sits at 17 weeks, what a scan now can and can't show, whether your baby can feel you touch your belly, and what cramps usually mean at this stage.

What trimester is 17 weeks?

Week 17 is in the second trimester, which runs from week 13 to week 27 (NHS). It is week 5 of 15 in this trimester, and the third trimester starts at week 28.

Week 17 — second trimester, month 4; 23 weeks to go until your due date.
Baby's size — about a pomegranate, ~12 cm.

Not sure it's 17 weeks? Try our due date calculator.

How big is your baby at 17 weeks?

Size of a

pomegranate

Length, head to bottom

~12 cm

Weight

~140 g

Up from a avocado last week to a pomegranate now.

Baby development at week 17

Body fat begins to form, which will help regulate temperature after birth. The skeleton is shifting from soft cartilage to harder bone, and the umbilical cord is growing thicker and stronger. Sweat glands are developing, and the fetus is practising sucking and swallowing. About the size of a pomegranate.

What an ultrasound shows at 17 weeks

Most pregnancies have no planned scan at 17 weeks. The anatomy scan usually comes next, at about 18 to 22 weeks. If you're scanned now, for example because of bleeding, it can show the whole baby moving, the spine and limbs, and the heartbeat. The skeleton is still changing from soft cartilage into bone.

Twins who share a placenta follow a closer schedule. They are usually scanned every 2 weeks from 16 weeks, so 17 weeks falls between checks. These scans track each baby's growth and look for signs that blood is being shared unevenly between them, a problem called twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. Twins with separate placentas are scanned less often, with growth scans usually every 4 weeks from 24 weeks.

Between visits, it can be tempting to buy a home heartbeat monitor. The NHS advises against this, because a home Doppler is not a reliable way to check your baby's health. The FDA says these devices should only be used by trained staff when there's a medical need. If you're worried about your baby, call your provider instead.

Your body at 17 weeks

Stronger appetite
Possible dizziness from blood-pressure changes
Increased vaginal discharge
Vivid dreams

Your belly at 17 weeks

At 17 weeks, the uterus is growing up and out of your pelvis, so many people notice their waist starting to fill in. In a first pregnancy, the bump may still be modest. If you've been pregnant before, or are carrying twins, it's often clearly visible. How big you look also depends on your height, build and belly muscles, so it says little about the baby's size.

Stretch marks may start to show as the skin over your bump stretches. They affect up to 8 in 10 pregnant women and are linked to pregnancy hormones as well as stretching. They usually fade to faint, silvery lines after the birth.

Tips for week 17

Move slowly when standing to avoid dizziness
Stay hydrated and eat regularly to keep blood sugar steady
Any comfortable sleep position is fine for now, but avoid lying flat on your back for long spells

17 Weeks Pregnant: your questions

What trimester is 17 weeks?: Week 17 is in the second trimester, which runs from week 13 to week 27 (NHS). It is week 5 of 15 in this trimester, and the third trimester starts at week 28.
How many months is 17 weeks pregnant?: 17 weeks pregnant puts you in month 4 of pregnancy. Week 17 is the last week of that month, and month 5 starts at week 18. Providers count in weeks; months are approximate.
How big is the baby at 17 weeks?: At 17 weeks, the baby is about the size of a pomegranate, roughly 12 cm long and around 140 g. That is an average; healthy babies vary.
Can my baby feel me touching my stomach at 17 weeks?: No one knows for sure at this stage, because studies have looked at older babies. In a 2015 study that filmed 23 babies with 4D ultrasound between 21 and 33 weeks, the babies moved their arms, heads and mouths more when their mothers touched their bellies. That suggests babies can respond to touch by the later weeks of the second trimester. Stroking your bump now can still be a nice way to feel close to your baby.
Where is the uterus at 17 weeks?: At 17 weeks, the top of the uterus is usually between your belly button and the point halfway down to your pubic bone. It reaches the belly button at around 20 weeks. After that, your provider may measure your bump with a tape, and the result in centimetres roughly matches your weeks. Twins, fibroids, extra fluid or your build can make it measure bigger or smaller.
Are there symptoms of a boy or girl at 17 weeks?: No. Signs like a fast heart rate, bump shape or how sick you felt don't reliably show the baby's sex. When researchers compared early heart rates in 477 pregnancies, boys and girls averaged almost the same, about 155 and 152 beats per minute. You won't have long to wait: the anatomy scan, usually at 18 to 22 weeks, can often show the sex, as long as the baby is lying in a helpful way and you want to find out.
Is cramping normal at 17 weeks pregnant?: Mild cramps are usually harmless at 17 weeks. Most are round ligament pains from the growing uterus. Some people also start to notice Braxton Hicks contractions, which can begin in the second trimester. These are brief, irregular tightenings that feel like mild period cramps and stop when you walk or change position. Call your provider about cramps that get stronger or come at regular times, or that come with bleeding, fluid leaking, or a fever.
What are good signs at 17 weeks pregnant?: Reassuring signs include a heartbeat heard at your checkup, a bump that is slowly growing, and, for some, the first flutters of movement. Many people first notice movement between 18 and 24 weeks, so not feeling it yet is normal. Feeling well or unwell on a given day doesn't tell you much about how the baby is doing. Warning signs to report are bleeding, fluid leaking from the vagina, cramps that come regularly, or a fever.

Useful at week 17

Pregnancy weeks to months — 17 weeks is the last week of month 4 — see every week
How far along am I? — your exact weeks and days from your last period
Twin probability calculator — for fun: what raises the chance of twins
Pregnancy weight gain calculator — a healthy range for your starting weight
Baby gender predictor — a playful guess before the anatomy scan

← All weeks: the full pregnancy week-by-week guide

Sources

Checked against the following public guidance on October 2, 2026. Advice can differ between countries; your doctor, nurse or midwife can apply it to you.