Your baby's sucking & swallowing reflexes have developed already

At week 17, your little one is developing fast and has a layer of fat on the body that will keep warm and is important for developing metabolism. Your little one can hear your sound and your baby is all ears to you. Your baby has also developed the reflex of swallowing and sucking that will help while breastfeeding, later on. The genital parts have developed and taken shape as per the gender of your baby. Your baby’s heart is regulated by brain and you can feel 140 to 150 beats per minute that is twice as fast as yours.

During this week, the fingerprints of your baby will fully form and fingertips and toes will get complete creases and swirls. Myelin is a fatty substance that will cover the spinal cord of your baby and this will pass the messages to the brain in a faster way. This also protects and provides insulation to the nerves. The skeleton of your baby has fully developed and continues to harden from rubber like cartilage to the bones. As your baby will grow in the coming weeks, the umbilical cord will also grow thicker and stronger. The head and body are in proportion now and you can identify your baby’s body parts easily during an ultrasound.