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Pregnancy calendar - week 17
Christa Riekert, Advisory Nutritionist

Digestive disturbances are experienced by many women during pregnancy. These can occur because of normal hormonal changes that slow down your system, which means food moves more slowly and may result in more infrequent bowel motions. This can be quite uncomfortable and concerning, so why not call or email our team of health care professionals and ask about foods and ways that you can help improve this if it is happening to you.
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Your baby’s development

Your baby is now about 13cm long and weighs 140 grams. Their kidneys are now working well, so like you, baby is urinating several times per day. However, the foetal urine is filtered back into your system through the placenta and is managed by your body, so it doesn’t affect your baby. Your baby’s hearing is also getting much better, so you may notice that they respond to sudden loud noises from the outside world.


Did you know?

As well as affecting your mood, pregnancy hormones make all the soft tissues in your body become even softer, especially your gums which can be prone to bleeding more easily when you brush your teeth. Be a bit gentler with them than usual, maybe choosing a softer toothbrush and remembering to floss. If you do get persistent sore or bleeding gums, speak to your dentist.


You & your body

Infrequent bowel motions during pregnancy are a common problem caused by an increase of the hormone progesterone in your body. This hormone slows down the intestines by relaxing the smooth muscle that it’s made of, which in turn slows down how fast food moves through your digestive system. This may be more troublesome from now on in your pregnancy, especially as your baby gets bigger. A diet rich in fibre can help, including foods such as kiwifruit and prunes. Be sure to include high-fibre food at every meal and try to snack on fruit and vegetables between meals.

Adding fruit to your breakfast cereal makes for a great fibre-packed start to the day. Over the rest of the day, you can top it up with wholegrain bread, whole meal pasta, pulses, or perhaps a jacket potato for lunch. Remember that plenty of fluids are vital to ensure that you have regular bowel motions, so have at least 6-8glasses of fluid (ideally water) throughout the day.


Have you tried Kariclub's free Careline?

The Kariclub Careline lets you chat privately with an experienced mum, dietitian or midwife here to help you put your mind at rest on your journey from pregnancy to being a mum. It's completely free, and no question is too big or small! Call us on 1800 258 268, email us, or use LiveChat to connect with our friendly team today.

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