17 weeks pregnant: fingerprints and the first movements
17 weeks pregnant is a stage at which, the NHS says, the baby is around 12 cm long from head to bottom, about the size of a pomegranate, with fingernails starting to grow and unique fingerprints (NHS, 2026). This page sets out what the NHS and ACOG say about week 17, including when movement is first felt.
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Seek help now if you have any of these symptoms
Bleeding and cramping are common in early pregnancy and often do not mean miscarriage. The symptoms below, however, need to be assessed straight away.
- Soaking two or more sanitary pads per hour, or passing large clots
- Severe lower abdominal pain, especially on one side
- Pain at the tip of the shoulder
- Dizziness, fainting, or collapse
- Signs of shock — pale, clammy, rapid heartbeat, breathlessness
- Pain on opening bowels, or bladder or bowel changes
- Feeling very unwell, or feverish
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How the sources describe development around 17 weeks
- Size and shape, NHS
- The NHS week 17 page in its week-by-week guide (NHS, 2026) gives the baby as around 12 cm long from head to bottom and compares it to a pomegranate. It says the baby can move the eyes, although they stay shut for now, react to loud noises and open and close the mouth.
- Fingerprints, NHS
- The NHS says the baby’s fingernails are starting to grow and will have their own unique fingerprints, and that even identical twins have different fingerprints (NHS, 2026).
- Development, ACOG
- ACOG groups weeks 17 to 20 together. Its list includes the part of the brain that controls motor movements being fully formed, the digestive system working, ears, nose and lips recognisable on an ultrasound, and soft downy hair called lanugo starting to form and cover the body (ACOG, How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy, 2024). The list is not broken down week by week.
Weeks are counted from the first day of the last menstrual period, so about two weeks of the count come before conception (ACOG, How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy, 2024). This page covers 17 weeks 0 days to 17 weeks 6 days.
A normal pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period, so at 17 weeks about 23 weeks remain to the estimated due date (ACOG, How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy, 2024). Your own due date depends on your last period or a scan, not on the week alone.
When movement is first felt
The NHS week 17 page says you might start to feel your baby move now, and that many women spot the first signs between 18 and 24 weeks. It says that inside your tummy you might feel bubbling, fluttering or rolling, and that the baby might move more after meals, when you listen to loud music, when you rub your tummy and talk to the baby, or when you are relaxing (NHS, 2026). Its week 13 page says you may not feel movement until around week 17, and its week 18 page says you may feel it for the first time around then. These are ranges, not a date, and the NHS pages give slightly different ones.
Your body at 17 weeks, as the NHS describes it
The NHS says the placenta gets bigger week by week and, by the end of pregnancy, will weigh around 500 g. It says your waist will start to vanish as your womb moves up and out of your pelvis, and that you may notice pink, red, purple or brown streaks over your stomach and breasts, which are stretch marks and affect up to 8 in 10 women (NHS, 2026).
The NHS also says around 1 in 5 women feel stressed or anxious during pregnancy and that if you feel sad or worried you should talk to your doctor or midwife (NHS, 2026).
Work out which week you are in
The Pregnancy week calculator takes your last period, conception date, scan or IVF transfer and shows how many weeks and days pregnant you are today.
Sources
- NHS Best Start in Life. Week 17 of pregnancy (week-by-week guide to pregnancy). nhs.uk, 2026.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy (FAQ156). ACOG, 2024.
Frequently asked questions
When will I first feel the baby move?
The NHS week 17 page says many women spot the first signs between 18 and 24 weeks (NHS, 2026). Its week 13 page says you may not feel any movement until around week 17, and its week 18 page says you may feel it for the first time around then.
How big is the baby at 17 weeks pregnant?
The NHS says around 12 cm long from head to bottom, about the size of a pomegranate (NHS, 2026).