Your week 17 guide

The first fat stores are beginning to form under the skin. This is brown fat, a specialised tissue that generates heat directly rather than simply storing energy, and newborns rely on it heavily to stay warm in the first hours after birth. Its arrival is one of the earliest steps toward being able to survive outside the womb.

The brain is taking over regulation of a steadily beating heart. The heart has been beating on its own since very early on, but now the developing nervous system is beginning to influence its rate, which is why fetal heart rate varies with movement and rest. That variation is exactly what monitoring later in pregnancy is designed to look for.

Fingerprints are forming while sucking and swallowing become more practised. The ridge patterns on the fingertips develop from the way the skin layers grow and fold, and they are unique even between identical twins. Sucking and swallowing are being rehearsed constantly now, coordinating muscles that will be needed within minutes of birth.

Some women begin to feel quickening, the first clearly recognisable movements. It is often described as bubbles, a flutter or a small fish turning over, and it is easiest to notice when you are sitting or lying still. Movement at this stage is not yet regular enough to track, and gaps of a day or more are common and not a warning sign.

Back or sciatic discomfort and stretch marks may appear as your body changes shape. Sciatic pain comes from pressure on the nerve running from the lower back down the leg and can be sharp and one-sided; changing position, warmth and gentle stretching often help. Stretch marks are largely determined by genetics and skin type rather than by any cream, though moisturising can ease the itching.

Congestion can contribute to snoring or broken sleep. Swollen nasal passages narrow the airway, which is why snoring often begins in pregnancy even in women who have never snored. Mention loud snoring with pauses in breathing or heavy daytime sleepiness, since sleep apnoea is more common in pregnancy and treatable.

Decide whether you want to know your baby's sex at the anatomy scan. Deciding beforehand means you are not asked to choose in the moment, and it lets you tell the sonographer clearly at the start. Bear in mind that the scan's purpose is checking development, and sex is not always visible depending on position.

Arrange dental care if a check-up is due. Gum inflammation tends to worsen through pregnancy, and routine treatment is far easier than dealing with a problem in the third trimester. Tell the practice how many weeks you are, since that affects positioning and the timing of any x-rays.

Ask before booking massage, yoga, Pilates or any new activity. Most are fine with a practitioner experienced in pregnancy, but some positions, deep abdominal work and hot environments are best avoided. A quick check now is easier than working out mid-class whether something is a good idea. InshaAllah, checking the class beforehand can help you choose with more confidence.

Let testing guide iron supplements: Tiredness is extremely common in pregnancy and does not automatically mean your iron is low. A blood test is the proper way to identify iron-deficiency anaemia.

Keep including iron-containing foods, but do not start a high-dose iron supplement unless your healthcare professional advises it. Iron supplements commonly cause constipation and stomach upset, and the right dose depends on your own results rather than on a general recommendation.