Your 17-week-old baby: what to expect

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Emily Gulla

Writer

Find out how your baby is developing this week, plus when you can expect them to start teething, and which games to play with your little one.

This page contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small amount of money if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our articles and reviews are written independently by the Netmums editorial team.

Your baby is four months old and they're developing into their own little human! Here's how to help your baby develop this week, as well as what you can expect health-wise...

Your 17-week-old baby: development

Now that your baby is getting older, they'll love playing games with you and playing with their favourite toys!

Of course, your baby will be developing of their own accord (like magic!) but there are lots of ways you can help them to develop through games and play too.

At this stage, your baby might respond to your voice with a smile or by quieting down to listen, and they might be on their way to sitting up! So, to help them get there, there are lots of fun games that will encourage them to develop these special skills. Here are some ideas...

• Row, row, row the boat. This is a fun one! Your baby might already be sitting up (with lots of support), and if they aren't then you can help them to do so by sitting them with their legs in a V position and surrounding them with cushions to help them balance. Once they're able to sit (even with some help), you can sit in front of them and hold their hands, then sing the "row, row, row the boat" song. Your baby won't be able to talk just yet, but once they can you can bet they'll love to sing along with this one too!
  
• Guess what we're doing... Although your baby won't be able to speak just yet, talking to them in full sentences will help to develop their language skills as they get older. Whatever you're doing around the house or out and about, whether it's changing their nappy, feeding them, or doing the food shopping, you can talk your little one through what you're doing. Of course, they won't be able to understand what you're saying, but they may well babble in return – and chatting to your baby is a great way to encourage them to make more sounds. Plus, they'll hear the different intonations in your voice, and they may well respond by smiling, quieting down to hear, or listening intently. So, keep it up!
  
• What's in the bag? At this stage, your baby will love feeling a range of different objects and textures, as their sense of touch continues to develop. You can help encourage this by placing a selection of everyday items in a bag or a pillowcase, then pulling items out and letting your baby feel them. They'll like feeling the different textures, and they'll also love the excitement, especially if you build up to each item and sound (and look) amazed. You can use anything: wooden spoons, soft pieces of cloth, or even things like tin foil. Just make sure to keep anything small away from your baby's mouth (or grabbing hands!). Sensory books are also great toys for getting your baby to feel different textures. See our tips for the ultimate sensory treasure basket.
  
• Peek-a-boo. This one's a classic and it's lots of fun for babies! Your baby will love seeing you pull funny faces – and they might well smile in response too – so try to make your reactions as expressive as possible! Plus, games like peek-a-boo are great for developing your baby's understanding of the world too, as they'll help baby to learn that, when they can't see you, you will come back.
  
• Ready, steady, go! This game is something simple you can build in to any other activities you're already doing with your baby. Whether you're rolling a ball, throwing a balloon, blowing bubbles or blowing a raspberry, you can build up suspense (and your baby's excitement) by slowly saying "ready... steady... go!". Wait for you baby to make a noise or gesture in response to each word, before you continue with the action. It will build up their attention and listening skills, and encourage them to respond to you.
  
• Rip it up. It's no secret that babies are usually more entertained by random household items than they are by their actual toys! A great everyday item to introduce them to is paper, or wrapping paper if you have it. They'll love playing with the texture and ripping it up. Plus, you could even wrap up a little present for your baby, then let them have a go at ripping the paper open (with some help, of course) before seeing what's inside. It's great for developing their sense of touch and their coordination and grabbing skills. Just remember to supervise your child and make sure they don't put any paper in their mouth, as this can be a choking hazard.

Looking for more playtime inspiration? You can find loads of games to help your baby develop at every stage here.

Your baby's health this week

Teething

Another exciting development to look out for is teething. The time when a child starts teething can hugely vary from baby to baby. According to the NHS, most babies start teething at around six months. However, they add that others can start teething even before they are four months old – so it's something to keep an eye out for at this stage! Meanwhile, some babies are born with their first teeth and other don't start teething until after 12 months, so there's no exact date.

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You can tell your baby is teething by looking out for the following symptoms:

• red and sore gums where the tooth is coming through
• one cheek being flushed
• your baby is rubbing their ear
• your baby is dribbling more than usual
• they are gnawing and chewing on things a lot
• they're more distressed than usual

For some babies, their teeth will come through with hardly any pain or discomfort. Every baby is different.

Find out more about the signs of teething here.

Your baby's 16-week vaccinations

By 17 weeks, your baby should be fully up to date with their 8-week, 12-week and 16-week vaccinations.

If you missed your appointment for last week's 16-week vaccinations, then make sure to reschedule!

The NHS says that you can pick up your baby's immunisation schedule where it stopped without having to start again, so speak to your GP to reschedule any missed appointments.

Your life as a parent

Dividing responsibilities between you and your partner

You might have passed the overwhelming early stages of having a new baby, but that doesn't mean there's any less to do!

While looking after your baby will no doubt feel like a full-time job, it's important that you get some time away from baby duties, whether it's just for some alone time, some all-important self-care, or to socialise with friends and family.

If you live with your partner, you can make things work for the both of you by sharing jobs around the house. And even if you don't live with your partner or the baby's father, you can still divide up responsibilities when it comes to taking care of your baby – meaning you both get more downtime.

Struggling to work out how to divide things? Here are some tips...

• Communicate! It's often said that communication is key in relationships – and that's because it's true! And it's even more necessary now that you're bringing up a baby together. If you're struggling, or are in need of support from your partner, it's important to talk about it.
  
• Create a schedule. Of course, babies don't always stick to a set schedule, especially when they're teething or under the weather. However, if you and your partner are living together, you can create a general schedule for who's "on duty", especially when you're asleep. If you and your baby's father are living separately, having a schedule for when you're each looking after your baby should mean that the other can fit in some downtime (read: mostly sleeping).
  
• Split up individual tasks. Looking after a baby can feel a bit like juggling, so if you both take on a small task each, it will make the bigger task in hand (e.g. getting baby ready for bed) much easier. For example, if one of you is giving baby a bath, the other can be getting their pyjamas and their sleep space ready. Many hands make light work!
  
• Make up some bottles. You may well already be doing this, but if you're exclusively breastfeeding then pumping milk to be used in bottles can mean that a) you get a break from feeding, and b) your partner can enjoy feeding your baby. Winner for both!
  
• Divide up the housework. Household chores might seem like an impossible task with a baby to look after! It may feel like chores are constantly piling up, but if you divvy them up between the two of you then it should seem like a slightly less daunting pile. It might help to have set tasks that you both take care of. For example, one of you might take care of the cleaning while the other does laundry and takes the bins out. When it comes to cooking, you might decide to alternate your evenings spent in the kitchen. Go with whatever works for you both!

Your feelings as a new parent

While practical things like splitting up tasks with your partner can make life feel easier, it's important to still be checking in with your feelings and to be aware of the signs of postnatal depression (PND).

It's still possible for PND to develop at any point for up to a year after your baby is born, and it can affect mums, dads and partners, so make sure you're aware of the signs and know where you can get help.

You can read more about postnatal depression (PND) and the symptoms to look out for here.

There's lots of help and support out there, and remember that you're not alone! If you're worried, you can speak to a friend, family member, your health visitor or GP.

You can also get support and advice from others in the same situation on our PND support forum, and you can learn more about PND in dads and partners here.

Looking for more information on your 17-week-old baby and what to expect as a parent? Check out our other articles below or chat to parents in our forum.

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