21 weeks of pregnancy: fetus size - 18 cm, weight - about 300 g. The baby develops taste buds and the blood composition becomes more complicated. Half of the gestation period for the baby is over. You are at great risk of edema and varicose veins in your legs. Overall, however, you should feel good.
What happens to the baby
When the 21st week of pregnancy "starts", it means that the 19th week has passed from the moment of conception. If you have any questions about the timing, look here for information.
Now the main task of the fetus is to grow and gain weight. The kid looks like a little man. In terms of body proportions, he already resembles a newborn child. If your baby is destined to be born with hair on the head, then around this time they appear. Tiny eyebrows and eyelashes are already there, but these are more likely not hairs, but a light fluff. Your child is constantly exercising. According to brain signals, the fetus literally works out those movements that it needs first:
- Drinking amniotic fluid (up to 0.5 liters per day). This is how the baby trains the lips and swallowing reflexes. The digestive and urinary systems also work in this case.
- Limb movements. Coordination will not come very soon, but a start has been made.
- Raising and lowering the chest. Immediately after giving birth, the baby will have to urgently, in a split second, learn to breathe with lungs.
This week the fruit will grow up to a length of 18 cm. Its weight will reach about three hundred grams. Remember, your little one is already hearing, so talk to him.
You probably already feel the movement of the fetus. Sometimes it seems to you that the baby under your heart is only doing what moves. Is he not sleeping at all? This is not true. Remember that both children and adults are rarely completely still in their sleep. And the fetus is exactly the same. Some experts believe that at this time, children in the womb spend up to twenty hours a day in a sleepy state. According to other sources - 12-14 hours. And the arms and legs continue to move anyway. Movements can be felt up to two hundred times a day.
What's new with the baby? The improvement of blood composition continues. The red bodies have long been formed, and the white ones are in the process. They will later, together with other systems, be responsible for the child's immunity. And on a tiny tongue, taste buds continue to form. When the amniotic fluid enters the fetus's mouth, it is already able to distinguish its taste.
How does the baby sit in the uterus? As he wants. Now is not the time to talk about the right or wrong position of the fetus. There is enough room for the crumbs to spin in all directions for a few more weeks.
How is mom doing?
21st week - what month is it? The sixth lunar. You have passed about half of your pregnancy. You now have some or even many of these symptoms:
- generally excellent health;
- the tummy has grown noticeably, but still does not interfere;
- gait has changed - you lean back a little and, possibly, waddle slightly;
- you have an excellent appetite (be careful not to overeat);
- in rare cases, you can see a tiny bump on your stomach at the moment the baby moves, perhaps it is his fist or heel;
- you are often hot or stuffy;
- it is worth a little step back from the diet - hello, heartburn or constipation;
- the nose periodically clogs up, although there is no real runny nose or cold;
- you are not just tired - sometimes weakness literally falls on you, especially when your blood pressure drops;
- sometimes you want to eat something “like”, unusual;
- since the beginning of pregnancy, the weight has increased by 4-8 kg.
These are all physical sensations. Emotionally, many expectant mothers now note one oddity. They lose interest in what they were fond of before, they feel unnecessary, their self-confidence disappears somewhere. This is how the next round of hormonal changes in the body manifests itself. Don't panic, don't be depressed, chat with family and friends, look for new hobbies. This period of emotional instability will soon pass.
Photo of tummies (click to enlarge):
Possible troubles and complications
Stretch marks.Your body is changing: your tummy is getting rounder and bigger, your chest is filling, your hips are slightly apart. All this is reflected in the skin of these parts of the body. If it's elastic enough, it's okay. Stretch marks may appear if you gain weight quickly or have skin problems. They spoil the look of your skin and your mood. Do not allow this situation. Use special creams, lotions or just olive oil on dangerous areas (here is a list of the best creams for stretch marks).
Pregnant mask - a specific property of the facial skin. These are age spots on the forehead, cheeks and chin. They cannot be removed, bleached. A layer of makeup might solve the problem, but won't it hurt you in general? Better to protect your face from sunlight.
Legs swell and swell. In the evenings, your legs can simply “buzz” and swell, rings almost cut into your fingers, and your face seems puffy. What do we have to do:
- Do not eat something after which you may be very thirsty: salty, spicy, too sweet.
- Wipe your face with a wedge of cucumber or frozen cucumber juice. If using the second method, do not hold the ice for a long time near the sinuses.
- When sitting or lying down, keep your legs as high as possible. Lay them on a stool, pouf, pillow.
- Don't wear any embarrassing clothing or accessories. It is impossible that straps, ribbons, belts and elastic bands press not only on the stomach, but anywhere else.
If such swelling quickly disappears after simple measures, there is nothing to worry about. Persistent edema may indicate late toxicosis. What is this condition, read the article on toxicosis.
On the legs, you may notice dilated vessels. It is more likely if your female relatives - mother, grandmother, and so on - suffer from varicose veins in the legs. To protect your feet from problems, you can buy compression socks, knee-highs or tights - according to the season.
Leg cramps. Leg cramps cause a lot of trouble. It is easy to deal with them if it happened at home. And if at work, on the road or in the swimming pool? Remember exactly what to do. It is necessary, if possible, to pull back the big toe of the injured leg. You can grind the shin, foot. Tell your doctor about seizures.Most likely, you lack calcium and potassium (which means dried apricots and dairy products will help).
Headaches. Previously, this problem was solved easily: with one pill intake. Now you cannot take practically any medicine, so you will have to deal with pain differently:
- lie down, preferably in darkness and silence;
- take a little baby cream, add a drop of eucalyptus essential oil, rub this mixture over the temples and the cavity near the ear tragus;
- rub your feet, especially around the toes and their bases.
Mild pain in the navel, lower back talk about the gradual stretching and movement of internal organs under the pressure of the uterus. This is the norm. But if the stomach hurts badly, real contractions are felt, the threat of miscarriage is possible.
Allocations
Your breasts are preparing for future feeds and producing colostrum. You cannot express it. Place a pad in each bra and replace it regularly.
White or clear mucus without a strong odor may be released from the vagina. Yellow, greenish, brown or bloody discharge indicate various disorders, urgently see a doctor.
If your laundry seems to get wet, amniotic fluid leakage is not excluded. This is a dangerous process, inform your doctor and get tested.
Discharge of blood during bowel movements is a sign of beginning hemorrhoids. Women with constipation are often affected by this disease. Discuss treatment and follow-up with your doctor.
See your doctor
If you have not yet had an ultrasound in the second trimester, he will be appointed. A specialist doctor will check the basic dimensions of the body and limbs of the fetus, the condition of the internal organs and a number of other indicators. The placenta will be examined no less carefully.
Photo of ultrasound at 21 weeks (click to enlarge):
With a successful location of the fetus, you can find out the gender of the baby. But the future boy or girl can sometimes “hide” until the very birth.
It is necessary to come to the doctor of the antenatal clinic according to the schedule that he made for you. Everything is familiar here: measuring weight, blood pressure, size of the uterus and listening to your baby's heartbeat.
Comments of expectant mothers from the forums:
Marina Ku: I also showed 426 grams and 24 cm for 21 weeks, took a profile photo))))) the problem is the same pain in the lower spine, there is no longer even the lying position does not always alleviate it, I have a fetus on the front wall of the uterus, I think this is the load on the spine, the stomach is big as in the month of 7-8, this is my third pregnancy, with the first two the fetus was on the back wall, and I ran until 38 weeks without back pain, no where there was nothing.
Inna Dragan: Today I have exactly 21 weeks, a couple of days ago, an ultrasound scan confirmed the correspondence of height and weight for this period and said that there would be a boy. But, to be honest, I knew this from the first minutes, there is a simple way to calculate: the age of the mother + the number of the month of conception and +1, if the number is paired, then a girl, and vice versa, then a boy. For example: at the time of conception I was 35 + 7 (July) + 1 = 43 boy. This works, I checked it on my girlfriends and on my first son. Try it.
NLiberty:I have a period of 21 weeks. When the daddy of our baby wants to listen to him, he gets a powerful kick in the ear ... In a week for an ultrasound. I really want a boy !!
Ksyusha: hi girls! We are also 21 weeks old, I felt the shake at 16 weeks, then active kicks began, now sometimes it hits, I wake up at night. and my gynecologist says that these are not shakes, although I can’t compare this with anything else. she said that the shakes for 20 weeks are starting, I don't understand anything, but the child is clearly already kicking his tummy, even daddy feels. what do you think?
Malkina_Milka: I now have 21 weeks of bruising))) The kid is kicking with might and main)) So much fun !!!
So far I have gained 4 kg. But everything goes only to the stomach. And the figure hardly changes. They tell me that my belly is now the same as some with such children walk)) And I remember how at the beginning of pregnancy I was looking forward to when the tummy would start to grow. And now, from the 16th week, he began to grow more rapidly))) In general, I want a big belly)))
Recommendations
Surely a lot of the list below is already familiar to you. Test yourself, see what to look for.
- Your diet: vegetables and fruits, cereals and grain breads, lean meat and fatty fish. No shop drinks, soda, or fast food. Juices are freshly squeezed. Boil, bake, or steam your food.
- Eat small and frequent meals. Don't overeat.
- Avoid getting enough sleep. If possible, sleep or just rest during the day.
- Uncomfortable to sleep? Position yourself so that there are small pillows under your belly and between your knees. It is good if there is a support under the back, for example, the wall of the room.
- Wear shoes only with small heels (or without them), with low soles or wedges.
- If there is a threat of hemorrhoids, wash the anus with warm water.
- To cope with swelling and dilated vessels on the legs, contrasting dousing of the legs to the knees in the evenings will help.
- Go in for sports: swimming in the pool or yoga. Go swimming in the river or the sea? Don't do this alone.
- Sometimes it is difficult to deny yourself the pleasure of lying in a warm bath. Even if the doctor does not prohibit this, such a procedure should be short-lived - up to fifteen minutes.
- If you are pregnant with twins, polyhydramnios, or just a large tummy, you may need a prenatal brace.
- Little by little, start making a list of everything your baby needs. If you have a lot of relatives and they are already interested in what to give, a later list will help.
- Take a walk every day, but don't walk a lot. Sit back with a book on a bench in your favorite park or square.
- In your sex life, inconveniences may appear: the tummy interferes. Choose positions in which you and your partner will feel comfortable. Sex is prohibited if you have more than one fetus under your heart, oligohydramnios, low placenta, or threatened miscarriage.
- Don't make any sudden movements. Even if it seems to you that you are full of energy, a sharp load can damage some ligaments.
- If you have the urge to put your hand on your stomach every now and then, do not be shy about this gesture. Moreover, sometimes your relatives can repeat such a movement on themselves. It looks pretty funny, but it actually speaks of a deep kinship between them and you. They empathize with you, and that's great.
Take care of yourself and gain strength - there is still half of your pregnancy ahead.
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