When you are 21 weeks pregnant, your baby is growing rapidly, your skin is changing and the movements of your little one in the womb are intensifying.
Here are things that you can expect when you are 21 weeks pregnant.
Baby’s Size in Week 21
Your baby is now as big as a banana and weigh around 280 to 360 grams.
Week 21 Development
You might feel more movement in your womb than usual. You might feel the baby’s kicks, nudges, twists and turns.
This is because the baby’s arms and legs will now be in proportion. Also, the neutrons between the brain and muscles are connected.
His heartbeat is also loud enough to be heard through a simple stethoscope. You will feel excited to listen to his faster rhythm.
The cartilage in your baby’s body will turn into bone, which gives your baby more control over the movement of his limbs. His fingers and toes are completely formed, complete with little fingerprints and toe prints. He may even start sucking on his thumb.
Mommies Pregnant Belly
By the time you are 21 weeks pregnant, you may have gained around 13 to 14 pounds, and around 21 pounds if you are pregnant with twins.
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Heartburn & indigestion
As your uterus gets larger and is pushing up against your stomach, you may have heartburn more frequent than before.
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Discomfort & aches
You can also experience some discomforts and aches when you are 21 weeks pregnant and in the coming weeks. Nevertheless, you will feel more sexier and confident with the newfound curves due to your pregnancy. Like it or not, you will be the center of attention wherever you go.
Symptoms When You Are 21 Weeks Pregnant
- Braxton Hicks contractions. Your uterus might occasionally feel tight as it practices for labor. This is totally normal as long as the contractions go away when you switch positions. Let your doctor know about any pain or contractions that didn’t stop.
- Dry, itchy skin. Your skin is stretching over your growing bump, making it more irritated by the day. Lather up with a pregnancy-safe body oil or lotion to help your skin stay moisturised and hopefully less itchy.
- Varicose veins. With each week of pregnancy, there’s more and more pressure on the veins in your legs. Even the increasing progesterone levels, which relax the walls of the veins, only make it worse. Exercise regularly, wear maternity support hose and to prop up your legs whenever you get a chance.
- Oily skin. While some people experience dry skin,you may have to deal with acne due to increased in oil production. You can use a gentle soap or cleanser, and stick to oil-free make-up and productss to avoid exacerbating the acne.
- Swollen feet. You may also see that your feet are swelling, but don’t worry – your body has about 50% more blood and fluid than before you are pregnant.
Tips for Week 21
- Walk 30 minutes a day. This will be very helpful to stimulate your bowels and fight constipation. Aside from drinking plenty of water and eat fiber-rich food, walking 30minutes a day can also do the trick.
- Small exercises helps. You should also do some low-impact exercise such as swimming or prenatal yoga. You are more susceptible to injury right now due to ligament-loosening relaxing in your body, thus simple exercises will do.
- Avoid lasers. You might get irritated with the excessive hair growth on your legs, armpits, bikini line and upper lip due to the increasing hormones. Never choose laser as a solution as it is harmful to your pregnancy.
- Keep caffeine low. Caffeine may perk you up, but it dashes the effects of iron. Since you are advised to consume more iron-rich food, you may want to avoid caffeine as it can reduce the amount of iron absorption.
- Pregnancy shoot. It is never wrong to keep a memory in the form of pictures! The best time for a pregnancy photoshoot is when you are in between 30 to 36 weeks of pregnancy. So what you can do now is to search for the best photographer that can help you to have the best memory of your pregnancy.
Dear mommy, you are doing really great each and every week. This is not an easy journey, but you can do this! Keep calm and wait for the progress of week 22. Until then, enjoy your 21 weeks of pregnancy.
Stay tuned with Motherhood Story for your weekly pregnancy articles and parenting tips and ideas.