- 21. week: how your baby is developing
- 21. week: what's going on with you?
- Everything about 3D ultrasound!
- 21. week: what to look for. Top recommendations
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You have just passed the halfway point - from the 21st week of pregnancy to the birth, closer than further. In the 21st week of pregnancy, you will have a half ultrasound. Your tummy is getting bigger and bigger, and the baby in it - more and more mobile. What can you expect at 21 weeks pregnant and how does a baby develop at 21 weeks gestation?
Contents:
- 21. week: how your baby is developing
- 21. week: what's going on with you?
- 21. week: what to look for. Top recommendations
21. week: how your baby is developing
A fetus at 21 weeks gestation is about 18 cm long and weighs about 300-315 grams.
21 weeks is the 5th month of pregnancy
- His cartilages are slowly changing into bones, his arms and legs are well-developed and extremely mobile, because the baby exercises all the muscles by moving them.
- He already has his favorite times of sleep and wake - usually when you are active, he falls asleep, because he sleeps best when he is rocked. And when you want to rest, he starts frolicking.
- He is also more and more willing to swallow amniotic fluid, which he likes - or not - depending on what you ate, because the fetus at 21 weeks gestation already distinguishes between several flavors: sweet, sour, s alty and bitter.
- The baby's bone marrow is mature enough to start producing blood cells (so far it was mainly done by the liver).
- The immune system also improves and white blood cells begin to form.
- Girls have uterus and fallopian tubes already developed, vagina begins to form; the boys already have the beginning of the penis and the scrotum, but so far there are no testicles in it.
- The baby gets more and more sounds from the world beyond the belly. He already distinguishes between pleasant and unpleasant ones: pleasant sounds have a soothing effect on him, while unpleasant sounds make his heart beat faster.
- Fetal development: how does the fetus develop week by week?
21. week: what's going on with you?
You may notice a lot of changes in the 21st week of pregnancy:
Your shoes are getting a bit tight. The first swellings appear slowly, it is also the effect of relaxin, a pregnancy hormone that relaxes the ligaments, thanks to which the pelvis can stretch and accommodate an increasingly larger belly, but it also affects the entire body.
- Swollen legs in pregnant women - how to reduce discomfort associated with swollen legs
You may slowly start to notice flat feet, typical of pregnancy, associated with both extra pounds and the effects of relaxin.
Hands may now be permanently red. It's also the fault of your hormones, and it's not a sign of any he alth problems.
- HORMONES in pregnancy - a real storm
A dark line slowly appears on the abdomen that runs from the navel to the pubic symphysis. This is called linea negra, an almost legendary symbol of pregnancy, the effect of increased melanin secretion.
- Linea Negra, or the line on the pregnant belly
Everything about 3D ultrasound!
21. week: what to look for. Top recommendations
If you have not done a half ultrasound so far, it is a good time to come for it (it is performed between the 18th and 22nd week of pregnancy). If you have a choice, look for an experienced specialist who works with good equipment. It is worth using 3D or 4D ultrasound (in the latter, you can get a better image of the baby's face). During this ultrasound it is usually possible to precisely determine the sex of the child.
In the 21st week of pregnancy, it is worth taking more care of your feet, which may start to deform. During this period, calluses often begin to form, sometimes halluxes as well. To prevent them, you should give up walking in high heels, it is also worth buying orthopedic insoles for shoes that will raise the transverse arch of the foot.
- Can pregnant women wear high heels?
The daily massage performed with the use of a "hedgehog" in the shape of a ball is helpful. It is also worth keeping an eye on your weight so as not to gain too much weight, and be active.
- What can you practice while pregnant? Classes for pregnant women
It is worth making sure that there is an adequate amount of iron in the diet: they contain it, among others egg yolks, fish, red meat, spinach, beetroot, and liver. The amount of blood in your body has significantly increased, and this element is necessary for the formation of hemoglobin. If there is not enough of it, you risk anemia - in order to prevent it, the doctor may decide on additional supplementation.
- Vitamins and minerals needed in pregnancy
Also read:
- Second trimester of pregnancy
- 22. week of pregnancy
- 23. week of pregnancy
- 24. week of pregnancy