21 weeks pregnant: Symptoms and the development of your baby

Your baby, who is the size of a pomelo, sleeps almost 12 to 14 hours daily now. Find out other amazing facts in our 21 weeks pregnant guide.

As you begin with your whole being as 21 weeks pregnant, you are entering a period of rapid growth. Your baby is also getting a start of readiness in preparation for life outside the womb. Also, they may be getting ready for developing important skills such as sucking and breathing.

Additionally, you may start feeling quite unsteady as your 21 weeks pregnant belly gets bigger. This is primarily because the center of gravity has shifted, and your joints become looser.

If you have tumbled, stick to being calm as your baby is well protected inside. But, inform your midwife or health care provider as soon as possible.

If you are travelling on public transportation, you might consider availing a baby on board badge to let other passengers know that you need a pretty safe seat on travel.

In this period, your baby may be moving around a lot right now. They can also be establishing waking and sleeping patterns inside.

The problem sometimes, however, is your baby might be wide awake when you are preparing to sleep. Take naps whenever you can, every day, to make up for lost sleep at night.

How big is your baby?

Are you wondering about your expectant baby’s size? How will it develop inside your tummy? Are you also curious about when will you feel its first kick or movement? See how a baby grows by taking a look inside the womb.

21 weeks pregnant: Your baby’s development

In this week-by-week pregnancy guide, you’ll learn that:

• Your baby has formed eyebrows and eyelids, which allows him to blink.
• Now your baby sleeps as much as a newborn, almost 12 to 14 hours daily.
• Your baby’s taste buds allow him to taste a variety of flavors based on what you eat and what enters the amniotic fluid.
• His movements, which initially felt like flutters, are gaining intensity; you can feel them more now.
• His bone marrow, liver, and spleen start to work.
• If you are carrying a baby girl, she already has a lifetime supply of eggs in her womb.

21 weeks pregnant in months

How many months is 21 weeks pregnant? You are in your 5 months, almost 6 months, of pregnancy. Although, doctors track your pregnancy by the number of weeks, not by months. Since nearly all pregnancies occur at 40 weeks long, you are midway through pregnancy.

You might have had some experience of heartburn and indigestion early in your first trimester, but as your uterus goes larger, it may begin pushing up against your stomach.

21 weeks pregnant belly

Being 21 weeks pregnant could be the golden and best time for expecting mommies because this is the period when their belly is big enough to look pregnant. Also, this is not big enough to make you very uncomfortable.

Showing and flexing your new curves may be compatible with form-fitting clothes, or maybe cinch a belt just under your 21 weeks pregnant belly.

However, sometimes, you might experience stomach tightening, which may not be normal. If something like this happens, call a doctor immediately.

21 weeks pregnant pregnancy symptoms

At 21 weeks, you are now in the middle of your second trimester of pregnancy. It means that you passed the majority of the uncomfortable symptoms you have in the first trimester.

However, even if the second trimester is lighter and more comfortable, you should still look out for some symptoms that you might experience. Here are some of the symptoms you can experience being 21 weeks pregnant.

• Stretch marks are appearing. As your skin gets pulled, it becomes thinner and itchier! But don’t worry, stretch marks can be managed.
• Pregnancy acne also appears thanks to the increased oil production on the skin.
• You see bluish veins which could be the beginning of varicose veins. As your pregnancy progresses, the increasing pressure on the veins in your legs and higher progesterone levels cause the walls of your veins to relax, giving rise to this condition.

Signs and symptoms when you are 21 weeks pregnant

As you reach 21 weeks pregnant, you can tell it by the numerous conditions that you might feel. Experiencing these following 21 weeks of pregnancy symptoms may help you to take care more of yourself and your baby as well.

1. tiredness and having trouble sleep
2. having stretch marks
3. your gums can swell and bleed
4. you might have pains on the side of your baby’s belly, as a result of your expanding uterus
5. piles
6. headaches and backaches
7. nosebleeding
8. indigestion with heartburns
9. being bloated and constipated
10. having leg cramps
11. swelling of hands and feet
12. often feeling hot
13. dizziness
14. possibility of having a urinary infection and vaginal infection
15. darkening of the skin on your face or presentation of brown patches – or chloasma as doctors call it
16. an even greasier and spotty skin
17. having a thicker and shinier skin
18. mood swings
19. morning sickness or nausea
20. weird pregnancy cravings or food rejection
21. sore or leaky breasts
22. a white, milky pregnancy discharge from your vagina, and light spotting

If you experience any signs or symptoms at 21 weeks pregnant which are more severe than what is normal, consult with your health care provider or doctor.

Myths about finding out your baby’s gender by pregnancy symptoms

It’s exciting to discover the gender of the baby. Now that you are 21 weeks pregnant, you will probably receive unsolicited advice regarding the symptoms to look for whether your baby will be a boy or a girl. There are many folktales and old wives’ tales about the subject. Among them are:

• If you are expecting a girl rather than a boy, you will likely experience more morning sickness.
• The beauty of her mother will be stolen more by having a daughter than a boy.
• You might anticipate a boy if you carry it low, and a girl if you carry it high.
• When it comes to cravings, you are likely to choose savory, salty foods for boys and sweets and chocolates for girls.

Pregnancy care in 21 weeks pregnant

Of course, each week of your pregnancy needs to be treated with care. Both the health of your child and the day of your delivery will be significantly impacted by this. Let’s find out how you can properly care for your unborn child during your 21-week pregnancy!

• Think about joining an antenatal class to know more about pregnancy and connect with other moms-to-be.
• Frequently wash your face using a mild cleanser to keep your skin oil-free. Do this week-by-week pregnancy guide tip religiously to keep your pregnancy glow.
• To help prevent or minimize varicose veins, exercise daily and prop up your feet whenever possible.
• You will probably gonna need support from your loved ones and maintain your social relationships with them.
• Continue to eat healthy foods for your mental and physical health as you will be needing a healthy body for the delivery day.
• Spend more time with your partner by thinking about what should you be preparing by this time.
• Engage in different activities you enjoy, as long as it is safe for a pregnant mom.
• Get some exercise to tone your body and minimize some uncomfortable symptoms of pregnancy.

Your checklist as 21 weeks pregnant

While being pregnant can be a joyful time for you both, it can also be stressful. So here are the things you should be checking when you have now your 21 weeks of pregnancy:

• Encourage your partner to talk to your baby. It will allow him to bond with your unborn child better.
• Listen to soothing music every once in a while. Music is there to help you relax.
• Avoid spicy and greasy food and go for healthier foods instead. It will help you manage heartburn better.
• Review your finances. By this time, you should have enough savings for your baby’s stuff and delivery day.
• Stay away from the things that cause you so much stress.
• If you are going back to work after your maternity break, this is the time to start looking at infant care options.

21 weeks pregnant ultrasound

You will now have a glimpse of your cute, tiny 21-week old fetus if you visit your doctor for a prenatal check-up and ultrasound. This 21 weeks pregnant ultrasound will surely amaze you.

You will now get to see the details of your baby’s brain hemispheres and heart chambers. Of course, you will also see the progress of your baby through the image on the screen. Also, at your 21-week pregnant ultrasound, inform the technician if you want to know your baby’s sex or not yet.

If it is a female, the vagina will be visible as fully formed and will continue to develop until your baby comes out of your womb.

In addition, at this stage, you can see that your baby’s bones and skeletal system are developing. Your technician or health care provider may assist you in determining the eyelids which have formed.

However, your baby’s position at 21 weeks in your pregnant womb is still not yet exact and definite. Your baby is not that big enough to fully fill out the stretch of your uterus and assume a final position.

Remember

Always eat a healthy diet and keep yourself relaxed at all times. You may also consult your doctor or midwife about the foods that are healthy for 21 weeks pregnant, and healthy for the baby. Ask what routines or recreations you can do while having the relaxation. Stay healthy and alive soon-to-be mommies!

Your next week: 22 weeks pregnant

Your previous week: 20 weeks pregnant

Additional information by Nathanielle Torre and Ange Villanueva

Here at theAsianparent Philippines, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advise or medical treatment. theAsianparent Philippines is not responsible to those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend to consult your doctor for clearer information.