- 21st week of pregnancy - what happens in week 21
- How your baby develops in the 21st week of pregnancy
- How you feel in the 21st week of pregnancy
- 21st week of pregnancy - symptoms and complaints
- What can be seen on the ultrasound in week 21?
- What you should look out for in week 21 of pregnancy
21st week of pregnancy - what happens in week 21
Welcome to the second half of your pregnancy. The first 20 weeks are over and you are now in the 21st week of pregnancy. Which month is this? It is the first week of the 6th month of pregnancy. Your belly is growing steadily and your pregnancy is becoming more and more visible to outsiders. In this part of our pregnancy calendar, you can find out how your baby is developing, how you can find a good sleeping position as your belly grows and what happens during the second major ultrasound scan.
How your baby develops in the 21st week of pregnancy
Your belly dweller is now around 25 centimetres long. Well, in the previous week it was only 16 centimetres - how is this leap in growth possible? This is because the size of the foetus is usually measured from head to heel from the 21st week of pregnancy, whereas previously the crown-rump length was always given.
Your baby has also gained a lot of weight compared to the previous week and now weighs around 380 grams. His little fat pads are growing, his bones are getting harder and his fingernails and toenails are also becoming firmer. However, the nails won't be really firm until a few weeks after the birth. The nails are still so soft in the womb that your baby cannot injure itself with them.
A sleep-wake rhythm develops
During this week, the foetus has a fairly regular sleep-wake rhythm. Phases of sleep and phases of wakefulness alternate. Your baby still sleeps most of the time - around 16 to 20 hours a day. Its eyes are still permanently closed. However, it won't be long before he opens them. During the waking phases, your baby moves around a lot and exercises its arm and leg muscles. It also likes to suck its thumb and play with its umbilical cord.
Sing songs to your baby
More and more structures and furrows are now forming in your child's brain. With this rapid neurological development, it is not surprising that the senses are becoming increasingly sharpened. Your baby's hearing is already so mature that it can hear and recognise the voices of mummy and daddy. Talk to your little one a lot and sing songs to them. This is also a great way for dad to connect with his child. After birth, the newborn will recognise its parents' voices and feel comfortable and secure when it hears them.
Metabolism and digestion get going
While the amniotic fluid was mainly produced by the placenta in the first half of pregnancy, the baby's kidneys are now mature enough to take over this task almost completely. Your baby drinks around 400 millilitres of amniotic fluid every day, which is then excreted via the urinary tract. In this way, it not only trains the baby to swallow, but also the kidneys and bladder. The intestines also continue to mature in this way. In the meantime, your child's pancreas has also started to work and begins to produce insulin.
How you feel in the 21st week of pregnancy
You have probably already felt your baby's movements. This makes the idea of soon holding your little one in your arms more and more realistic. It is completely normal for the feeling of anticipation to be mixed with fears and insecurities. In our Online workshop for the 2nd trimester midwife Katharina explains how you can best prepare for the time ahead. You might also like to find out what you can expect in the 3rd trimester expected. We also recommend our courses on Birth preparation and to the Creating the birth plan. The better prepared you feel, the easier it will be for you to trust your body and your baby.
21st week of pregnancy - symptoms and complaints
SSW 21 - and milk already?
Around the middle of pregnancy, some women are surprised to discover that the first droplets of milk are already coming out of their breasts. This is colostrum. This colostrum is what your baby will drink in the first days with nutrients and, above all, lots of antibodies. This will strengthen his immune system. Your body is already starting to produce colostrum so that it is available if your baby comes too early.
Water retention
Is the shoe pinching? Is your wedding ring suddenly too tight? Are your stockings leaving constrictions on your legs? Water retention is not uncommon, especially in the last few weeks of pregnancy, but can also occur during this phase. It is triggered by the pregnancy hormones. These cause the blood vessels to dilate and become more permeable. This allows fluid to penetrate the surrounding tissue more easily.
In most cases, this oedema is harmless. After the birth, the retained fluid is excreted again. Many women notice this by the fact that they have Postpartum sweat a lot. However, sometimes water retention during pregnancy can also have more serious causes and indicate pre-eclampsia. For this reason, you should contact your midwife or gynaecologist if you notice swelling in your hands, feet, legs or face.
How can water retention be alleviated?
- Put your legs up more often and avoid standing or sitting for too long.
- Get enough exercise, for example by going for a walk.
- Drink at least 2.5 litres of water a day.
- Avoid tight clothing and shoes.
- A lukewarm sea salt bath can alleviate the symptoms.
What can be seen on the ultrasound in week 21?
The 2nd major ultrasound examination
As part of prenatal care, the second antenatal examination is scheduled between the 19th and 22nd week of pregnancy. Ultrasound examination . You have the choice between two examinations, which differ in their scope: the basic ultrasound and the extended basic ultrasound, which is also known as fine diagnostics. Both are services that are covered by statutory health insurance. It is best to find out in advance what your gynaecologist offers. You may be referred to another practice.
As with the ultrasound at the end of the 1st trimester, it is checked whether your baby is developing in line with its age. The doctor measures the diameter of the head, the abdominal circumference and the length of the thigh bone. He will also determine the amount of amniotic fluid and check the position of the placenta.
If you opt for the extended basic ultrasound, the individual organs are also scrutinised more closely. How is the brain developed? Are all the heart chambers present? Are the abdominal wall and back closed? Can the bladder and stomach be visualised? Such an organ screening can take a good 30 minutes. Let the doctor explain the images on the monitor to you calmly and ask questions if you don't understand something. In most cases, the gynaecologist will find that everything is fine and you can go home after the appointment with peace of mind. If the doctor does find something abnormal, he or she will explain to you which further examinations are advisable.
This second ultrasound scan is considered the most important examination during pregnancy, as it can detect malformations, growth disorders and other diseases. The baby is well developed, but its body is not yet too large, so that all organs can be easily visualised on the screen.
In addition, many couples have another big question on their minds: Will it a girl or a boy? There is a good chance of finding out the sex during an ultrasound in the 21st week of pregnancy. So consider with your partner before the appointment whether you want to reveal this little secret or not.
What you should look out for in week 21 of pregnancy
Find a comfortable sleeping position
As the size of your stomach increases, it becomes increasingly difficult to find a comfortable position to sleep in at night. Women in particular, who usually sleep on their stomachs, now have to adapt. Although there is no risk of crushing your baby, it is simply anatomically impossible to lie on your stomach once you reach a certain abdominal circumference. But what is the best sleeping position during pregnancy? Sleeping on your left side is ideal. This position has many advantages:
- The blood can flow unhindered and your baby is optimally supplied with oxygen and nutrients.
- Your organs have more space and can work better.
- You suffer less from heartburn.
Sleeping on your left side is preferable, especially in the last trimester of pregnancy. However, if the right side feels more comfortable for you and your baby, this is also fine. Back sleepers can suffer from so-called vena cava syndrome, in which the weight of the uterus causes the inferior vena cava to become blocked. This means that the blood from the legs can no longer flow back to the heart unhindered, causing the mother's blood pressure to drop and posing a risk of insufficient blood supply to the baby. This risk is not usually present in the 21st week of pregnancy, but it is best to get used to sleeping on your side now. A nursing pillow is already a wonderful companion during pregnancy. You can use the elongated pillow to support your back or wrap your arms and legs around it.
Avoid heavy lifting and carrying
You may have been aware of this since the beginning of your pregnancy: you should not lift or carry heavy objects with a baby bump. Especially now that your baby is getting bigger, it is important not to carry anything that weighs more than 5 kilograms. After all, your pelvic floor already has enough to do with the increasingly heavy uterus, including the amniotic fluid, placenta and baby. Towards the end of pregnancy, there is also a risk of premature labour being triggered by heavy loads, which can lead to a premature birth.
It's still relatively easy to avoid carrying heavy loads with your first child. But what if you already have a toddler who really wants to be carried in mum's arms? Try to explain to your offspring, as age-appropriately as possible, why this is no longer possible so often. If you can't avoid it, pay attention to your posture when lifting: squat down, keep your back straight and straighten up using your leg muscles. Alternatively, you can ask your child to climb onto a small stool to help you a little.
