21 Weeks Pregnant | Belly, Symptoms And Ultrasound

You’re 21 weeks pregnant! You’re well into the second trimester now.

You might notice it’s not so easy to stand up, sit down, or pick things up off the floor now.

Your center of gravity shifts as your belly begins to grow and pushes your internal organs aside.

You might notice some heartburn and indigestion for this reason as well.

This means you should take notice of your posture, especially when you’re sitting down.

You might need to adjust the way you sit down, stand up, and do other physical activities.

This will help minimize the discomfort of back pain and strain. A nice deep bath can be a great way to relieve aches and back pain.

21 weeks pregnant is how many months?

At 21 weeks pregnant, you are now in your fifth month of pregnancy. Over half of your pregnancy is completed and there are only 7 weeks until the third trimester.

21 weeks pregnancy symptoms

You might notice varicose veins making an appearance. These are very noticeable purple veins close to the surface of your skin. They’re caused by the extra pressure on the veins in your legs.

Higher progesterone levels also make the vein walls relax. You’re more likely to have problems with varicose veins with each subsequent pregnancy, and if other family members are prone to them.

Regular gentle exercise, periods of rest with your feet up, and maternity support hose are some of the ways you can alleviate varicose veins.

Your skin is doing some mighty work, as it stretches to accommodate your growing belly.

As a result, your skin might feel tight, dry, and very itchy. This is often more pronounced at the end of the day, especially if you have worn tight clothes in a particular area.

Try rubbing a pregnancy-friendly lotion on the area twice a day. This will help keep your skin softer and less prone to drying out and becoming itchy.

You might also notice some stretch marks in the area of your belly or breasts.

They can look like red, pink, or purple streaks that appear as the skin stretches.

Stretch marks happen when the supportive tissue under your skin is torn as it stretches. They might fade after the baby is born, but for most women, they don’t go away completely.

Pregnancy hormones can also speed up the growth of your nails and hair.

At 21 weeks pregnant you might also feel your breasts are swelling as they prepare to supply milk. Make sure you wear a supportive bra or get fitted professionally for a maternity bra.

There will be more pressure on your thighs, legs, and ankles, which could result in swelling later on. The majority of pregnant women experience some pain in these areas of the body.

You might notice a change in your appetite. Appetite is often increased because the growing fetus is demanding more nourishment.

Rapid weight gain can make stretch marks more noticeable, so it’s a good idea to eat a healthy diet during pregnancy. Do some exercise, too, so your weight gain is slow and steady.

Pregnant women can also get bloated and retain intestinal gas. Make it a habit to drink plenty of water and other fluids. Each day, eat nutritious forms of dietary fiber, such as avocado and broccoli.

You can also have inflamed gums, which leads to bleeding. This is a common complaint during pregnancy and it’s important to see your dentist regularly. Left unchecked, pregnancy gingivitis can lead to premature birth and low birth weight in babies.

You might also feel anxiety and pregnancy stress at this point. It’s completely normal, and you can acknowledge it by talking to a loved one or ask a healthcare provider about it.

You might also want to ask your ob-gyn for tips and information on your pregnancy and any concerns you have.

21 weeks pregnant ultrasound

Usually, by 21 weeks most women will have a referral for a morphology ultrasound. This is the best time for the sonographers to get the information they need to check the baby’s growth.

The morphology scan is a detailed ultrasound scan that looks at your baby’s body and observes the position of the placenta, the umbilical cord, the amniotic fluid around your baby, and also checks your uterus and cervix.

It’s also known as an ‘anomaly scan’ or an ’18 to 22 week scan’. You might be able to listen to your baby’s heartbeat.

Your doctor or midwife will give you a form to book this scan at a location of your choice.

Healthcare provider at pregnancy week 21

It’s essential your chosen healthcare provider is on the same page as you are when it comes to your plan for pregnancy, labor, birth, and the postnatal period.

This can make the difference between a good experience and a bad one.

The care provider you choose and the place you want to give birth will depend on what your view of childbirth is. You might want a more medical, active management mode of care. Or perhaps you prefer a more one-to-one, expectant management model of care.

Here are some options for care:

Private midwife

• Provides continuity of care – the same midwife for antenatal, labor, birth, and postnatal care
• Might provide an all-risk model of care
• Provides options of hospital, home or birth center, depending on access
• Provides access to water birth
• A woman-centered model of care
• Private, with costs associated.

Private obstetrician

• Usually provides an all-risk model, trained for high-risk pregnancies
• Access to the hospital
• Private, with costs associated.

Midwifery group practice

• Sometimes provides an all risk model
• Limited access, based on numbers of women booked in
• Access to hospital and birth centers
• Water birth
• Provides continuity of care, sharing care between a group of midwives
• Public, no cost.

Local hospital

• Provides an all risk model
• Access to hospital
• Public, no cost.

21 weeks pregnant exercise

You should find exercise is still pretty easy at 21 weeks pregnant.

It’s also really great for your body and helps you sleep better.

Remember, in pregnancy, your body releases the hormone relaxin, which allows everything to stretch. This means you could injure yourself a little more easily than usual when exercising.

Stick to activities that don’t put you at risk of falling or being hit in the stomach (e.g. horse riding or karate).

You should avoid dehydration and become overheated. Make sure to keep water and other fluids up during and after any exertion.

You might find you get breathless a little more quickly. This is because your uterus is pushing up and squashing your diaphragm.

If you already work out or take part in a sport, be sure to stay within your limits.

If you’re just starting new workout classes or any exercise activity, you should start slowly.

It’s a good idea to talk to your practitioner first, to make sure you choose the best program for you.

You might like to read Exercise And Pregnancy – Can I Exercise In Pregnancy? to find out more. 

21 weeks pregnant belly

At 21 weeks pregnant, your pregnancy bump gets bigger.

Some mothers notice Braxton Hicks contractions becoming more pronounced too.

This is your uterus tightening and releasing. These contractions have been happening since you were about 7 weeks pregnant. They aren’t painful and shouldn’t cause you any alarm.

Braxton Hicks will increase in frequency and intensity from now until the baby arrives. If the Braxton Hicks contractions become painful, make sure you speak to your doctor, just to be sure.

You could have an irritable uterus, which means you will need to take things a bit easier.

21 weeks pregnant – your baby

Your baby is gaining weight rapidly and looks much more like a newborn at pregnancy week 21.

At this stage, a baby’s skin is still very wrinkly as there’s room to put on plenty more weight.

The arms and legs have grown and are now more in proportion with the rest of the body.

Your baby’s little fingers and toe prints are now noticeable.

Movements are also more coordinated. Your baby at 21 weeks has developed taste buds.

You might have noticed your baby’s size seems to have taken a jump at 21 weeks pregnant.

From now on, your baby is measured from crown to heel, not crown to rump.

What is my baby doing in the womb at 21 weeks?

At 21 weeks pregnant, your baby can now move his eyelids freely and can open his eyes.

There is soft hair on the baby’s head; he has eyebrows, and his body is covered in fine hair (lanugo).

In baby girls, the uterus is formed and in baby boys, the testicles.

There is still plenty of room for your baby to move around in there.

You’re probably past feeling little fluttering movements. Instead, you’ll feel solid bumps and pokes when the baby moves about.

You’ll notice it especially when the baby rolls somersaults in the middle of the night.

How long do babies sleep in the womb at 21 weeks?

It’s hard to believe, with all the movement you’re feeling, that your baby sleeps at all.

In fact, he actually sleeps quite a lot – mostly when you’re awake and your movement lulls him to sleep.

That’s why you often feel your baby move more at night.

You’re less distracted then, but it’s also because you’re moving less.

Can you feel kicks at 21 weeks pregnant?

At week 21 most mothers would have felt initially a flutter that soon turns in movements and kicking.

From around 20 weeks, babies will develop their own pattern of movement and this will be normal for them.

Some babies will move more in the evening and others more in the morning. You will become familiar with your little one’s activity.

If you feel the pattern changes or the movement of the baby is reduced, it’s advised to contact your doctor or healthcare provider for an assessment.

21 weeks pregnant baby weight in kg

This week, your baby’s size is 23 cm (9 inches) long, and the weight about 0.340 kg (11.9 ounces).

At 21 weeks pregnant, your baby is around the size of a carrot.