Pregnancy Week 21
Baby’s Growth During the 21st Week of Pregnancy
Your baby is almost, not quite a pound these days and is about 10 1/2 inches long. You may soon feel as though your baby is running a circus as the initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. As you begin to feel more and more of your baby’s movements, you may begin to notice a pattern as you get to know your baby better.
The developments this week include eyebrows and eye lids. And your baby is swallowing a bit of amniotic fluid each day (for nutrition, hydration, and to practice digesting) so, whatever is on your menu your baby may also be tasting.
Body Changes in the 21st Week of Pregnancy
As your body expands and your belly and breasts just keep growing you may notice pink, red, or purple streaks of stretch marks as the supporting tissue under your skin gets torn as skin stretches. Not every woman will get stretch marks though you’re a likely candidate if your Mom had stretch marks during her pregnancy or if you’ve gained weight rapidly.
With the progression of pregnancy, there’s increasing pressure on the veins in your legs and higher progesterone levels. For you this means you’ve become more prone to varicose veins. Though you’re more likely to get varicose veins if other family members have them. They also tend to get worse with each pregnancy and as you age. To help prevent or minimize varicose veins, exercise daily, prop up your feet and legs when possible, sleep on your left side, and wear maternity support hose.
