The development of the baby in the 21st week of pregnancy
Knowing the evolution of the fetus each week allows you to control anxiety during pregnancy, since you can understand the changes that the female body has and the development of the baby during each trimester. By week 21 of pregnancy, the second part of the pregnancy will have begun along with new experiences and some discomfort.
From the moment the pregnancy test shows the long-awaited positive, even if you don’t notice it, great changes take place in your body so that your body can house this new being, which will grow week by week until the right time for its birth arrives. birth.
Our knowledge of biology, as well as the medical literature, indicates that a pregnancy lasts in theory 9 months, but in reality the gestation period can reach up to 42 weeks before labor begins.
In this sense, from the 21st week of pregnancy, the second part of the pregnancy begins, and there are many changes in your body as well as in the development of the baby. Below we discuss the most relevant.
Evolution of pregnancy at 21 weeks
For the second trimester of pregnancy your belly begins to grow, so in this week it is likely that the belly will be more noticeable. The reason is simple: the uterus has increased in size and the fetus is approximately 25 cm from head to toe.
For its part, the weight of the 21-week fetus ranges between 320 and 350 grams, and its body continues to develop constantly. If it is a girl, by this week her ovaries will have descended to the pelvis and in boys the testicles begin to descend, but not yet reaching the scrotum.
As for his brain, it is likely that the neural connections already allow the 21-week fetus to perceive sensations related to light, temperature, pressure, among others.
Likewise, the nails also begin to grow and harden. Fortunately, there is no risk of injuring yourself because the whitish layer that began to form at week 20 protects the baby’s skin.
Most frequent moves
The 21 weeks of pregnancy in months represent the fifth month of gestation, and it is from this time that many mothers say that they begin to feel the kicks of the baby . The truth is that the fetus can move up to 50 times in an hour, most of them are involuntary movements, but as his brain develops, the little one also begins to control his movements.
However, at this stage you can already feel their kicks and turns more vigorously, due to their increase in size, being at bedtime when you can feel these movements with greater intensity.
Likewise, if you sit down to rest after eating, you will notice how the activity of the fetus increases during this time of rest. This does not mean that the baby does not move during the day, but since you are probably also moving doing your daily activities, you do not notice it.
And the future mother?
By the fifth month of pregnancy , morning sickness, nausea, and food disgust will have disappeared in most cases. At this stage, the woman still feels active because the belly has not grown excessively, and some of her jeans may still be useful even if the button does not close.
In the 21st week of pregnancy, the weight of the future mother can also begin to increase. In this sense, it is important to maintain a varied and balanced diet, as well as regular physical activity according to daily habits.
Similarly, it is likely that some episodes of incontinence, loss of urine when laughing, sneezing or coughing, will begin to occur. This is because, due to its growth, the uterus presses on the bladder , as well as other organs of the body, including the stomach, lungs and heart. Therefore, it is normal to experience stomach discomfort, constipation, palpitations and uncomfortable urine leaks.
On the other hand, in the ultrasound of the fifth month or the second trimester, a slight anomaly may be present: low-lying placenta at week 21. This is not a sign to worry, because generally by the third trimester the placenta corrects its position.
However, if after this time the placenta remains low, placenta previa is diagnosed in the pregnant woman. This condition does not affect the development of the baby, but it increases the chances of doing a caesarean section when the time of delivery arrives and you should be aware of any vaginal bleeding or hemorrhage.
advice and care
During the second trimester of pregnancy and the following weeks, pain in the lower back may occur, as well as cramps when sleeping, so you should give priority to your rest.
Similarly, the use of cushions for pregnant women can help you improve your sleeping position, as well as take care of your daily posture, wear comfortable clothes and comfortable flat shoes.
The latter is especially important, because with the growth of the uterus and belly your center of gravity begins to vary, so it is recommended to be careful when going up and down stairs, avoiding slippery surfaces and others where there is a risk of falling.
Also, it is very normal to feel some hot flashes at this stage of pregnancy, since hormonal changes and the acceleration of your metabolism are responsible for the increase in body temperature, sweating, among others. Therefore, wearing loose clothing, turning on the air conditioning and taking relaxing baths will help you control these disturbances.
Last but not least, we must remember that an increase in female libido can occur at this stage and it is totally healthy for the couple to have sex. Only the most compatible positions with the size of the belly and the comfort of the pregnant woman should be sought.
The baby may notice some movements, as well as uterine tension at the time of orgasm or the mother’s rapid heart rate, but none of this is harmful to the fetus and he will not know what it is.