Pregnancy week by week · trimester 2
🥕 21 weeks pregnant: your baby is about the size of a carrot
At 21 weeks pregnant, your baby is about the size of a carrot, and movements are becoming smoother and more purposeful.
Your baby this week
Your baby is roughly the length of a carrot, about 26.7cm from head to heel and around 360g. Movements are becoming smoother and more coordinated as the nervous system and muscles mature. Your baby may be kicking, rolling and even reacting to your touch on your bump. Bone marrow is starting to help make blood cells. The digestive system is getting more practice as your baby swallows fluid. Eyebrows and eyelids are fully formed.
You this week
You may feel more definite kicks and wriggles, and sometimes your partner may feel them through your bump. Stretch marks may appear, and itching on your tummy is common. Swollen ankles, leg cramps and backache can carry on. You might notice Braxton Hicks tightenings, which are painless practice contractions. Some mums feel a touch breathless, as the growing womb pushes up on the lungs.
Kind things to do this week
- Invite your partner to feel for kicks while you are resting.
- Raise your feet when you sit, and avoid standing still for long periods.
- Keep up your vitamin D, and eat iron-rich foods like beans, lentils, green veg and lean red meat.
Appointments around now
Your anomaly scan is usually offered between 18 and 21 weeks, if it has not happened yet.
Questions to ask your midwife
- What do Braxton Hicks feel like, and when should I worry?
- Do I need an iron check?
When to call your midwife or maternity unit
Once you have started to feel your baby move regularly, if the movements slow down, stop or change, contact your maternity unit straight away, day or night. Do not wait until the next day. Please also call if you have any bleeding, fluid leaking, a severe headache, changes to your vision, or sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet.
OBubba from bump to baby
Follow your pregnancy week by week, free.
OBubba is free through pregnancy, with a weekly update, kick counting and contraction timing. On the day your baby arrives, the same app becomes your baby tracker.
Questions
What are Braxton Hicks?
They are practice tightenings of your womb that are usually painless and irregular. If tightenings become regular or painful before 37 weeks, contact your maternity unit.
Is it normal for my baby to move at different times?
Yes. Babies have their own pattern, and it becomes more recognisable as the weeks pass. Get to know what is normal for your baby.
Not sure how far along you are? Use the due date calculator.
Sources
OBubba gives general information. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Your midwife and maternity unit are always the right people to ask, any time of day or night.