Welcome to Week 21 of Your Pregnancy!
Your Baby in Week 21 of Pregnancy
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The bone marrow, the substance in the center of the bones, will start making the blood cells around week 21 of pregnancy. The spleen and the liver have been making the red blood cells up to this point to be put in the baby’s circulatory system. Making new blood is a continuous process for the body, and it will never quit. Your baby also begins to make leukocytes, which are white blood cells and components of blood. The white blood cells are what fight off infections and diseases all throughout your life.
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The brain is working very hard to develop your baby’s sense of taste. It is becoming sensitive to everything you ingest. By week 21 of pregnancy, they can distinguish sweet, salty and bitter tasting foods. Well, foods you ate, anyway. That hot dog with sour kraut, they got a taste of it. Along with the pretzel with salt on top. They experienced – to a lesser extent – the same tastes that you did today. Maybe you should take your baby out for a glass of milk tonight!
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Around week 21 of pregnancy your baby is beginning to learn that they have the ability to react to stimuli, whether it be food, sound, light. It may seem baffling to you but the uterus does allow light to filter in, so your baby will know when you are on the beach, in a movie theater or outside on a cloudy day. And baby can already distinguish sounds and your voice, so their reactions towards them become stronger. Since your baby can also tell between a few foods, they might grow to have a craving of something – sweet or salty.
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In week 21 of pregnancy, the eyelids are fully developed, but remain tightly closed. Since the eyelids act as protection for the eye, and are now in place, the eyes will develop more rapidly in the weeks to come. The eyelids themselves have the capability to be fully functioning, but they still do not have eyelashes. The eyelashes are protection for outside elements, and they won’t extend from the lid for several more weeks.
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If you are having a little girl, her vagina is typically developed during week 21 of pregnancy. It is small and more of the reproduction pieces have yet to grow around it, but the vagina is there and visible for an ultrasound technician to see.
Tip: If you don’t want to find out the sex of your baby, make sure to tell the technician! Once the secret is out – you can’t unlearn it!
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It may seem like your baby is getting a case of the hiccups all the time! The hiccups may seem annoying at times to you, but really, they are a good thing. In a baby, hiccups are working the lungs and getting them ready for breathing outside of the uterus. And the more hiccupping they do, the more developing they are doing! And don’t worry that you are causing your baby to hiccup – you aren’t. It is a process that their diaphragm starts randomly, and ends when it feels like it. Some babies hiccup very little, others might do it constantly. Every baby is different so try to enjoy the feeling when it comes, because it won’t last long. Soon you’ll see your tummy jiggle ever so slightly with every hiccup.
Your Body in Week 21 of Pregnancy
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Since you’ve crossed the halfway point by week 21 of pregnancy, your body is beginning to experience many more changes. Varicose veins may develop and pop out in certain areas. Areas most prone to varicose veins are in your legs, where the additional weight pressure is the most significant. If possible, wear support stockings to help with the blood flow. If your legs are starting to develop varicose veins, keep your feet propped up for 20 minutes every few hours to try and relieve the pressure. Varicose veins are not harmful but that doesn’t mean you’ll like them!
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The extra hormones in your system may be producing oil for your skin around week 21 of pregnancy. The result? Acne! You may feel like a teenager instead of a pregnant mother-to-be. You can clean your skin with a mild soap or cleanser every day to keep the oil down. If the oil is down, you are less likely to have an acne breakout – but as with every pregnancy, it is not a guarantee! Chalk it up as another blessing of motherhood.
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Travel is still safe for most women at this point in the pregnancy but you’ll want to check with your doctor to make sure you don’t have any restrictions. If you are allowed to travel, your comfort is paramount. To keep yourself comfortable at all times, here are some tips you can follow:
- Keep yourself hydrated. Whether you are in a plane, a car or a train, keep a water bottle handy. If you can’t keep it with you, due to airplane security reasons, keep money on hand to keep purchasing new water bottles. Those extra few dollars will make you feel better in the long run.
- If you are sitting, try to get up and walk around every two hours. Walking or stretching will keep the blood flowing to all parts of your body and prevent numbness and a sore behind!
Bring your own pillow to try and rest – as long as you aren’t the driver!
- Do you have a theme picked out for your baby’s room? You might want to start decorating now. There are literally thousands of designs you can choose from – from cartoon characters, to nursery rhymes, to biblical themes.
Some of the most popular designs for a non-gender specific baby’s room are Winnie the Pooh motif’s, Noah’s Ark, baby animals, circus animals, stars and moons, and nursery rhymes. Popular boy patterns include sports items, cowboys, race cars and blue colored cartoon character designs. Popular girl themes include dolls, teddy bears, pink polka dots, character designs and flowers.
When choosing a theme, pick something that you like! Don’t let someone else tell you what to choose. You will be the one stumbling into the room at 3 AM, so pick something that is pleasing to your eyes.
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