Week 21 of Your Pregnancy
Baby’s Development
At this point in your pregnancy, your little baby has almost quadrupled his weight, typically weighing in at almost three quarters of a pound! Your baby has become so big, that the measurement system officially changes at this time. Whereas previously fetal measurements were taken from crown to rump due to the curled legs of most babies, measurements are now taken from crown to heel. The legs are fully developed and as you may be able to attest, they spend a great deal more time kicking than curling!
Your baby’s hearing has progressed to the point that he will be able to hear your conversations and enjoy the ambient womb sounds such as your steadily beating heart. Now is an excellent time to talk, sing or read to your fetus. They respond to the sound of your voice and will be accustomed to it when they’re born. Studies have even shown that fetuses suck more vigorously when they are read to than when the mother or father is silent! Start making that bond already!
The liver and pancreas finally get a break this week when your baby’s bone marrow starts to produce blood cells. Beyond that, all the more complex structuring of the organs is complete and after week twenty-one, your child will be concentrating more on packing on the weight than building its foundation.
Your Body and Emotions
Itching, round ligament pain, water retention and now…sore legs and feet. Welcome to pregnancy!! Your weight gain and the size of your uterus/baby are probably starting to cause some stress on your joints at this time. Although you’re still feeling top mark and probably enjoying your pregnancy psychologically, your legs may be starting to complain.
If you feel like you’ve walked hours after only normal daily movement, it may be time to invest in some pregnancy support hose. Try to cast images of old ladies in strangely colored nylons out of your head! Investing in a pair of pregnancy support hose can give your legs some much-needed rest throughout the day. Support hose work by helping to push blood back up through the body that might otherwise lag due to low blood pressure and/or tired veins from your pregnancy. You might be tempted to save some money and wrap a tensor bandage around your legs instead, but it’s just not the same thing and doing so may cause more harm than good. Support hose is designed to put the maximum pressure on your ankle area and then slowly ease up with the least pressure applied around your thigh. By graduating the compression, your tired blood gets an extra boost back up through your circulatory system and much of the pregnancy-related swelling and discomfort can be relieved.
Try calling them ‘compression stockings’ – it might make the purchase a little easier on you…
Dad’s Tips
By now she’s probably been feeling your baby’s movement for some time. She’s most likely grabbed your hand excitedly and pressed it to her belly but you haven’t felt a thing. This week, chances are that you might be able to feel your little boy or girl tapping away inside. Don’t be put off by it, as strange as it may seem. It’s an amazing feeling to know that your baby is getting stronger every day and is just as impatient as you are to get out and meet you. |
