Typical Tests That Are Done
Between weeks 18-22 youll have a level 2 anatomy scan. This is when you can typically find out the sex of your babies. Dont be surprised, however, if its too difficult to see one or both babies genitalia to determine the sex, most often because of the position the babies are in. During this scan, your medical team will be assessing the development of each babys brain, face, heart, spine, and other major organs, as well as the placement of the placenta, umbilical cords, and amniotic fluid levels. Do not be surprised if you are asked to come back for a follow-up scan. This is very common with multiple birth pregnancies because its often difficult for the technician to get a good picture if your babies are not cooperating.
This week consisted of lots of naps. I had a chiropractor and acupuncture appointment which was very helpful for my back pain. Ive started slowing down when eating / pausing mid-meal, because Im running out of room!Lauren, 21 weeks pregnant with twins
What Other Care Is Available
If you want additional advice you can refer yourself to a private clinic. There you can have an appointment with a midwife, specialist and you can have a high quality ultrasound scan. If you do not have confidence in the NHS scan for whatever reason it can be repeated. In a private clinic there should be more time, often better equipment and access to highly skilled expertise. If you have had a previous late miscarriage or carry twins then a cervical scan is readily available.
What Does My Baby Look Like
Your baby, or foetus, is around 26.7cm long from head to toe, and weighs about 350g. That’s approximately the size of a carrot, and the weight of five pitta breads.
Your baby is now heavier than the placenta. The placenta basically doubles up as a larder and toilet, by providing food and removing waste. It will keep on growing during your pregnancy to do its vital work.
Meanwhile your baby has been developing a fine, downy layer of hair called “lanugo” â the purpose of this fur coat is probably to keep your baby at the perfect temperature, and it usually vanishes before the birth. Your baby is also developing hair and eyebrows.
Your baby can now hear noises and voices outside the womb. If you sing to your bump, no matter how bad it sounds, they will be your biggest fan.
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What Is Happening With Your Baby
Your babys eyelids have finished forming this week, and he/she is very busy moving around and swallowing amniotic fluid. You most likely have felt your baby move by this time and have realized that he/she is not necessarily on the same schedule that you are. As your baby swallows amniotic fluid, the digestive tract is continuing to mature. Your baby is also receiving some of the caloric intakes from the amniotic fluid. If your baby is a girl, her vagina has fully formed but will continue to develop until birth.
What Is Baby Doing At 21 Weeks In The Womb
Now, at 21 weeks, fetal movement is noticeableand baby has reflexes too! If you gently press your palm on your belly, you might feel a little push back. So cool! Baby at 21 weeks is practicing coordinated movements and enjoying the room they currently have in your uterus, which means they also need 12 to 14 hours of sleep every day. Baby at 21 weeks is also practicing swallowing amniotic fluid and growing taste buds as well as head and body hair.
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Dealing With Varicose Veins
Most of the time, doctors do not need to treat swelling and varicose veins in pregnancy. They’re typically expected to get better once the baby is born. But you can try to prevent or relieve swollen veins by:
- Trying not to sit or stand in one position for long stretches.
- Elevating your legs as much as possible.
- Moving around and getting some exercise.
- Trying not to cross your legs.
- Talk about your concerns and worries with your partner.
Week 22 To 23 Of Pregnancy
Your unborn baby is beginning to get into a pattern of sleeping and waking. This may not be the same pattern as yours. When you’re in bed at night, feeling relaxed and trying to sleep, they may be wide awake and moving about.
The lungs are not yet working properly. Despite this, your unborn baby is practicing breathing movements. They are preparing for life outside the uterus. They get all its oxygen from you via the placenta, and will do so until it is born.
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Your Babys Development At 21 Weeks
You know your baby is growing fast, but how do you explain the big jump in inches? Babys being measured differently now. See what else is happening this week.
- Baby size: How did your baby jump from 6.5 inches to 10.5 inches in one week? Babys growth isnt that crazyits just being measured differently now. This week, the measurement changes from butt to head to head to toe . Your growing baby is finally starting to stretch out their legs, so they can be more accurately measured in ultrasounds.
- Reproductive system: It may seem premature, but your baby is developing their ability to have babies. Pretty meta, huh? Males are developing their testes, while females are developing their ovaries and all of the eggs they will have in their lifeabout a million.
- Eyelids: In other fetal development news, your babys eyelids are developing this week, but itll take a while longer before they nail a cute wink.
- Baby moving: This week, if you were to push on your belly, your baby would shimmy out of the way because their skin now responds to touch.
What To Expect At 21 Weeks Pregnant With Twins
If youre 21 weeks pregnant with twins, your belly is getting tight, itchy and dry, and you may have already developed some stretch marks. Keep rubbing that 21 week baby bump with plenty of lotion to ease the itchiness. Heartburn is probably a close personal friend at this point too, so watch what you eat to make sure you dont make it worse, and keep meals smaller and more frequent. If that doesnt do it, talk to your doctor about a pregnancy-friendly antacid.
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When Should I Worry About Braxton Hicks At 21 Weeks
You shouldnt worry at all unless the contractions dont stop after a couple minutes, get stronger and closer together or theres fluid or bleeding from the vagina. In those cases, call your doctor. Otherwise, Braxton Hicks contractions are prepping your uterus for all that hard work contracting during labor. Braxton Hicks at 21 weeks are normal but usually just periodic. They rarely last more than two minutes and are often brought on by sex and orgasm, a full bladder, dehydration or a big kick from baby.
How Big Is Your Baby At 20 Weeks Pregnant
The size of your 20-week baby is comparable to a large banana or a grapefruit. The 20-week baby weighs 10.6 oz . This week, he/she is about 6.3 in from the top of the head to the coccyx and about 9.8 in from head to toe. Your baby will gain approximately 1 centimeter in length each week during this month.
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Bloating And Increased Flatulence
As the baby gets bigger within you, your uterus exerts more pressure on your bowel. This usually results in more instances of your passing gas.
Constipation becomes more common because of high levels of progesterone and because of growing uterus pressure on them, the gas might not have anywhere to pass, leaving you feeling bloated. Drinking plenty of fluids and eating fiber-rich foods can alleviate constipation.
What Does My Baby Look Like In Week 21
Your baby weighs in at around 350g and is about as long as a carrot. Although your babys ears began to form early on, theyll start to be able to hear around now. Theyll be able to make out sounds from outside, including your voice and the voices of people around you.
Talk and sing to your bump if you feel like it, and encourage other family members to do the same – it can be a nice way to let others get involved.
It sounds a little strange but your baby has been growing a fine hair called lanugo all over their tiny body over the last few weeks. Youll be relieved to hear it usually disappears before they’re born.
The hair on their head and eyebrows is starting to become a little thicker at the roots and showing signs of pigment.
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Your 21 Weeks Pregnant Belly
At 21 weeks pregnant, weight gain should continue at around a pound per week. Your pregnant belly is getting rapidly biggernow you may be able to feel the top of your uterus with your fingers about a half-inch above your belly button.
At your OB appointments now, they might start measuring your fundal heightthe distance between the pubic bone and the top of your uterus. It helps keep tabs on babys growth and amniotic fluid level.
Weeks Pregnant Fetal Movement
As your baby grows, youll feel them moving more and more. What starts to feel like a butterfly flutter around weeks 18 to 20 will develop into cute kicks and jabsand then full-on dancing on your bladder in the third trimester.
You might notice that baby isnt always cooperative when it comes to when they move. You may find your baby is still while youre up and walking around, and then when its time for you to rest, baby moves around like crazy. Consider this prep for the futurenewborns are on their very own schedules, and were the ones who need to adapt to them.
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What Is Routinely Offered On Nhs
The NHS offers an anomaly scan between 18 and 22 weeks. A better and more detailed view of the baby will be seen at 20 to 22 weeks. This provides better detail about organs such as the heart. If the baby is not in an ideal position the sonographer may find it difficult to assess the full detail and you may be asked to move around or come back later. If the sonographer has any difficulty or there are abnormal findings then you will be asked to return to see a specialist doctor. After this scan you will have an appointment with the midwife or, if there are any problems, the consultant.
This 21 Year Old Got A Positive Pregnancy Test A Week Later She Gave Birth
It was a night in February 2021 that Teagan Brill, a senior at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, knew she couldnt participate in class. Her stomach hurt badly, so she asked her professor if she could attend with her Zoom camera off.
Early the next morning, she went to use the bathroom, and her stomach cramps were so intense she couldnt stand up. Immobilized and scared, she called her roommates sleeping upstairs. When they didn’t answer, she called 911.
What Teagan didn’t realize at the time was that her pain was not a result of stomach cramps. She was having contractions.
Later that morning in the bathroom, while on the phone with the 911 operator, Teagan, 21, gave birth to a baby boy. Having recently shared her experience on TikTok, in a series of videos that have gone viral, Teagan spoke to TODAY Parents about how she had a baby just days after discovering she was pregnant.
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An Excerpt From What To Do When Youre Having Two
Daily Vitamins
It is important to make sure that are taking your prenatal daily vitamins. If you are tired of paying for your daily vitamins, when you go to the doctors office, just tell them to give you a boatload of samples. They will give them to you. I dont want you to be shy about anything like that ever again. Every time you go to the doctors office, just take whatever you want. If you need gloves, ask the nurse for a few pairs! Youre paying enough to that doctor. I mean, really, the birth of your twins will cost almost a hundred grand between your hospital stay, the babies hospital stays, plus every freaking specialist in the universe who is going to come witness your birth and probably bill for it. I think you deserve some free vitamins.
Water
I mentioned this before, but its worth bringing up again. You need to drink at least a gallon of water a day not only to prevent hemorrhoids and all that fun stuff, but also to ward off dehydration and pre-term labor. If your body gets too dehydrated, your muscles can tighten and cramp, and this can be confused with labor pains, so it is crucial that you remain properly hydrated throughout your twin pregnancy.
Pregnant with twins and not sure where to start? Visit the Ultimate Twin Pregnancy Guide to find all the top articles and resources to get you ready for twins. While youre at it, check out our expecting twin classes and Twiniversity shop!
REMINDER: Dont forget to take a belly shot!
Symptoms And Body Changes At 21 Weeks
As your uterus moves a ½ inch above your belly button, your abdomen is pooching out, and even strangers can tell you are pregnant now. You may begin to experience leg cramps and aches.
To relieve the pain, try elevating your legs by using a pregnancy pillow, or even a regular pillow.
This will also help your ankles, thighs, and feet when swelling occurs. As your weight increases, you will notice that you are learning a new way to walk.
Sometimes you may faint, so it is important you wear loose, comfortable clothes, and try wearing flat shoes instead of heels.
Your appetite is also increasing, and although some people may advise you to increase your calorie intake by no more than 300, it is okay to eat up to 500 calories more per day at this stage.
Just make sure you keep your doctor advised of your eating habits to ensure you are staying healthy.
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Moms Body At 21 Weeks
So, when you get to 21 weeks pregnant, how many months along are you? At 21 weeks, youâre almost six months pregnant.
You may have had some heartburn and indigestion earlier in the first trimester, but as your uterus gets larger, it may start pushing up against your stomach. This can cause you to have heartburn more frequently.
Around this time, your pregnancy hormones may also cause hot flashes, and the extra weight can cause some aches and pains during the coming weeks.
Tips For You This Week
Unstuff your nose
Seasonal allergies may not be to blame for all that nasal congestion you’ve been experiencing. Alas, starting in the second trimester, a stuffy nose is a common pregnancy symptom one that tends to stick around until delivery.
To clear your nasal passages, use your thumb to close one nostril, while gently blowing out the other. Then, repeat on the other side. If you’re really stuffed up, ask your doctor if there’s a safe OTC decongestant or antihistamine you can use.
Elevate your feet
Finding it harder to tie your shoes than usual? Swollen feet and ankles may be to blame. Because your body has about 50 percent more blood and fluid than it did pre-baby, your extremities are more prone to swelling. So be sure to clock in a few sit-and-elevate sessions throughout the day.
Slow and steady wins the race
Chances are your practitioner advised you on your target weight gain at your first prenatal appointment and that it was calculated based on a number of factors, including what your pre-pregnancy weight and BMI were.
Your practitioner probably also talks to you at every visit about where you are on that upward curve and where you should aim to be.
If you’ve been instructed to gain the standard 25-to-35-pound total in your pregnancy, by this week you’re likely to have gained anywhere from 10 to 16 of those pounds.
Walk for 30 minutes a dayAvoid lasersClear your calendarLimit empty calories
Other calories that can go? The ones you’ll find in sugary treats.
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Do You Have Questions About Your Scan Results
If youve discovered that theres a health complication with your baby, youre probably feeling very anxious and shocked.
You can find lots of advice and information on the Antenatal Results and Choices website. They also have a helpline: 0800 077 2290.
Dont forget you can also talk to our midwives from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
There are a number of ways you can get in touch:
– Call our free PregnancyLine on 0800 0147 800
– Comment or message on the
Belly At 21 Weeks Of Pregnancy
21 weeks of carrying your baby around will put a strain on your entire body. As the belly continues to grow, you may find that the belly button turns flat or pop out in certain cases.
You will be around 5-6 kg heavier than usual. This includes the weight of the baby, amniotic fluid, placenta, uterus, increased blood and other fluids, fat and protein storage in the breasts, and so on. You could keep your uterine and pelvic muscles in tiptop shape by doing Kegel exercises.
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