How to Work Things Around at 21 Weeks Pregnant

BABY DEVELOPMENT

At week 21, your little one’s sense of taste and smell continues to develop!

Your amniotic fluid, which is the liquid that protects the baby while being carried inside a mother’s womb, triggers these senses. It carries aromatic molecules through the food that goes inside your mouth and the smell of your environment. This will make your baby acquainted to the smell of your skin and milk as soon as birth. And because the amniotic fluid is slightly sweet, babies are already familiar with sweet taste early on.

This basically means that through sensory experiences, your baby learns to be accustomed to whatever you’re feeding your body during pregnancy!

YOUR BODY

Have you been feeling like your neck is getting bigger than usual? Don’t worry because this is completely normal during pregnancy.

It can be attributed to your body’s many hormonal changes. Having seemingly thicker neck is caused by your thyroid glands swelling along with your growing boobs and belly. Fret not for this will eventually come to an end in the not too distant future!

And remember, things like this vary from one pregnancy to another. It will be helpful to avoid comparing yourself to others and focus on your personal development instead.

 NUTRITION

Are you feeling some heaviness in the area of your legs?

Always remember that while you’re pregnant, you have to make some tweaks not only with your eating habits, but in your daily practices overall. Here are some tips to help you control this absolutely manageable dilemma.

• Swelling is especially common in hot weather. Make sure you’re drinking enough amount of water, which is about 1.5 to 2 liters per day.
• Try to fit in a half hour of walk each day while wearing a slight heel. This will maintain muscle tone in your legs.
• Sleep on your left side, with your legs elevated. This will provide relief from the pressure due to your baby lying on and compressing your larger blood vessels.
• Spray cold water on the backs of your legs—from ankle to the knee—when in the shower.

TIPS

Have you been experiencing indigestion lately? It is an unpleasant but common pregnancy issue for most women. It is partly caused by the changes in hormonal levels and the growing baby that presses on the stomach.

Indigestion is usually accompanied by heartburn. These are burning sensations caused by an acid reflux or contents that comes back up from the stomach.

You may find these tips helpful in managing indigestion:

• Eat several meals each day instead of three large ones.
• Eat slowly and thoroughly.
• At night, prop up your head—keep the bed of your head higher or place some pillows under your shoulders—so that acid won’t rise up to your chest easily.

Click here to read all about week 22.