You are now in the second half of your pregnancy and know so much more about your body than you did 20 weeks ago! While a lot of the discomforts of pregnancy like morning sickness and fatigue are now gone, others are taking their place – you now have new aches and pains, varicose veins or spider veins, skin and hair changes and more besides.
You can start to bond with your baby now, by singing to her, speaking with her, stroking her soothingly through your abdomen. Your partner and other kids in the family can also do this. It is a good idea to let your children do this so that they become used to the idea of the baby to arrive.
Changes in the baby
Baby is now about 10 inches long, roughly the size of a carrot or a large banana, and is nearly at the 1 pound mark. Women who are now able to feel their baby move about may find that there is a certain pattern to the movements; that baby is more active during some parts of the day or night than others.
- Baby’s eyelids and eyebrows are now in place.
- Baby gets a bit of a taste of what you eat; so try to eat a variety of different healthy foods to get baby used to those tastes and also perhaps develop a predisposition to healthy eating.
Changes in the mom to be
While some women find their libido increase during pregnancy, others find that is has dipped or remained about the same. Each scenario is quite normal. But as your belly increases in size, you may find intercourse difficult.
- There is no reason why you shouldn’t have normal sexual intercourse all through pregnancy unless you have been advised not to. Pregnancy conditions such as placenta previa, bleeding, discharge, abdominal pain or dilated cervix could call for abstinence.
- Try different positions to see what is comfortable for you and your partner.
Tips for the 21st Week
Anxiety could be among the emotions you face this week. Try to soothe yourself and start to bond with your baby.
- Pick out music that you can listen to and get your baby used to. Who knows, you may be able to influence your baby’s musical taste for later.
- You can also start to read out to your baby – studies show that mother’s voice is a preferred sound even before birth!