Day 153 of 280, second trimester
You are 21 weeks and 6 days
Your baby has been filtering amniotic fluid and storing the waste as a substance called meconium.
127 days until your due date
By the end of this week, your baby's anal sphincter muscle is fully working, which should stop any small particles of meconium passing into the amniotic fluid. Meconium, first made at 12 weeks, is the greenish-black first poop that nine out of 10 newborns pass in their first 24 hours.
Meconium is made mainly of cells shed from the lining of the gut as it lengthens and expands, plus waste from nutrients absorbed from swallowed amniotic fluid. It's made continuously and moves slowly down the gut, reaching the large bowel (colon) by 16 weeks. It's sterile, because there are no organisms in the gut, and no gas is produced.
As a matter of fact
Thumb sucking
Your baby moves her hand to her mouth and even sucks her thumb.
Research shows she may even open her mouth in anticipation. She grips anything her hands touch, strongly enough to support her whole body weight.
Good to know
Keep toned
Strength training in pregnancy, with free weights or gym machines, helps your body cope with its demands, helps you carry the extra weight, and helps you recover after the birth. Toned limbs will help you look and feel better too.
Follow these guidelines:
- If you already lift weights regularly, keep going, but don't increase the weights or repetitions.
- If you're new to weights, start very light with few repetitions and build up slowly, only increasing when you're confident you can manage.
- Breathe in to start and out as you lift.
- Free weights are safer than machines in pregnancy. If you use a machine, have a trainer show you how to use it properly.
- If standing is too tiring, sit on a chair to lift your weights, keeping your back straight and shoulders relaxed. When standing, keep your legs hip-width apart and knees slightly bent.
Appointments and key dates around now
- Whooping cough vaccineUsually around 20 weeks, best before 32 weeks
Read the full 21 weeks pregnant guide
This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.