Week 21, second trimester
21 weeks pregnant: placeholder title
Placeholder: a short, direct summary of 21 weeks pregnant — what's happening with the baby, how you might feel and which NHS appointments fall this week.
Placeholder: the week overview goes here. Add it as site/src/content/weeks/week-21.md.
Appointments and key dates this week
- 20-week screening scanBetween 18 and 21 weeks
- Whooping cough vaccineUsually around 20 weeks, best before 32 weeks
Day by day this week
- 21 weeks 0 days (day 147)Try to fit a little energizing exercise into every day; you'll feel much better for it.
- 21 weeks 1 day (day 148)If you often walk into a room and forget why, don't worry; you've just developed "pregnancy brain"!
- 21 weeks 2 days (day 149)What's in a name? Quite a lot, as you'll find when you start trying to choose one.
- 21 weeks 3 days (day 150)As well as using fat for growth and development, your baby is now starting to store it.
- 21 weeks 4 days (day 151)Your baby is making essential red and white blood cells faster than you do.
- 21 weeks 5 days (day 152)Bellies come in all shapes and sizes, and your doctor will keep track of how your baby is growing.
- 21 weeks 6 days (day 153)Your baby has been filtering amniotic fluid and storing the waste as a substance called meconium.
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.