Pregnancy calendar – week 21

Your baby’s development

Your baby is now around 26cm long and weighs about 8oz. They can hear when you talk and sing – so now’s a good time to start one-sided conversations with them, if you haven’t started already!

As their kidneys are now working, they’re starting to process your baby’s own waste. The brain is developing fast too, and needs lots of omega fatty acids to sustain its growth. These building blocks come from your own internal stores, so make sure to include foods such as oily fish in your diet. They’re a prime source of omega 3.

You & your body

Now that you’re getting bigger, people are probably starting to notice more that you’re pregnant. If you're starting to think about all the things you've got to buy for your baby then you might want to take a look at our information on baby things to buy in advance.

You might be feeling some aches and pains in your legs too which is understandable, given that your body is having to do some extra work and being put under pressure a bit.

Make sure that you take things easy and use our tips to help avoid any swelling or puffiness in your legs:

• Rest with your feet up whenever you can
• ‘Circle’ your feet at the ankles to get your circulation going 
• Try support stockings if your legs do get puffy
• Try doing regular stretching and walking – perhaps for 15 minutes in the morning and afternoon