Your Pregnancy - Week 21

You’re now officially in the last half of your pregnancy.

Maybe you’re feeling glorious, embracing your new curves (check that cleavage!) and snapping Insta Stories full of your newly glossy hair and glowing skin.

Or perhaps you’re not feeling quite as peachy - it’s normal to feel bloated (and a bit farty), and for varicose veins and bleeding gums to make an appearance. Pregnancy isn’t a beauty pageant and definitely isn’t a competition, so try not to get sucked into glossy filtered images on social media or by friends supposedly perfect pregnancies. 

Read Your Pregnancy: Week 20 

What does my baby look like?

What shoe size are you? You're an 8? That’s how big your baby is this week, around 26.5cm. And weighing in around 350g, which is about the same as one of those big bags of Skittles*.  

Your baby is now covered in a layer of fine hair, called lanugo that helps protect their delicate skin. And if you could peek inside you’d see fine eyelashes and eyebrows now frame their face. 

What’s a breech baby? 

Babies tend to move around a lot when they’re inside you but by the time you’re ready to give birth they should be pointing headfirst (so head down towards your vagina). But not all babies like to play by the rule book and either like to sit feet/bottom first, this is called breech or sideways (transverse). 

• Don’t panic if your baby’s breech or transverse during early scans as they have plenty of time to spin around. But when you have later appointments your midwife will check your baby’s position and if they’re breech or transverse you’ll chat about options for your delivery. 
• If you get to 36 weeks and your baby is breech or transverse your midwife might say they can turn the baby. This is called an external cephalic version (ECV) and is done by a doctor. They press on your tummy to turn your baby head down and it’s safe but can be uncomfortable.
• If turning the baby doesn’t work or you don’t want it done, you can go for a vaginal birth or C Section (caesarean section). Sometimes it’s not safe for you or your baby to have a vaginal birth and your midwife or doctor will recommend a C Section.

Your midwife or doctor will talk you through each stage and give you advice on the safest birth possible. 

Want to chat to other mums who know what you're going through? Join our Facebook community of over 70,000 mums.

Read: Your pregnancy - week 22