At 21 weeks pregnant, you are almost halfway through your pregnancy. Very soon, you will finally be with the baby that you have worked so hard to bring into the world. The baby seems to be in a hurry too, because it is really beginning to grow very fast. Most of your baby's organ systems are fully functional now and your body continues to nurture the baby. At 21 weeks pregnant, weight gain continues to occur because your baby still has to develop more. Though you may feel large and bulky right now, you will gain some more weight in the coming weeks.
Most of the weight of your body can right now be attributed to the baby. The placenta itself is almost as large as your baby is, and that is already a considerable size. You are in the second half of your pregnancy, and the 21 weeks pregnant weight gain is considerably more than what you experienced before.
Your body will feel stretched and you will also feel slightly sluggish and heavy.
The baby is almost as large as a banana now and weighs about 11 ounces. You yourself may have gained 10 to 15 pounds so far through your pregnancy. As the baby grows bigger, you will grow bigger too. Your metabolism will be all charged up and you will begin to notice that you are a lot hungrier than you used to be. The increases appetite may also be responsible for part of your 21 weeks pregnant weight gain.
Apart from the actual weight of the baby and the placenta, the extra blood in your body for the nourishment of the fetus also contributes to the increased weight. In the next few weeks, you will gain as much weight as you gained in the last 20 weeks. You will develop pica, which is usually craving for unusual foods.
The weight gain at 21 weeks pregnant is by no means going to slow down. In fact, you are only going to gain much more weight. The average weight gain at 21 weeks pregnant is 15 pounds, but there are some women, who tend to put on even more weight. To maintain a healthy weight gain, regular light exercises are important. At 21 weeks pregnant with twins, weight gain is much more than women who are having a single baby. With twins, the weight of the babies is more, and the extra blood required for nourishing them is also more in your body. When you are 21 weeks pregnant, a weight gain calculator would be a very useful tool to keep a track of your weight gain.
Read more articles from the Pregnancy Week By Week Category.
7 Must-Haves Before Your Baby Arrives
Bonding Games for Babies
DIY Baby Bath Towel Apron
Common Late Pregnancy Fears