At 21 weeks, you will see some exciting changes in your baby. It may be pleasant for you to see your baby trying to get into a sitting position or crawling. Your baby may extend its arms to be picked up or hug you lovingly when you lift it. During this week, most babies begin to imitate the actions and words of the adults around them. Try to spend as much and quality time as possible to establish a strong bond with your baby.

Baby Development

At 21 weeks, your baby may show remarkable developments both physically and mentally. When you say its name, it will look right at you. It may also begin to show a range of emotions, including happiness, pleasure, anxiety, irritability, and boredom.

At 21 weeks, your baby will begin to show uneasiness as it is separated from its mother. Your baby may begin to cry when handed over to someone else. If this happens often, give it enough time to get to know new people, don`t hug it right away, warn it about it. Look forward to your baby`s first words like mom and dad this week. Most of the time it will try to copy the sounds it hears.

Milestones

Every baby develops at its own pace. Therefore, developmental milestones may be different for each baby. Some common milestones most 21-week-old babies reach include:

1. Taste buds are now more developed. It is quickly getting ready to meet new foods.

1. Some babies will sit up by this week, but most babies may still need support while sitting.

1. Your baby`s vision is constantly improving. It can focus on moving and very small sized objects.

1. Your baby may be adding new sounds to its typical hum, such as a gurgle or squeak. It may also be repeating the sounds it hears around it.

1. Your baby will likely laugh or enjoy the funny faces and sounds you make.

1. Some babies start teething this week. You may see signs of teething such as excessive drooling, swollen gums, high irritability.

Nutrition

Your baby`s appetite will increase, but feeding time may be shortened. Because now sucking is a baby toy for it! You may want to feed your baby in a quiet and peaceful environment, as it is likely to be distracted by its surroundings.

At 21 weeks, it may be tempting to add solid foods to your baby`s nutritional diet. However, the healthiest thing is to be fed only breast milk or formula for the first 6 months. In these weeks, breast milk is sufficient to meet the nutritional needs of the baby if the baby is fed on time and when needed. There is no urgency to launch solids yet. It will eat them for the rest of its life anyway, starting early will prevent more breast milk from going into its stomach. Also, some babies may resist breastfeeding after solid food.

Sleep

1. Daytime sleepiness may be enhanced at this stage. More block naps are likely to occur rather than frequent little naps during the day (minimum 45 minutes).

1. It is not a good idea to feed your baby too much before bedtime with the hope that it will sleep through the night. Overfeeding causes gas pains, indigestion and worse, reflux.

1. Sleep regression in 21-week-old babies is a typical example of this stage. If your baby sleeps well at night but starts waking up unexpectedly at night or has napping problems, it may be experiencing sleep regression due to growth spurts.

As your baby grows, you will need to keep changing the way you care for it. Your little one will need a little more attention and patience during this week. What kind of care should you take to ensure your baby is healthy, happy and ready for the next week`s growth spurts? let`s find.

Care Tips

1. Take all precautions to prevent possible falls as your baby can now turn or roll over by its own.

1. In case your baby is teething, you can offer soothing and safe teething toys to your baby.

1. Sterilize frequently, as there is a possibility of putting other toys in its mouth.

1. Keep an eye on your baby when playing with small objects or toys that may come loose as they become a choking hazard. Do not leave your baby alone in case a manufacturing defect even in a top brand toy may happen to you!

1. Childproof your home, avoid dangling cables or other accessible objects that it can pull down and harm itself.

1. Keep a bib and cloth on hand in case your baby is drooling too much.

1. To prevent diaper rash, regularly ventilate your baby`s diaper area, do not keep the bottom dirty, choose diapers suitable for its skin.

1. A strong and lasting bond grows through regular daily interactions, so encourage your partner to participate in basic babysitting chores such as changing diapers, bathing and feeding.

1. Introduce your baby to your friends and family as well. While someone else is talking or playing with your baby, initially hold him in your lap. Then, as your baby warms to that person, slowly give it to the other person, but still stay close. Finally, leave for a short time and come back right away. Get your baby used to it by gradually making the distance interval longer.

Tests and Vaccines

If you have had previous vaccinations and tests, there is no special routine for this week.

Plays and Activities

Games and activities provide your baby with physical and mental development and help you establish a good bond. Here is a list of some games and activities you can enjoy with your baby.

1. Floor time: Place a mat on the floor and let your baby enjoy a long mat time. You can put it on its back first and let it roll and turn as much as it wants. A sufficient amount of supervised ground time can ensure that it is safe and able to explore most of its surroundings compared to time spent in the bassinet.

1. Sitting: Help your baby sit between in floor time. Put pillows around it to support it.

1. Follow the direction of the sound: Take a rattle / musical toy and shake / play it to make some noise. Keep doing it until it’s looking towards the sound. Change direction every time it watches where the sound is coming from. You can also do this activity while your baby is sitting.

1. Sounds: To help your baby get sounds, talk to it as often as possible and make sure it’s looking at you when you talk to it. Eventually, your baby will imitate the movement of your lips and try to make similar sounds.

1. Keep it entertained: All you have to do is having toys that are brightly colored enough to take your baby`s attention, preferably a toy it can chew, musical toys, moving toys, etc. In fact, many babies adopt household objects as toys rather than toys. Although this is quite reasonable for the future, toys from brands that are age-appropriate and safe should be preferred. A plastic plate that you find safe and give at home can cause harm that you cannot see when it puts it in its mouth. Do not give anything to your baby that you do not trust 100% in its material, fabric etc. because it is in the period of knowing everything with its mouths.

1. Baby games: Play games such as peekaboo, give-and-take, fill-and-empty, where the toy is, finger puppets talking, making funny faces and sounds, popping bubbles, splashing water, peek-hide to keep improving its skills.

1. Reading: Reading to your baby every day is a very good investment in its development. Sometimes it can be just a listener, sometimes it can take on the role of both the watcher and the listener with animated-colorful-picture and books.

When to Apply to The Doctor?

At 21 weeks, your baby`s immunity is still not fully developed. Therefore, it may be vulnerable to colds and flu. You should consult a doctor if your baby has a runny nose, fever or constant crying. It`s always good to consult a pediatrician if you feel something isn`t right.