Week 21

Your baby

• Between week 20 and week 24 your baby will double in weight
• His or her eyes open and close
• Hair is growing on the baby’s head - and eyelashes and eyebrows are in place
• You pass on antibodies in the blood supply, and these protect baby from infection

When you are pregnant, your body becomes more efficient at absorbing nutrients from food - so you don’t need to eat for two - but it is a good idea to try to eat sensibly. Don’t take the opportunity to over-indulge on goodies just because it doesn’t matter if you look fat!

Essential fatty acids

Essential fatty acids found in oily fish are really good for both you and your developing baby. If you’re a tuna fan, it’s only fresh tuna that counts - tinned tuna has had the oil stripped out of it. But you need to check the maximum helpings recommended per week and the types of fish which should be avoided during pregnancy. Click here for more information from our downloadble pdf card.

Calcium

Calcium is another important nutrient and one that the pregnant body is good at absorbing and storing. Nature makes sure the baby gets enough calcium to make healthy bones, and will take calcium from your bones if necessary! So do eat plenty of calcium-rich foods.

Are food cravings in pregnancy a myth or a fact? You can discuss the matter in the HiPP Chat Forum.

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