6 Months Pregnant: Symptoms, Baby Development & Scans (India Guide)

• "Six months pregnant" most often means weeks 21–26, the late second trimester. Always confirm your exact gestational week with your doctor, because every scan and test is timed by weeks, not months.
• Your baby is now around 25–36 cm long and 350–900 g, growing fast, responding to sound and light, and practising breathing movements. Viability (survival with intensive care) begins around 22–24 weeks.
• Two key checkpoints fall around now: the 18–22 week anomaly (TIFFA) scan and the 24–28 week glucose tolerance test for gestational diabetes.
• Common discomforts include back pain, round ligament pain, leg cramps, heartburn, constipation, and Braxton Hicks tightenings — all usually manageable with simple measures.
• Call your doctor urgently for bleeding, fluid leaking, regular contractions before 37 weeks, severe headache or vision changes, severe itching of palms and soles, or reduced baby movements.

The mismatch between months and weeks is one of the most confusing parts of pregnancy maths for Indian families — and getting it right matters for scan timing and ceremony planning. Clinically, pregnancy is counted as about 40 weeks from the first day of your last menstrual period (roughly 280 days, a little over 9 calendar months, or 10 lunar months of 28 days).

The usual convention puts the sixth month at weeks 23–27 of gestation. But in everyday Indian usage, "six months" often means anywhere from week 21 to week 26 — partly because some people count from the missed period (which runs about 4 weeks behind the medical count) and others simply use the half-year mark at 24 weeks. To cover all of these, this guide spans roughly weeks 21–26.

By the standard trimester boundaries (first: weeks 1–13, second: 14–27, third: 28–40), six months sits in the late second trimester. The simplest way to avoid confusion is to ask your obstetrician, "What gestational week am I in today?" That single number tells you when scans, the glucose test, vaccines, and ceremonies should be scheduled.

This month is about steady growth and fine-tuning rather than building new organs. At 21 weeks your baby is roughly 25–27 cm crown-to-heel and weighs about 350–400 g; by 26 weeks they are around 35–36 cm and 700–900 g.

What is happening now:

• Skin and fat: Subcutaneous fat starts to fill out under wrinkled, still-translucent skin. Lanugo (fine body hair) and vernix (the waxy protective coating) are well developed.
• Eyes: Eyebrows and eyelashes form, and the fused eyelids begin to open — by about 26 weeks the eyes can open, close, and respond to light.
• Brain and senses: The cerebral cortex is folding and neural connections are forming rapidly. The hearing system is developed enough that your baby reacts to sound — this is why many Indian families start talking, reading, reciting prayers, or playing devotional or classical music to the bump.
• Lungs: The airways are maturing and surfactant production begins around 24–28 weeks. Breathing movements are practising, but actual gas exchange is not yet possible.
• Heart: Fully formed and beating at about 140–160 beats per minute.

Your bump is clearly visible now and growing steadily. By 24 weeks the top of your uterus (fundal height) reaches about your navel, then rises roughly 1 cm a week. In the second trimester, weight gain averages around 0.4–0.5 kg per week, so many women are about 6–8 kg up from their pre-pregnancy weight by 24 weeks. Healthy total gain depends on your starting BMI — broadly 11.5–16 kg if you started at a normal weight, less if overweight, more if underweight. Many Indian women gain slightly less than these international ranges; what matters is a steady upward trend, not a fixed number. See our trimester-by-trimester weight gain guide for the full picture.

Common discomforts that may appear or worsen now:

• Back pain from a shifting centre of gravity and softening ligaments — usually eased with posture, movement, and safe pregnancy back exercises.
• Round ligament pain — sharp or pulling sensations low in the abdomen or groin with sudden movements, as the round ligaments stretch.
• Leg cramps, often at night — see what actually helps with leg cramps in pregnancy, and restless legs syndrome, which is linked to iron and magnesium.
• Varicose veins and piles from increased blood volume and pelvic pressure — more on varicose veins and haemorrhoids in pregnancy.
• Heartburn and reflux as the growing uterus and pregnancy hormones relax the valve at the top of the stomach — see heartburn relief and safe medicines.
• Constipation from progesterone, iron tablets, and uterine pressure — fibre, fluids, and the tips in our constipation and bloating guide usually help.
• Skin changes — the dark belly line (linea nigra), facial pigmentation (melasma), and stretch marks, which depend largely on genetics and skin elasticity.
• Braxton Hicks contractions — irregular, usually painless tightenings; learn to tell them apart from real contractions.
• More vaginal discharge — clear or whitish with a mild odour is normal; any significant change in colour, smell, or amount should be checked (see the discharge in pregnancy guide).
• Breast changes, including enlargement, tenderness, and sometimes early colostrum.

Energy needs rise by about 340 kcal a day in the second trimester, and protein to roughly 1.1 g per kg of body weight. The aim is variety and quality, not eating "for two".

Build meals around:

• Whole grains: rice, wheat, jowar, bajra, ragi, oats, quinoa.
• Dals and pulses: moong, masoor, chana, rajma, chole, soybean — your main vegetarian protein.
• Vegetables: leafy greens such as palak, methi, and amaranth, plus lauki, bhindi, carrot, beetroot, capsicum, and tomato.
• Fruits: seasonal Indian fruits like banana, ripe papaya, guava, pomegranate, jamun, custard apple, and citrus, plus coconut water.
• Dairy, eggs, and (for non-vegetarians) well-cooked lean meat and fish. Avoid high-mercury fish like shark, swordfish, and king mackerel; smaller fish and prawns when fully cooked are generally safe.

• Iron (about 100 mg elemental iron daily) — crucial given how common anaemia in pregnancy is in India.
• Calcium (around 1000 mg daily) — top up with calcium-rich Indian foods.
• Folic acid, often combined with iron.
• Vitamin D, given how widespread vitamin D deficiency in Indian women is.
• Vitamin B12, important especially for vegetarians, and DHA for brain development — see omega-3 DHA options for vegetarians.

Regular moderate activity is actively encouraged by ACOG, RCOG, and FOGSI for women without specific contraindications. It improves fitness and mood, helps sleep, lowers the risk of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia, and can ease labour and recovery. Aim for about 150 minutes a week of moderate activity — roughly 30 minutes on most days.

Good options now: walking (the most accessible), swimming or water aerobics, stationary cycling, prenatal yoga, and light strength work. In Indian cities, be mindful of air quality — early mornings are often cleaner than peak traffic hours. Our trimester-by-trimester exercise guide and notes on movement and stretching by trimester have specifics.

Things to avoid: contact sports, high-fall-risk activities (horse riding, skiing, gymnastics), scuba diving, very high-intensity exercise in heat and humidity, and lying flat on your back for long periods after the first trimester (it can compress a major vein and reduce blood flow). In yoga, skip deep twists, prone poses, deep backbends, and inversions, and don't over-stretch — your ligaments are looser now.

Stop and seek review for vaginal bleeding, fluid leaking, regular contractions, dizziness, severe breathlessness, or significant pain.

Sex is generally safe in a normally progressing pregnancy, including now. The main medical reasons to pause are placenta praevia, a history of preterm labour, and certain bleeding conditions — check with your doctor if unsure. Positions adapt to the growing belly, and the cultural taboos around intimacy in pregnancy are not medically grounded for most couples.

Pregnancy in India is wrapped in rich tradition, and the second and third trimesters are when many baby-shower-style ceremonies happen. The North Indian, Punjabi, Gujarati, and Rajasthani Godh-bharai ("filling the lap") is usually held in the seventh month, though some families choose the sixth based on family timing or astrological advice. Regional equivalents include Seemantham/Pumsavanam (Tamil and Telugu), Valaikappu (Tamil Brahmin, with glass bangles), Saadh (Bengali and Odia), Seemantha (Kannada), and Dohale Jevan (Marathi).

The rituals vary widely, but common threads are a gathering of women, blessings and prayers for a safe delivery, bangles and gifts, the mother-to-be's favourite foods, and family celebration.

A few practical safety points so the day is joyful and comfortable:

• Arrange comfortable, supported seating with the option to recline; avoid long stretches of standing.
• Keep the room cool and ventilated — Indian summer heat and monsoon humidity can be draining.
• Manage guest numbers and food hygiene to reduce infection risk (freshly prepared food, proper refrigeration, no risky raw items).
• If a ritual involves fasting, modify it — pregnant women should not fast for long periods. The spiritual intent can be preserved while protecting you and your baby.
• Keep your obstetrician's number and the route to your hospital handy, just in case.

• Vaginal bleeding of any amount — it may be minor, but can signal placenta praevia, abruption, or preterm labour.
• A gush or continuous trickle of fluid — possible rupture of membranes (PPROM before 37 weeks needs urgent care).
• Regular contractions (more than 4 in an hour, increasing in intensity) before 37 weeks — possible preterm labour.
• Severe headache with visual disturbances (blurring, spots, flashing lights), severe upper-abdominal pain, sudden swelling of the face and hands, or very high blood pressure — possible pre-eclampsia.
• A clear, sustained drop in your baby's usual movements — do not wait; call the same day.
• Fever above 38°C, or burning, foul-smelling urine or pelvic pain (possible UTI).
• Severe itching of the palms and soles, especially without a rash — possible obstetric cholestasis.
• One-sided calf pain or swelling (possible clot), or sudden breathlessness with chest pain (a medical emergency).
• Persistent low mood, severe anxiety, panic, or any thoughts of self-harm — mental health is part of antenatal care.

By around 24–28 weeks your baby's movements settle into a recognisable pattern. From then on, any noticeable reduction compared with the usual pattern deserves a same-day call — do not wait a day or two for things to pick up. The standard advice is to lie on your left side and count movements over a quiet hour or two. Most reduced-movement episodes turn out fine, but a few signal a baby who needs checking, and earlier review is always safer.

For blood pressure and swelling, our guides on pre-eclampsia warning signs and UTIs in pregnancy explain what to watch for. India's emergency numbers are 108 (national) and 102 (medical); keep your maternity hospital's 24-hour obstetric helpline saved too.

If low mood or anxiety is weighing on you, it is common and treatable — see depression and anxiety in Indian women, and discuss any medication questions using our guide on antidepressants and pregnancy. Speaking up early is a strength, not a burden.

Delivery is still months away, but a few early steps make the later weeks calmer:

• Choose your hospital and obstetrician (if not already), weighing trust and communication, NICU facilities, distance, and costs.
• Start a birth plan conversation — use our birth plan template for Indian hospitals and the questions in what is a birth plan. It is a flexible document, not a fixed script.
• Look into antenatal classes, which often begin in the late second or early third trimester.
• Sort paperwork early — insurance pre-authorisation, hospital registration, and maternity leave under the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 (26 weeks for the first two children, 12 weeks thereafter). If you are salaried, our note on maternity leave and short-term cover helps.
• Decide on cord blood banking if you are considering it — our guide to cord blood and stem cell banking in India compares private and public options and costs.

• ACOG — Exercise During Pregnancy
• ACOG — Tdap (Whooping Cough) Vaccine and Pregnancy
• WHO — Recommendations on Antenatal Care for a Positive Pregnancy Experience
• NHS — You and Your Baby at 24 Weeks Pregnant
• RCOG — Reduced Fetal Movements (Patient Information)
• Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India — Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA)