22nd Week Of Pregnancy

Baby development: How is your baby growing when you are 22 Week Pregnant?

At 22 weeks, your baby now has the proportions of a newborn, although she’s still got a lot of weight to gain before the birth. Her skin still looks wrinkled because she has only 1 percent body fat. Her eyes have now formed, too, although the iris isn’t colored yet. Her pancreas, which will help regulate her hormones, is under development, too. Your baby’s brain is developing fast, and her brainwave patterns are now similar to a newborn’s. She’s developing the very beginnings of conscious thought. Scientists believe that at this stage, unborn babies already have a primitive memory, and some even think that they can dream. Certainly, she can already distinguish between your voice and your partner’s.

Overall, Your baby’s brain is growing daily. Her senses are also starting to develop. She can hear the sound of your heart along with your breathing. As she wiggles her fingers, she may touch her face or even suck her thumb. Her lungs are becoming more mature, and she even goes through the motions of breathing. She can also swallow, although she won’t have her first real meal until delivery day.

22 Weeks Pregnant: baby and body development

You’re probably feeling fetal movement throughout the day now that your baby’s getting bigger. And as she grows, your body has to make room. Your stomach will have less space to expand, meaning you may suffer heartburn and indigestion, especially at night. Add to that the fact that pregnancy hormones can slow digestion making your tummy troubles even worse. Slight swelling may make your shoes uncomfortable. Your back may also ache with the added weight of your baby bump. Your bladder is also suffering from the space crunch, so expect plenty of potty breaks.

Wow! Did you know…

At 22 weeks, your baby has hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, but they don’t contain any pigment yet. They’re pure white.

Body changes and symptoms during 22nd week of pregnancy

Physically, you’re getting steadily bigger. Your uterus will now measure 22 centimeters from the top of your pubic bone, and you’ll probably have gained at least 13 pounds. From now on, you can expect to gain around half a pound a week, but try to keep your cravings under control. Putting on too much weight at this stage puts you at greater risk of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.

The second trimester is often described as the honeymoon period, because you should be feeling fit and well. In fact, some women feel so good that their sex drive goes through the roof. Hormones can make you feel more up for it, and the extra blood flow down below can make sex better than ever. Other women, however, don’t want any hanky panky at all. Both are completely normal!

Your Body changes during 22nd week pregnancy

Increased vaginal discharge is very common, caused by the extra blood flow to the vaginal region. There’s no need to do anything about it. Just use panty liners if you’re feeling uncomfortably damp. But while clear or milky discharge is normal, thick, greenish yellow, foul-smelling discharge isn’t. This can be a sign of thrush or infection, so see your doctor. Infections will need treating with antibiotics to prevent them passing to your baby at birth.

Some women experience big bonuses along with their pregnancy—larger breasts, glowing skin, and a slight baby bump—if you’re part of this group, chances are you feel more attractive than ever. On the flip side, if your pregnancy has been mostly about enduring nausea and fatigue, your libido may have taken a nosedive. No matter what your circumstance, the changes taking place in your body will undoubtedly affect how you and your partner feel about intimacy.

Why you may feel more attractive

Changes in your appearance: One of the first signs of pregnancy is an increased cup size. If you normally have smaller breasts, your new fuller breasts may make you feel more desirable. Couple that with an increased blood flow, which leaves you with rosier cheeks, and you might be downright irresistible.

Fluctuations in hormone levels: Pregnancy hormones may have you craving everything from pickles and ice cream to more intimacy. Keep in mind that the effects of these hormones vary for every woman, and your moods may change daily (sometimes hourly!).

Free of pressure to conceive: Perhaps you’ve been trying for months to get pregnant. Now that the pressure is off, intimacy may become more enjoyable and less of a task.

Why you may not feel interested

Tenderness: Your breasts and abdomen are going through quite a growth spurt, which may leave you sore. Intimacy may be uncomfortable, especially during your first and last trimesters.

Fatigue and nausea: If you’ve suffered strong bouts of nausea, intimacy may be the last thing on your mind. Fatigue may further zap any other desires.

Weight gain: As you’ve watched the scale tip upwards, you may feel frumpy.

What to do during 2nd week of pregnancy.

Start thinking about which childbirth preparation class you want to take. When we think of childbirth preparation classes, what is the first thing that comes to mind? It may be Lamaze, the name of what is likely to be the most widely known style of birth classes. However, now there are actually a handful of popular birthing methods, each with its own philosophy and approach, which are offered to today’s parents. Compare each childbirth class and choose the one that works best for you.

Why intimacy is important Intimacy allows you and your partner to express your love and concern for each other. It’s a physical closeness that can reinforce your emotional connection to your partner. A gentle massage, cuddling, and kissing, can help erase some of the day-to-day pains of pregnancy and let you know your partner is there for you.

Worrying about the Baby “Unless you have a specific medical issues like multiple births, placenta previa, or another high-risk condition, sexual intercourse won’t hurt your baby,” explains Dr. William Camann, MD, director of obstetric anesthesia at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and co author of Easy Labor.

He notes, however, that you may notice some contractions after lovemaking—that’s normal. Unless your cervix is already starting to dilate, there’s little reason to worry that these contractions will lead to labor.

If you have any unexplained bleeding after intimacy, or sex is extremely uncomfortable, talk to your healthcare provider about your concerns.

What Your Partner need to do – Staying Connected 

Intimacy is a wonderful thing. It is not just about sex, but about physical and emotional closeness between you and your partner. Some men are uncomfortable making love while their partners are pregnant, but as long as the doctor says it is safe (and usually it is), by all means, enjoy it. These are the last months you will have a chance to be intimate without worrying about another little being in your life, so take advantage of it!

Once your baby is born you will most likely find yourselves too tired and too focused on other things (like Baby!) to make time for this. But it is incredibly important to remember that intimacy between you and your partner is vital to the health and success of your relationship. While sex certainly can be a form of intimacy, your relationship doesn’t always have to include sex. Sometimes intimacy can be cuddling together, talking with each other, sharing your time and experiences, reading together, or indulging in a late morning in bed while doing crosswords or Sudoku together.

The key is to practice and be creative in your intimacy now so when things get chaotic after your baby is born, you’ll already know tried-and-true ways to bring you and your partner together, despite all that is going on around you both.

Content provided on this site is for educational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.