22 WEEKS PREGNANT
At 22 weeks, be prepared for things to get a little snug in there. This is because the little one is growing pretty speedily and he or she is definitely not shy about taking over the shared space between yourselves.
By this time, you would have noticed signs of heavy breathing and agonising backaches. Be sure to keep a good posture – keeping your back and shoulders straight and upright to allow your lungs room to expand as much as possible.
You could also try breathing exercises by doing yoga and you might just notice some really surprising changes. With the rapid growth, comes some ‘gifts’ from pregnancy – stretch marks! But it’s alright.
To ease the effects of stretch marks, consider investing in oils that target stretch marks and remember to apply them religiously on your growing belly!
22 WEEKS BABY SIZE
How big is baby at 22 weeks? Your baby is the size of a cantaloupe, which is about 27cm.
The current weight of your baby is about 430g (0.43kg).
22 WEEKS PREGNANT WEIGHT GAIN
This is the weight gain that you must achieve this week.
| Underweight | (BMI <18.5) | 0.44kg to 0.58kg |
| Normal weight | (BMI 18.5 to 24.9) | 0.39kg to 0.50kg |
| Overweight | (BMI 25 to 29.9) | 0.23kg to 0.33kg |
| Obese | (BMI ≥ 30) | 0.16kg to 0.25kg |
During the second trimester, you will need to eat an extra 340 calories a day.
22 WEEKS PREGNANT SYMPTOMS
With things cosy in there, do expect superficial pregnancy symptoms. But not to worry, nothing a mummy can’t handle!
Being 22 weeks pregnant, here are some signs and symptom that your body might be experiencing:
- Increased vaginal discharge. Not going to lie, this is a leaky situation. But nothing to worry about since it is merely the result of an increase in blood flow in the nether regions. But we always choose the see the cup half full, don’t we. With a symptom like that, this could very well facilitate activities in bed.. if you get the drift!
- Hair growth. A heads up! We’ve got ourselves a hairy situation (no pun intended). At this stage, you will find hair growing in areas you never knew could thrive in. Well, you’ve guessed it. It’s the crazy hormones acting up again. So get those shavers and tweezers ready, you’re going to be needing them quite a bit at this time.
- Increased sex drive. Raging hormones are the culprit for this not-so-terrible pregnancy symptom. At 22 weeks, you will find yourself having a revved up libido and feel the need to rumble in the sheets way more often than usual. Suddenly, pregnancy doesn’t sound that intimidating, does it?
- Stretch marks. As your skin stretches, catering more space for the growing little one, the sudden expansion of the skin causes it to tear below the surface and as a result, causes scars to form. The bad news is once stretch marks develops, it might be tricking getting it to leave altogether, however, good news is, stretch marks do fade with time and after delivery, making them less conspicuous.
- Swollen limbs. 22 weeks in, you are bound to have an increase in the amount of fluids in your body. And with that excess fluid, I guess we are not surprise to find ourselves waking up to a pair of your hands slightly more ‘succulent’ than the day before. Do expect minor swelling especially in the limbs, but not to worry, all these will return to normalcy once the little one is born. Having said that, do take note that severe or sudden swelling isn’t at all normal as it could be well be a sign preeclampsia (a pregnancy complication characterised by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system). So if you observe any unusual swelling, do inform your OB immediately!
- Outie belly button. At this point, you would realise that your innie has disappeared and while that’s a relief for some, we regret sorry to inform that it is also at this time that you will realise that you’ve got yourself a outie. Should you see an outie, not to worry, there is rarely poses health concerns. Essentially, outie is formed because the skin chooses to form in an outward direction. As simple as that! And while an outie may seem strange, it will be gone before you know it!
- Backaches. If you find your back aching 24/7, well, you’re not alone! With the little one taking up much space and not to mention that extra weight you are carrying around, it’s no surprise your back is taking a hit. But there are ways to circumvent this nasty symptom. Apply heat therapy, get a prenatal massage and/or invest in a body pillow to cope with the pain.
- Shortness of breath. This is one of the most common symptoms many mummies-to-be face at this stage of the pregnancy. With the little one taking up much space in the lungs area, you’ll find yourself catching your breath at the simplest of chores. Reel back on your crazy work out sessions and take as many breaks as you need to recover from the shortness of breath.
Remember: A slow and steady weight gain is highly encouraged at this point in time so it’s advisable to not go on a crazy binge even though your urges are tempting you. For a good gauge, a weight increase in about 450grams or so per week is a relatively healthy growth, depending on your body type.
22 WEEKS THE PREGNANT BELLY
At 22 weeks, your pregnancy belly would be looking at quite a significant growth. Measuring approximately 20cm to 24cm from your pelvic bone to the top of the uterus.
Weight gain is probably something you may be concerned about at this stage of your pregnancy. A slow and steady weight gain is highly encouraged at this point in time so it’s advisable to not go on a crazy binge even though your urges are tempting you.
For a good gauge, a weight increase in about 450grams or so per week is a relatively healthy growth, depending on your body type.
To maintain that steady growth, an extra 340 calories per day would be a good guide when it comes to your calorie intake. Having said that, don’t obsess over calorie counting. It’s way more important to be eating healthy for the little one.
With that added 340 calories, you could consider starting a different diet switching from 3 meals to that of a 5-6 small meals over the course of the day.
This routine will help regulate your energy level throughout the day, thereby reducing the chances of nasty pregnancy symptoms such as heartburn or indigestion which you might be prone to at this stage of the pregnancy.
HOW IS MY BABY 22 WEEKS PREGNANT?
At this stage, the little one is growing a lot faster and so at the ultrasound scan, do expect to see baby’s eyes and lips being more developed.
The little one also has now got fingernails! It would have by now that his or her body would gradually be absorbing miniscule amounts of sugar from the amniotic fluid that he or she is swallowing.
Baby is also getting into the whole sleep cycle—about 12 to 14 hours per day. This 18- to 22-weeks pregnant ultrasound is quite a treat since you’ll get to have a glimpse of all baby’s major organs and other body parts.
WHAT TO DO AT 22 WEEKS PREGNANT
Reminders for the week:
- Look into child birth classes
- Get started on your childcare search
- Start doing Kegel exercises
