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How Does a Baby Grow and a Mother Bell

Your baby's grip, vision and hearing are all getting stronger now.

Past calendar week 22 of pregnancy, your trivial one has besides accomplished a big milestone: breaking the 1-pound marking!

Meanwhile, you may be noticing more changes, including a protruding navel and possibly even slightly bigger feet — the result of all those hormones and pregnancy swelling (called edema).

Your Baby at Week 22

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Your baby hits a mini milestone this week: At a total pound, she bids bye-bye to postal-scale weigh-ins and graduates to the existent thing. And at almost 8 inches, your trivial conduct is about the size of the teddies she'll be playing with before you know information technology.

A lot has to happen before then, of course, but things are moving along at a brisk step. Your infant'south quickly developing nervous system is sharpening her senses more than and more each twenty-four hours, putting her in touch with her earth and her own body. In fact, a new-found sense of bear on is making things a lot more fascinating in her cozy domain equally tiny fingers reach out to explore tiny toes and — what'south that? — my nose and my ears!

Those same fidgety digits experience their fashion forth the uterine walls, grasping onto the branch-like umbilical cord with all their might. Your wee ane is already working on the strong grip she'll utilise to grab onto your finger when she's a newborn.

Your infant'southward sense of sight is besides coming into focus. What can she run into at this point? Even though information technology's dark inside your tummy and her eyelids are still fused shut, your infant tin perceive light when you permit the sun (or a flashlight) shine on your belly. Her sufficiently adult cochlear membranes in the ears are tuned up to hear and process sounds from inside your body. What'south your little one listening to now? Your breathing, the whoosh of your blood menses, your rumbling breadbasket, and of form the pitter-pattering of your heartbeat.

At a Glance

The flashlight test

Though baby'southward eyelids are still sealed shut, your picayune one can perceive light and dark now. Shine a flashlight on your tummy and run into if your cutie pie moves.

Spotter what you say!

Babe's ears are offset to hear and process sounds from inside your body — your breathing, your rumbling tummy, your heartbeat.

Learning to grab

Babe'due south nervous organization is sharpening the five senses, which means those footling fingers are learning to grab those tiny ears, nose and umbilical cord.

22 weeks pregnant is how many months?

If you lot're 22 weeks pregnant, you're in month 5 of your pregnancy. Only 4 months left to become! Still have questions? Here's some more information on how weeks, months and trimesters are broken down in pregnancy.

How big is my babe at 22 weeks?

Guess what? At present that you're 22 weeks significant, your babe, who's most the size of a small doll, has finally broken the 1-pound marker.

How heavy is that? Agree a 1-pound bag of sugar in your arms the next time y'all're in the grocery store — and await people to ask you why you're grin from ear to ear.

Is the bag 11 inches long? That'due south nearly the length your baby is too!

Baby'south grip, vision and hearing are getting stronger

This week, your sweetie is making more sense of the world equally she develops her sense of touch on.

In fact, your little one's grip is quite strong at present, and since there's nothing else to grab in utero, she may sometimes hold on tight to that umbilical string. Don't worry — it's tough plenty to handle it.

The sense of sight is besides becoming more fine-tuned. Your fetus can at present perceive low-cal and nighttime much improve than before, fifty-fifty with those fused eyelids.

But remember — unless you're shining a flashlight over your belly, which y'all can do, by the way it'll be mostly dark for your baby inside that cozy womb of yours.

She can too hear your voice, your heartbeat, your gurgling stomach and the whoosh-whoosh of blood circulating through your body.

Your Trunk at Week 22

22 weeks pregnant woman

Foot growth

At 22 weeks pregnant, your uterus is now well-nigh an inch to a higher place your umbilicus — growing past leaps and bounds. But your tummy's not the simply affair that'due south growing these days. Have yous looked downwardly at your feet? Quick, look at present — before you can't see them anymore.

If you're like many expectant women, yous'll find that feet get bigger too. Good news if you're looking to revamp your entire shoe collection, not then good if y'all've just indulged in a pricey pair of Manolos.

While some human foot growth can exist attributed to pregnancy swelling (edema), in that location's some other reason that anxiety increase in size during pregnancy — and sometimes don't compress back afterward. Remember relaxin — that pregnancy hormone that loosens the ligaments and joints around your pelvis so your babe tin fit through (and the hormone that's also likely to make you especially clumsy during pregnancy)? Well, it doesn't discriminate between the ligaments you'd desire loosened up, like those pelvic ones, and those you'd rather it would just leave lonely, like the ones in your feet.

The effect: When the ligaments in the feet are loosened, the bones nether them tend to spread slightly, resulting in a half or whole shoe size increase for many women and tootsies that feel of a sudden uncomfortably tight.

If you do find yourself running to the mall for a new pair of shoes, buy ones that are comfortable and roomy, with no more than than a sensible, chunky 2-inch heel. Skip the stilettos — y'all'll have trouble plenty keeping your balance as your belly balloons forrad.

Coping with tummy touchers

By now, you may have encountered at least a couple of well-wishing breadbasket touchers who tin can't seem to resist reaching out and patting your belly. It could be anyone — a friend, coworker or a perfect stranger on the cafeteria line.

Information technology's understandable, since pregnant tummies are adorable and house something even cuter within. And y'all may non listen — if you're a touchy-feely person yourself, you may even welcome the public brandish of affection for your baby bump.

But if you practise mind, there are a few approaches you can take. One, you can gently but firmly tell them how you experience: "I know you may mean well, just I really would rather you didn't touch on my stomach." Two, you can back off — literally — and dodge their attempts to affect your bump. And three, you can turn the tables by teasingly giving them a belly rub in render. Remember, yous're sharing your body on the inside — you don't need to share it on the outside too.

Pregnancy Symptoms Calendar week 22

Heartburn or indigestion

Information technology'southward perfectly normal to detect yourself wanting to devour the contents of your kitchen cabinets and refrigerator — afterwards all, yous take a growing baby to feed! And so attempt to stock your home with healthy snacks such every bit fruit, cutting-up veggies, nuts and whole wheat crackers. Read More

Constipation

That growing uterus is besides putting pressure on your bowels, making it harder to move waste product out of your system. Requite things a jump-kickoff by exercising regularly, which encourages bowel movements. Read More

Faintness or dizziness

Your ever-expanding uterus tin put force per unit area on your blood vessels, which tin can reduce blood menses to your brain and cause light-headedness. Help go on your blood pumping through your circulatory organisation by drinking at least eight glasses of water a day, or more if it's hot or you're working out. Read More than

Leg cramps

Some experts conjecture that leg cramps during pregnancy may be acquired by a shortage of calcium or magnesium in the diet. Reduce the frequency of these painful spasms by taking your prenatal vitamin daily. Read More than

Stretch marks

Noticing stretch marks not just on your tummy simply on your hips, thighs and breasts as well? Go ahead and rub moisturizer all over your body — it may not exist a miracle cure, simply it's worth a shot and will assistance ease dryness and itchiness. Read More

Protruding umbilicus

Not loving your new outie navel? After delivery information technology will revert back to an innie — but be prepared for the fact that you volition probably be left with a slightly larger navel. Read More than

Tips for You This Calendar week

Practice makes perfect

Is your uterus practicing for delivery? If you feel irregular, painless, squeezing sensations in your abdomen, it is. Those are Braxton Hicks contractions and they're non unsafe. They're a bit like a clothes rehearsal: Your uterine muscles are flexing in preparation for the big job they'll have to practise in the near future.

Go along in mind that while they can be difficult to distinguish from the existent thing, they're not efficient plenty to push your baby out — only bodily labor contractions can do that.

Ask about an fFN screening

At risk for preterm labor? Your doc may exercise a fetal fibronectin (fFN) examination. FFN is a protein produced during pregnancy; it acts as a kind of "glue" that holds the baby in your uterus.

If the results are negative, you lot're not at chance, merely if they're positive, your odds of going into labor early are college. In that case, your practitioner may take steps to prolong your pregnancy and fix your baby's lungs for a preterm delivery.

Magnesium is your friend

In addition to strengthening baby'due south bones and teeth, magnesium — a mineral that'south institute in pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds and cashews — works to stimulate enzyme function, regulate insulin and control blood sugar levels.

Talk to your dr. to be sure you're getting enough magnesium from your diet and prenatal vitamin. If y'all're depression, you may experience drawn and lack musculus force (as if you needed any more of that these days), or have leg cramps or restless legs.

Fit in a workout

Scientific research shows that yous're not the simply one who benefits from a sweat session. Those who work out during their pregnancy accept babies who, on average, score higher on general intelligence tests by historic period 4. Not only volition your conditioning boost your muscle power, but it'll also boost your baby's brain power!

Save on healthy foods

Who needs to be loyal to ane brand? Store brands and no-frills products may not seduce you with pretty packaging, but they're likely to have inner beauty to match their attractive price tags. Check the labels and y'all'll encounter they generally boast as much nutrition as the bigger brands.

And hither'southward a little-known surreptitious: In many instances, the store make is actually a proper noun brand with a shop label, so you may exist ownership the verbal same breadstuff you lot've known and loved — simply for a lot less dough.

Skip the fillers

Thinking of stopping past your dermatologist's role for a fill or a refill of collagen, like Restylane or Perlane? Here's a wrinkle in that plan. The safety of Botox and injectable line fillers during pregnancy hasn't been established through studies yet — which means y'all're better off holding off for now.

Take a breath

Now'due south a great fourth dimension to learn some soothing relaxation techniques — non merely because they tin assist you cope with pregnancy worries (and later, with labor contractions), but because they'll come in handy in your life every bit a new mom — as when the baby'southward on a crying marathon.

Yoga's a fabulous de-stresser, merely here's a technique you can utilise merely about anywhere, anytime, to soothe your soul: Sit with your eyes closed and imagine a cute, peaceful scene, like a dusk over your favorite beach or a serene mountain vista. Then, working your manner upwardly from your toes to your face, concentrate on relaxing every musculus.

Exhale slowly and deeply through your olfactory organ and choose a unproblematic word (such as "yeah" or "one") to echo aloud every time you lot breathe. Ten minutes should do the trick, though even a minute or two is meliorate than nothing.

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, writer ofWhat to Look When You're Expecting. What to Wait follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only apparent sources, such every bit peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Larn how we keep our content accurate and upwards-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

  • What to Expect When You lot're Expecting, 5th edition, Heidi Murkof.
  • WhatToExpect.com, How Big Is My Baby? How to Mensurate Fundal Height and Fetus Size, May 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Braxton Hicks Contractions, October 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Your Infant's Bones and Skeleton, June 2021.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Preterm Labor, May 2021.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Is Botox Safe During Pregnancy?, May 2021.
  • American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy, August 2020.
  • National Institutes of Wellness, National Library of Medicine, Frontiers in Neurorobotics, Fetal Origin of Sensorimotor Behavior, May 2018.
  • UTSouthwestern Medical Heart, Womb With a View: Sensory Evolution in Utero, August 2017.
  • National Institutes of Wellness, National Library of Medicine, Pregnancy Leads to Lasting Changes in Foot Structure, March 2013.
  • National Institutes of Wellness, National Library of Medicine, Braxton Hicks Contractions, January 2021.
  • March of Dimes, Treatments for Preterm Labor, December 2020.
  • Cleveland Clinic, Fetal Fibronectin (fFN), February 2019.
  • PLOS One, Concrete Activity During Pregnancy and Offspring Neurodevelopment and IQ in the First 4 Years of Life, Oct 2014.
  • Food and Drug Administration, Perlane.
  • Food and Drug Administration, Medication Guide, Botox, Jan 2016.
  • National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Botox, May 2020.
  • Mayo Dispensary, Fetal Fibronectin Test, March 2021.
  • American Higher of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Preterm Labor and Nativity, March 2021.
  • National Institutes of Wellness, National Library of Medicine, Nutrients, Elemental Metabolomics and Pregnancy Outcomes, Jan 2019.
  • Mayo Clinic, Musculus Cramp, March 2021.
  • National Institutes of Wellness, Function of Dietary Supplements, Magnesium, March 2021.

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How Does a Baby Grow and a Mother Bell

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