22 Weeks Pregnant

What Happens During the Twenty-Second Week of Pregnancy?

While you are in the twenty-second week of pregnancy, your body and your baby are both undergoing rapid changes. Here, we will look into the hormonal and bodily changes happening to you as well as the fetal developments happening.

Hormonal Changes and Other Symptoms

The changes in your pregnancy hormones will result in pregnancy swelling or edema. It will result in a protruding navel, and your feet will be slightly bigger than before. Due to the hormonal changes, there will be normalization of the body's chemical balance.

It would have happened to you during the 12th week of pregnancy. However, during this time, you will still feel hormonal changes in the form of morning sickness or nausea. It occurs in the 22nd week due to the hormones that are at play.

For some women, piles or hemorrhoids might appear because of the rise in progesterone. It is because of the relaxation of the walls of blood vessels, which will result in their swelling up. Other than these concerns, you might notice an increase in your abdominal pain in the 22nd week. The pain will be similar to someone stabbing you, or it can be dull and aching.

During this time of pregnancy, you will notice constipation and gas as concerns. They are also occurring because of the rise in progesterone. Other than that, the varicose vein is an issue that can affect you due to progesterone. Another reason for this concern is the increase in body weight and challenges in blood flow. These are some of the symptoms and hormonal changes that take place during the twenty-second week of pregnancy.

Bodily Changes

At this time of pregnancy, your belly will become more visible than in the previous weeks. Here, you will have put on some weight, which is because of the changes happening in you. Your belly will measure around 20 to 24 cms, but it will depend on the number of babies you have. There is a high chance of getting stretch marks during this time of pregnancy. It happens to most women and can be genetic. It means that if your mother had stretch marks during pregnancy, there is a high chance that you will also have them.

However, you don't have to be concerned about these changes happening to your body. When you consider it with the little one you will meet soon, they won't be an issue for most of you. If you find it challenging, you can always seek assistance and support from your loved ones.

Here, you will start to feel that your uterus is tightening. There could be soft contractions taking place known as Braxton Hicks Contractions. Some of you might have had them during your 21st week of pregnancy. These fake contractions are a way of your body preparing you for labor. These contractions won't be painful. Some of you might not even feel these contractions as their intensity will be too low to notice.

Sometimes, you might notice that your breast will be leaking. It is also quite common among women during this stage of pregnancy. These are some of the main bodily changes happening to you during the 22nd week of pregnancy.

Fetal Development

Your bundle of joy is growing and weighs around 0.45 kg. When it comes to its measurement from head to rear, it will be 28 cm. During this stage, there are crucial developments taking place in your baby's body.

They include the improvement of your nervous system, and there will be sharpening of your little one's senses. Your little one will be enjoying the sense of touch and will be working on a strong grip. Even though the eyelids remain shut, your little one will have an improved vision. However, your baby can perceive light when it falls on the belly and reaches its eyes.

Other than that, your baby's hearing abilities will be improving. It is because of the development of the Cochlear membrane. During this time, your baby will be hearing or listening to different sounds. Studies show that there is a higher chance for your little one to recognize these sounds after birth.

Other than these changes, there are several internal processes taking place. One of them is the increase in your baby's heartbeat sound. When it comes to movement, your little one will have enough space to move around. Due to this, you might feel kicks from time to time. Another significant change happening to you in this time of pregnancy is the development of the taste buds. Besides, your little one will also sleep while it is inside your belly.

If you have an ultrasound, you can obtain a picture of your baby inside the uterus. You will gain clarity on your baby's movements and positions also. These are the main developments happening to your bundle of joy during the twenty-second week of pregnancy.

Tips to Take Care of Yourself During the Twenty-Second Week

Here, we will look into different tips to take care of yourself when you are in the twenty-second week of pregnancy.

Maintaining a Healthy Diet

Similar to the previous weeks, you have to maintain a healthy diet. Even though you might feel cravings, it is best to opt for healthy alternatives. It is best to have healthy food items like fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products in your diet. Other than these, try to include beans, fish, lean meat, whole grain products like rice and bread in your daily meals.

To enhance your well-being, it is a must to drink plenty of fluids, especially water. It will help you to stay hydrated during the day and night. However, you have to minimize caffeine in your diet. It is best to maintain its intake as less as 200 mg per day.

Even though having fish in your diet is highly beneficial, you have to avoid those that are high in mercury. Some of them include swordfish, king mackerel, and sharks. Instead of these fish, you can opt for those that have low mercury content. They include salmon, cod, shrimp, tuna, etc.,

Other than that, you have to ensure that you are not having a lot of processed food items. Make sure that you maintain a diet and stick to it during this time of pregnancy. Besides, in your diet, try to level up your magnesium intake. You can do so by having pumpkin and chia seeds, almonds, cashews, etc. These are some of the factors to consider when it comes to diet during this time of pregnancy.

Staying Physically Active

When you stay active, you are focusing on your physical well-being, which is imperative during pregnancy. However, it is best to stay away from some of the exercises as they can be dangerous.

Seeking guidance from your doctor or joining a class can also be helpful. Similar to the previous weeks, it is best to try out exercises that make you feel comfortable. Walking and swimming are two such exercises that you can include in your routine. However, if your doctor has provided some form of restrictions, it is best to avoid these exercises as well.

Other than that, you can try yoga and pilates suitable to try during pregnancy. You can practice pelvic floor exercises as well during this week.

Take Care of Your Mental Health

Since a lot of changes are happening, you might feel stressed out or anxious. Hence, it is best to take good care of yourself. Your anxiety levels might peak when you reach the end of the second trimester. But, you have to remember that you can always seek out help from your partner, family, friends, and medical professionals. During this stage of pregnancy, you could have crying spells, which could happen due to stress and frustration. Thus, pamper yourself and take good care of your mind and body while moving through your pregnancy.

Speak with Your Doctor

You can speak with your doctor and get an FFN screening done. With its test, you can understand if the labor will be risky or not. Here, when the result is negative, there won't be any issues and vice versa.

As you approach your labor, there are chances of getting different kinds of infections. Hence, seeking advice for taking care of them can be beneficial for you. You can also ask your doctor about the different types of liquid you need to have.