Are you wondering: 22nd week of pregnancy, which month is it? Your partner, sister or friend is just 22 weeks pregnant (21.1-22 BC) and you want to learn interesting facts about the health and well-being of the pregnant woman, and the development of the fetus? Or maybe you are a woman expecting a baby and you want to find out how much your baby weighs in the 22nd week of pregnancy, what it looks like and whether the movements of the baby in the 22nd week of pregnancy should already be counted? What tests should be performed during this time? We invite you to read the post in which we present the course of the twenty-second week of pregnancy.
Week 22 of Pregnancy, which month is it?
Are you worried that you do not know the answer to the question: 22nd week of pregnancy, which month is it? We hurry with the hint!
Pregnancy is a beautiful time, physiologically lasting 9 months. During this time, many changes occur very dynamically (often from week to week), therefore, in the medical nomenclature, the course of pregnancy is monitored taking into account the precise division of this period into weeks.
Thus: 22nd week of pregnancy, which is this month?
The expectant mother is now 5 months old, in the second trimester of pregnancy. The due date is approaching every day, which is why many women are now starting to intensively complete the layette, prepare the baby's room and educate themselves about the course of the delivery and care for a newborn baby.
Despite the rush of things, in the 22nd week of pregnancy, it is worth finding time to rest, as well as small and greater pleasures - cinema, theater, a romantic dinner with a partner or a weekend spent with a friend will allow you to regenerate and enjoy the lifestyle that will soon change dramatically.
Belly at 22 weeks pregnant: can stretch marks be avoided and is pictures of the belly at 22 weeks pregnant a good idea?
The developing baby in the womb makes the pregnancy belly grow at an accelerated pace and it becomes harder and harder to hide it under clothes.
The abdomen at 22 weeks of pregnancy may vary in size, depending both on the anatomical structure of the pregnant woman and whether it is her first pregnancy. In multiparous women (women who have given birth before), the gestational abdomen usually becomes visible much earlier and may be slightly more bulging than in women who are expecting their first child.
The common symptom of the 22nd week of pregnancy for all pregnant women is stretching of the abdominal skin, which may result in unsightly stretch marks. Initially, they have a pink color and irregular lines. Stretch marks fade over time, become thinner and less visible, but still present on the skin. The occurrence of stretch marks during pregnancy is most often encoded in genes - if they appeared in the mother or sister of a pregnant woman, it is very likely that they will also occur in her. However, you can minimize their intensity and even prevent them completely by taking good care of yourself.
At 22 weeks of pregnancy:
- Every day we remember about a diet rich in vegetables and fruits and drinking a minimum of 2,5 liters of water for health, but also to improve the condition and elasticity of the skin.
- Regular massage of itchy, stretching skin on the abdomen and breasts using a special peeling glove or a natural bristle brush. This will help improve blood flow and prevent water and lymph stagnation.
- Breast (nipple) and abdominal massage in the 22nd week of pregnancy are performed briefly and gently so as not to stimulate the uterus to excessive contractile activity. In the event of a threatened pregnancy, consult your doctor before performing such a massage.
- After such a massage and taking a bath / shower, thoroughly moisturize the skin of the body, preferably with the use of anti-stretch mark preparations, dedicated to pregnant women.
As a souvenir, it is worth keeping regular photographic documentation of the growing belly - in the 22nd week of pregnancy, photos for the family album can be taken at home or sign up for a professional session with a photographer.
Interesting facts 22nd week of pregnancy
Why can pregnant women have problems with balance and what should the mother's weight be at this stage of pregnancy?
The constantly growing belly causes the center of gravity to shift forward and slightly upwards, which may make it difficult for pregnant women to balance. Therefore, in the twenty-second week of pregnancy, it is worth giving up wearing unstable shoes with very high heels, hanging curtains or standing on a chair / ladder to remove items from the top shelf of the wardrobe.. Pregnancy hormones, as well as the pressure of the uterus on blood vessels and the diaphragm, often make pregnant women dizzy, which can also lead to dangerous falls. This is why some of the household chores should be entrusted to your partner.
Safety of intercourse during pregnancy
In the 22nd week of pregnancy, on the Internet forum, future mothers often ask about the safety of intercourse during pregnancy. In physiological pregnancy, when the attending physician does not see any medical contraindications, sex can be continued until the very birth, taking into account the well-being and comfort of the pregnant woman.
Weight gain in pregnancy
Another question is often asked on the Internet: "Moms-to-be, how much did you gain in 22 weeks of pregnancy?" Increased appetite and more frequent fatigue contribute to the reduction of physical activity and the intake of excessive amounts of calories. It is good to remember that a woman in the 22nd week of pregnancy should consume only about 250-500 kcal more than before. It is worth that this energy surplus does not come from sweets or salty snacks, but from healthy, wholesome products.
The mother's weight in the 22nd week of pregnancy increases gradually, about 200-450 grams per week. Within a month, the weight gain of a pregnant woman in the second trimester should fluctuate within 1-2 kg, but it depends, among others, on from the weight of the woman before pregnancy.
Baby's movements at 22 weeks gestation: should they be monitored regularly?
At this time, the fetus still has a lot of room for physical activity in the uterus, so the expectant mother senses its movements as irregular movements / tickling in the abdomen. If, by the 22nd week of pregnancy, the woman still does not feel her baby moving, she should report it to her attending physician, who will check the fetus' well-being by carrying out more detailed examinations.
A baby in the 22nd week of pregnancy already has its own daily rhythm: he sleeps about 20 hours a day, and the rest of the time he is awake, swallows amniotic fluid (which he then peees into), plays with his hands and umbilical cord, and moves all his limbs. Sometimes she may also get hiccups: such movements in the 22nd week of pregnancy are perceived by the mother-to-be as painless, rhythmic abdominal vibrations.
The child's physical activity is most regular only at the end of the second trimester, especially in the third trimester of pregnancy. We start monitoring and recording the baby's movements during pregnancy not at week 22, but only at week 28. Such observations are then carried out after the main meals, while lying on the side. If, in the 22nd week of pregnancy, the baby's movements are disturbing: very violent (accompanied by spotting from the genital tract and severe abdominal pain) or the pregnant woman does not feel any movement in the womb during the whole day and is very anxious, she should go to the hospital.
22nd week of pregnancy: baby's weight and appearance
At this time, the fetus has developed arms and legs and begins to take on its individual, genetically determined features of appearance. During the ultrasound in the 22nd week of pregnancy, you can already see the baby's upturned nose, closed eyes and a high forehead. The eyelids are covered with eyelashes, there are eyebrows above the eyes, and more or less lush hair begins to grow on the head, which at that time is still colorless - without pigment.
How much does the baby weigh in the 22nd week of pregnancy?
His body weight is now approx. 420-460 grams, the skin becomes less and less transparent and the amount of fat accumulated under it increases. How much a child weighs in the 22nd week of pregnancy begins to depend on both genetic and environmental factors (including the body structure of the future mother). During this time, the fetus measures approx. 24-26 cm in length from the top of the head to the feet, but in the uterus it is not straightened, but is curled up in the so-called embryonic position.
What tests should be performed in the 22nd week of pregnancy?
First of all, it should be remembered that, according to the recommendations of PTGiP, between 18 and 22 tc you should report for a very important second trimester ultrasound (also known as a half ultrasound), which thoroughly assesses the overall development and anatomy of the fetus, the condition of the placenta and uterus, and confirms the age. pregnancy. Therefore, the 22nd week of pregnancy is the last moment to perform this ultrasound on the recommended date. Before visiting her doctor, a pregnant woman should also perform a general urinalysis and blood count.
Between weeks 21 and 26, IgM negative women have this test repeated, while pregnant women with a negative blood group factor (Rh-) should have anti-D antibody reassayed during this time interval. In the 22nd week of pregnancy, it is also worth signing up for blood glucose test (after oral administration of 75 g of glucose) to perform them within the recommended time (i.e. between 24 and 26 weeks).
Consultation:
Ph.D. n. med. prof. IMID Tadeusz Issat - Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic at the Institute of Mother and Child;
Maria Krowicka-Wasyl - resident physician in the course of specialization in gynecology and obstetrics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Institute of Mother and Child.
