22 weeks pregnant: Pregnancy Symptoms & Baby Development

Find out what to expect from every week of your pregnancy.

22 weeks pregnant is how many months?

Month 5 (Trimester 2)

Baby development at 22 week

If you’re speaking to your bump, around now is when you’ll notice it responds.

Diet & nutrition

Make sure you’re getting plenty of vitamin C.

Your body

Your growing baby could be piling on some pressure.

Baby development at 22 weeks

What does my baby look like? And, what size is my baby?

In week 22 of pregnancy, your baby will measure roughly 20cm from head to bottom (roughly the size of a coconut) and weigh around 450g.

Your voice is the clearest thing he or she will hear during pregnancy. Soon, your baby will start responding with sophisticated orienting movements. Your baby is also beginning to make out other sounds, rhythms and melodies. This is a good time to start talking to and, if feel like it, singing to your baby. Studies have shown that, just hours after birth, babies show a preference for their mother’s voice1.

The other sense that’s developing is taste. Your diet can influence what your baby will eat when born, so it’s best to avoid passing on a taste for junk food. Tuck into plenty of fresh veg that’s rich in vitamin C.

Your baby’s well ahead of the game and already producing their adult teeth. They line up behind their milk teeth, although teething doesn’t usually start until they’re about six months old.

 

Pregnancy at 22 weeks (second trimester)

What’s happening in my body?

The most noticeable change spotted by others will be your growing bump. Yet some mums struggle to see anything other than the stretch marks that can appear. They affect around 80% of pregnant women and ‘pregnancy stripes’ are something you should be proud of.

After birth, they fade to a light silver mark, but won’t completely vanish. There’s no need to waste money on ‘miracle cures’. Un-perfumed moisturiser or body oil is fine: just massage it gently into the affected areas.

The pregnancy hormone progesterone is also piling on the pressure. Literally. It’s responsible for piles – or haemorrhoids – which are common in pregnancy. Progesterone relaxes the walls of blood vessels in your rectum, and with a growing baby pushing against the same blood vessels, they can swell up as piles.
To ease piles, eat plenty of high fibre foods, including wholemeal bread, fruit and vegetables, and drink plenty of fluids to keep your stools soft and regular. Hold a cloth dipped in iced water against your piles to ease pain, and ensure you talk to your doctor or midwife before using medication.

Pregnancy symptoms at 22 weeks
 

Mood swings

You may still be feeling the effects of raised oestrogen and progesterone from your first trimester. If they’re affecting how you’re feeling emotionally, get plenty of rest and light exercise to keep you feeling like yourself.

Belly pains

Pains on the side of your belly are caused by your expanding womb (and also referred to as ‘round ligament pains’). To treat them, put your feet up and rest.

Cramp

It usually strikes at night, so make sure you turn a light on if you stand up to help clear it. You don’t want to trip and fall. Gentle exercise for your legs, ankles and feet may help prevent cramp.

Sleeping problems

Sleep on your side, and use pillows to support your bump and any aching muscles. Also try sleeping with a pillow between your knees.

Headaches

Those hormones are the likely culprits. Paracetamol is usually safe to take during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, but always at the lowest effective dose, and for the shortest possible time.

Indigestion and heartburn

These digestive problems are caused by your baby growing into some of the space your stomach occupies, and your changing hormones.

Focus on VITAMIN C

As well as boosting your own immune system, vitamin C will also boost that of your baby. Vitamin C protects and keeps cells healthy, and supports both the immune and nervous system. Vitamin C also helps your baby absorb iron, which supports cognitive function.

The Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) of vitamin C for pregnancy is 40mg each day – with an extra 10mg per day in the last trimester

 

THE SCIENCE BEHIND VITAMIN C

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Vitamin C is needed by your baby to help create collagen, a protein that creates the connective tissue that helps give your baby’s body its structure, while supporting their developing organs. Collagen also underpins teeth, skin, gums, cartilage, bones and blood vessels, and your baby’s wound healing ability.

Vitamin C is also important for ‘non-haem’ iron absorption. There are two forms of iron: one from animal products and ‘non-haem’ iron, from plants. Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron from plants, further reducing the risk of iron-deficiency anaemia, which can affect your own health and your baby’s development. Improving non-haem iron absorption from plants further builds up your baby’s iron stores to support learning and growth in their first six months of life