Your 22th Week of Pregnancy - The Second Trimester

Your Baby - 22 Weeks Pregnant

Your baby is getting bigger and continues to practice for life outside the uterus. This week your baby has fully developed eyelashes and eyebrows and the hair on your baby's head is continuing to grow as his brain begins a rapid growth process. The fetus has fully formed fingerprints and loud noise can wake up the baby. He may begin kicking and turning around, too. Your baby's heartbeat can be heard with a stethoscope. His nose is taking on a more defined shape as cartilage (the soft bone) appears. If you baby is a boy, the testes have begun to descend from the pelvis into the scrotum. Your baby is approximately 30-32 cm (12.2 inches) and weighs about one pound. (Picture supplied by 3D Sono Image)

This time next year you will have a 34 week old baby!

Can you believe it? Time flies so fast! Be sure you're keeping track of these memories now by creating your Free Pregnancy & Baby Journal today.

Discover More Fun Facts About Your Baby

Do you know what your baby's birth flower, birth stone, and zodiac sign will be? How about when she starts kindgarten, when he'll be driving, and more!

Your Body - 22 Weeks Pregnant

As your baby continues to grow and fill out, so will you. You're belly will become more prominent and may offer some obstacles you didn't really think of before. For example, to get through turnstiles at the malls, you may have to use your hand to turn them, or even go through backwards. You will probably continue to gain weight steadily now, but the majority of it is your baby, not you. As you gain, the extra weight may be taking a toll on your back. Try wearing some comfortable low-heeled shoes and remember to rest with your feet raised above your hips. Overall, you're still feeling pretty good and active in this second trimester.

You are probably getting all kinds of input as to what gender your baby is. People will often offer their opinion using different myths or old wives tales. While some people find this fun, others find it annoying. Be sure to let everyone know how you feel about these games. You can do it in an easy, non-offensive manner by letting them know that you don't want to know the sex of the baby until it's born or that you're waiting until your ultrasound to find out for sure. Have you decided whether you want to know the gender of your baby?

Photo submitted by Babies Online member Greta G of South Amboy, NJ: "This photo was taken on March 30th, 2009. I'm just about 22 weeks pregnant, we'd just confirmed we were having a boy!"

Your Pregnancy Week by Week Newsletter

Common Pregnancy Symptoms in Week 22

• Breast Changes: tenderness, fullness, darkening of the areola

• Frequent Urination

• Constipation

• Heartburn or Indigestion

• Headaches

• Stretch Marks

• Itching

• Round Ligament Pain

• Hemorrhoids

Photo submitted by Babies Online member Andrea C: "This picture is of Mommy's belly @ 22 weeks! We just found out we're having a healthy little girl!!!"

Early Pregnancy Questions

Babies Online Members in their 22th week of pregnancy have commonly asked the following questions:

• Is there really such a thing as pregnancy glow?
• Is it true that mercury can cause premature birth?
• How do I avoid stretch marks?
• Why do my breasts hurt?
• Does my body need Omega 3 fatty acids during pregnancy?