22nd week of pregnancy: The 22nd week of pregnancy at a glance
Your baby trains in the 22nd week of pregnancy for later breathing outside the womb by absorbing amniotic fluid and quickly expelling it again. The vestibular organs in your child’s ears are also developing.
Your belly continues to grow in the 22nd week of pregnancy and youare steadily gaining weight. If you already have a child, they will have noticed your pregnancy. So it’s time toprepare your child for his sibling.
Index
ToggleYour baby’s development in the 22nd week of pregnancy
If your baby, which is now around 26.5 centimeters tall and weighs about 350 grams, notices jerky child movements for several minutes, this may be due to hiccups. It gets the hiccups by absorbing amniotic fluid and expelling it again, whereby the small body contracts quickly. In this way, the respiratory system is strengthened in the 22nd week of pregnancy and the child is trained for later breathing outside the womb. Afterbirth, your child will also get hiccups again and again, which is due to the physiological immaturity of the diaphragm.
The vestibular organs in the ears are developed in the 22nd week of pregnancy and it begins to hear. Your child hears the rushing of blood in the veins or your heartbeat. Your voice perceives it muffled. The baby is not only quite nimble in his breathing exercises, but also with somersaults that you feel when you put your hand on your stomach.
Your body in the 22nd week of pregnancy
Small, pimply elevations appear around the areola of the breasts. These Montgomery glands prepare the breasts for breastfeeding as early as the 22nd week of pregnancy by caring for the nipple and areola with a fatty secretion. This keeps you supple and naturally prevents later cracks or injuries. Due to the growth of your child and your increased metabolism, the magnesium requirement increases. As a result, many women suffer fromcramps in the feet or calves, pain that can now occur more frequently, especially at night. Varicose veinsare also increasingly noticeable from the 22nd week of pregnancy. A lot of exercise is important. Targeted exercises for the legs also have a soothing effect.
Questions about the 22nd week of pregnancy
How do I prepare the sibling?
Gradually begin to prepare siblings for the arrival of the newcomer. For example, use a doll to show them how to change a baby’s diapers or how to dress it. Give your child the opportunity to ask questions on their own and try to explain the processes around the birth as age-appropriate as possible.
Can a child survive in the 22nd week of pregnancy?
Before the 23rd week of pregnancy, a child is not able to survive. Giving birth before the 25th week of pregnancy increases the chance of survival, but there is a risk of disability, developmental disorders and chronic lung problems. Above all, the weight is decisive. Children with a birth weight below 1500g have a much lower chance of survival than children weighing 2500g. With the completion of the 37th week of pregnancy, one no longer speaks of a premature birth.
Tips and hints for the 22nd week of pregnancy
Varicose veins
In pregnancy, the progesterone level of the expectant mother increases. The hormone relaxes the walls of the veins, through which already a liter of extra blood flows this week. The veins stretch. At the same time, the enlarged uterus makes it difficult to transport venous blood back to the heart. An increased accumulation of blood in the lower limbs can eventually lead to varicose veins in the legs and vagina. Most women notice the change in an unpleasant feeling of pressure or foreign body as well as swelling in the labia area. After birth, the typical bulges of the vessels usually recede. Especially in the legs, however, varicose veins can remain.
Correct action for calf cramps
Especially in the second half of pregnancy, many women suffer from leg cramps, which occur mainly at night. The reason for the cramps is usually a lack of magnesium. No wonder: during pregnancy, the need for this mineral is significantly increased. Even if the symptoms of calf cramps can be treated well, it is advisable to compensate for the deficiency with an appropriate preparation. This also prevents premature labor and edema, which can occur with a pronounced magnesium deficiency.
Hemorrhoids in pregnancy
Hemorrhoidsare nodular protruding vasodilations in the area of the anus. In many women, the “nodules” appear for the first time during pregnancy. The reason for this is the hormone-related change in connective tissue and the disturbed blood outflow into the pelvis. Hemorrhoids can cause itching, pain and burning. Sometimes minor bright red bleeding accompanies bowel movements. Pre-existing hemorrhoids are aggravated by constipation, which often occurs in pregnancy. Not infrequently, the hemorrhoids occur only after birth. They in this case are caused by the strong pressing during childbirth. In most cases, however, they regress on their own after a few weeks.