22 weeks pregnant: fetal size and development

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Five and a half months, or 22 weeks of pregnancy - a period when a woman already knows the sex of her baby, feels his movements and enjoys her position. But this period contains many dangers and possible risks.

Food

The diet for pregnant and lactating women remains the same throughout the entire period of gestation and lactation. However, after the onset of the third trimester, the need for nutrients increases significantly. This is due to the preparation of the body not only for childbirth, but also for the future process of feeding the baby (after all, after birth, he needs twice as many nutrients as he received in the mother's womb). List of foods to completely eliminate before giving birth:

• onion;
• garlic;
• tomatoes;
• juices (packaged);
• vegetable frozen sets;
• red fish;
• caviar (except squash);
• chicken eggs;
• citrus;
• chocolate (cocoa);
• coffee.

Nutrition to follow in the third trimester and after the baby is born:

• milk, skim or low fat component 2.5%;
• white lean fish (hake, pollock);
• beef tenderloin;
• turkey (fillet);
• chicory or strong tea;
• purified water (bottled);
• vegetables baked or steamed (fried, spicy, smoked excluded);
• cottage cheese;
• kefir;
• green apples;
• green pears;
• bananas;
• peaches, apricots, melon and watermelon - in small quantities;
• quail egg;
• berries - blackberries, white currants, gooseberries, white cherries, blueberries, black currants;
• vegetables.

It is also necessary to reduce the consumption of tomatoes, carrots, beets, celery, eggplant.

Ultrasound

Secondary ultrasound (ultrasound) when carrying a child is prescribed at the 22nd week of pregnancy. This examination makes it possible to determine whether the future baby has possible deviations in development. The examination also allows you to see if the internal organs of the fetus are developing normally.

At the 22nd week of pregnancy, the development of the fetus is as follows: the coccygeal-parietal size of the child is no longer significant in relation to determining the rate of development of the unborn baby. At the same time, thanks to the study, the doctor can examine the proportions of the small body.

At this stage of the pregnancy, the doctor analyzes the amount of amniotic fluid, after which the level of polyhydramnios / oligohydramnios can be determined. Also during the study, the condition of the umbilical cord is established. In ittime under normal course, the weight of the child should be about 400-550 g.

Growth indicators should be approximately 28 cm. It is worth noting that at this time the child may be born prematurely. However, it can already be viable and develop normally with appropriate care. This examination is necessary in order to avoid possible complications. If you take a photo at the 22nd week of pregnancy on an ultrasound, you can clearly see the unborn baby.

Feelings

Many are interested in the question of what happens at the 22nd week of pregnancy with mom. Fat women will feel clumsiness, and it will be difficult for slender girls to perform those physical activities that were previously performed with ease. Some expectant mothers may begin toxicosis, if it was not there before; edema also appears during this period. Therefore, it is advisable to remove the rings, if any, so that they do not cut into the fingers during swelling.

Due to the fact that the belly is growing, a pregnant woman may feel a shift in the center of gravity, heartburn may disturb her, acne may sometimes appear on her face. After childbirth, they will disappear, this is due to hormonal changes in the body. Some women feel a strong strain on their back, in which case they should start wearing a brace.

At the 21st-22nd week of pregnancy, a strong appetite appears, during this period a woman should gain no more than 8 kg. At the expense of meals, you need to restrain yourself a little, there is a risk of gaining excess weight. Vaginal discharge should be yellowish in colorhomogeneous, but if the discharge is too plentiful, changed color and consistency, then you need to urgently contact a female doctor. By this time, the threat of premature birth has not yet gone, so a woman should listen to her body.

Physiological changes

At the 22nd week of pregnancy, a woman's body adjusts to the appearance of a child. Therefore, the expectant mother can physically feel all the changes that occur to her during this period. These include:

1. Intensive tremors and movements of the fetus. Visually, you can see how the baby turns over, taking a more comfortable position or feel how he is trying to straighten out in the womb. This is the main thing that happens to the baby at the 22nd week of pregnancy.
2. Itching or burning in the chest area. The nipples become hard and ache unpleasantly on contact with underwear. This is due to the intensive formation of colostrum and the preparation of the mammary glands for feeding.
3. Increasing spasms in the lumbar region, lower abdomen. These signals indicate the imminent onset of contractions. Therefore, when the first unpleasant pulling sensations appear in the above area, you should immediately ask your doctor for a referral to a hospital.
4. Stop the weight. This factor scares women at the 22nd week of pregnancy. What is happening in reality? The child has already taken everything he needed for growth. Therefore, many women in labor notice a stop in their weight gain.
5. Appearance of edema. Puffiness, especially in late pregnancy, may be a sign of polyhydramnios ora signal about the imminent departure of the waters (accuracy plus or minus 3 days).

Tests and examinations

At the 22nd week, a woman must definitely pass several tests. Namely:

• General blood test to know what is the level of leukocytes, erythrocytes (set every two weeks or once a month, the doctor looks at the dynamics of hemoglobin).
• Common urinalysis. It is mainly done to see how the kidneys work.
• Blood from a vein to determine the Rh conflict between the mother's body and the baby's body.
• Blood test for TORCH infection. This examination will help to identify whether a woman has diseases such as AIDS, syphilis, rubella, hepatitis B and C, and other viral infections. The fact is that they may not manifest themselves, but a little later, for some unknown reason, the fetus may die.
• Screening shows if there are any diseases and deformities in the fetus, if there is a threat of miscarriage.
• Blood biochemistry shows the state of the internal organs, how well the metabolism proceeds.
• A culture is taken from the vagina according to the doctor's indications. It will help to identify poor-quality cells on the cervix. Usually, such tests are given during the first visit to the antenatal clinic, when the mother becomes registered, and before childbirth.

Also, a pregnant woman should be weighed, measure the volume of the abdomen, pulse, pressure and body temperature.

Selections

Normally, vaginal discharge by the sixth month of pregnancy does not differ inthe color, texture, or smell of a he althy woman's normal discharge.

A moderate amount of light to light gray clear discharge with a slight sour smell is absolutely normal during this period. In the event of a suspicious smell, color or consistency, you should definitely consult a doctor and take tests for microflora and fungus. This should be done if the discharge has become green or yellow, curdled clots or mucus are visible in them. A change in discharge may signal a sexually transmitted infection that needs to be treated urgently.

If spotting appears at the 22nd week of pregnancy, it is urgent to call an ambulance and warn the attending physician: this may be the beginning of premature birth. Blood discharge can be observed with placental abruption if it is located close to the cervical canal, or indicate placenta previa. This is confirmed with an ultrasound. With detachment, there will be no blood in other areas, but pain in the abdomen is felt. If abundant watery discharge appears, which has a light translucent shade and a normal smell, you should also urgently consult a doctor: amniotic fluid may leak. In the vast majority of cases, slight leakage is normal.

Complications

At the 22nd week of gestation, some complications may appear in the well-being of expectant mothers. These include a rather sharp increase in the weight of the pregnant woman. As a result, sluggishness also increases. The belly continues to grow, which adds some more inconvenience, in particular -sleep disturbances.

Acne may appear. This is due to hormonal changes in the body. The appearance of painful sensations and bleeding gums is also not uncommon. These abnormalities usually go away on their own within a fairly short period of time after childbirth and are not dangerous.

Often at this time, women may experience swelling of the extremities. This process may be a symptom of the onset of anemia. In the case of such manifestations, blood pressure and protein in the urine should be monitored.

Anemia develops due to an insufficient amount of iron in the mother's body. Symptoms of this complication include frequent dizziness and general weakness. Occurs during this period and the risk of violations in the work of the heart. This is explained by an increase in the load on the heart muscle. As early as the 22nd week of gestation, women often experience disturbances in the digestive processes. May cause heartburn and other problems of a similar nature.

If your stomach hurts at 22 weeks pregnant, see a doctor immediately!

What's going on with the baby

This term corresponds to 5, 5 obstetric months. The growth of the fetus is 20-25 cm, and the weight is 400-500 g. With each subsequent day, the weight of the child will increase. At this stage, the rapid accumulation of body fat begins.

A fetus at 22 weeks gestation begins to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids become more and more distinct. Eyesformed, but his iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelashes and eyebrows appear, hair on the head, but due to the low content of melanin, they are still colorless. The body is covered with fine hairs (lanugo).

Baby looks more like a newborn this week than ever before. He knows how to open and close his eyes. Facial expressions are already well developed, with ultrasound, you can see how the baby sucks his finger, plays with the umbilical cord. He makes over 200 movements a day. They become stronger. You can feel the baby pushing by placing a hand on your stomach and waiting a couple of minutes.

The brain is already fully formed and weighs about 100 g. A child at the 22nd week of pregnancy learns to suck his thumb, coordinate his movements, roll over, respond to touching his stomach. At the 22nd week, the organs of hearing are completed. The baby already recognizes the voices of mom and dad. May become dissatisfied with sounds that are too loud or harsh.

Sex

If there are no contraindications, then making love during pregnancy is allowed and even encouraged. The baby is reliably protected thanks to the amniotic fluid. During this period, due to increased blood flow, a woman has a great desire for intimacy with her husband. The increase in sensitivity is due to the fact that the cells of the genital organs are more fed with oxygen. If a woman has never experienced an orgasm, then just during this period she will experience it, and, as practice shows, she will experience it afterchildbirth.

Sex is not allowed in some cases:

• Hypertonicity of the uterus is one of the main contraindications, because the child already suffers from oxygen starvation. In this regard, the fetus can die at any time from a lack of oxygen and nutrients; also in women prone to abortion may be premature detachment of the placenta.
• Threatened miscarriage when there is increased uterine tone or contractions.
• If a previous pregnancy ended in miscarriage.
• Partial or complete placenta previa. During sex, there may be a detachment, as a result, bleeding will open, which is dangerous for mom and baby.
• One of the partners suffers from a viral infection; there is a risk of infecting the fetus through the placenta, because just the pathogen easily enters the amniotic fluid and infects the baby.

Recommendations

Suggested to listen to the advice and recommendations of doctors on behavioral criteria in the 22nd week of pregnancy. The information is for guidance only, so for some advice, you can additionally consult with your family doctor.

1. If a woman decides to do gardening, then it is worth protecting her hands with gloves.
2. Eat only fresh vegetables and fruits, and be sure to wash them.
3. Don't drink raw milk.
4. Do not eat raw, undercooked or undercooked meat.
5. If the expectant mother caught a cold, then a doctor's consultation is needed. Taking any medication without the knowledge of a doctor is very dangerous.
6. To thistime should take care of the most comfortable position of the baby in the stomach, do not recycle.
7. If there is a cat in the house, it is necessary to check the animal for toxoplasmosis in a special laboratory.
8. Try not to clean the litter box yourself, especially with your bare hands.

Belly sizes are different at 22 weeks pregnant. The photos in our article confirm this. If you suspect that you are feeling unwell, you should immediately contact a specialist. In special cases, in order to minimize the risks, a pregnant woman can go to a hospital for support. There, under the experienced guidance of an obstetrician-gynecologist and medical staff, the waiting will be safe and easy.