22 Weeks Pregnant

How your baby's growing at 22 weeks of pregnancy

Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn. But he still has a lot of growing to do before he's ready to be born.

Your baby’s first poo is starting to collect in his gut now. It’s made up of a number of things that your baby swallows while he’s in your womb like amniotic fluid and shed skin cells. He’ll swallow this and store it in his bowels as meconium, a black or dark green sticky substance.

See what your baby looks like now and read more about his development at 22 weeks of pregnancy.

How your life's changing at 22 weeks of pregnancy

You'll probably notice you're putting on weight now and that you get hungry more often. Try to make each bite count with a healthy and balanced diet.

You might have what people call the pregnancy glow. This is what it's called when your skin gets a radiance and looks healthier when you're expecting. It happens because your body retains more moisture during pregnancy and you have more blood pumping through your body.

Sometimes, pregnancy hormones can cause acne (pimples), dark patches or itchy skin. Most of these conditions get better after your delivery. To know more, read our article on skin changes in pregnancy.

You might also get thicker hair. The extra oestrogen in your body prevents your hair from falling out as often as usual. After birth, your hair will come back to how it used to be before you conceived. So enjoy your thicker locks while they last!

If you feel like you're losing hair, speak to your doctor. Hair loss in pregnancy can be linked to a health problem like iron deficiency (anaemia), a thyroid disorder or, more rarely, lupus (SLE).

What you can do at 22 weeks pregnant

It might seem early to look for a baby name, but you’ll be surprised at how long it can sometimes take to find a name you and your husband both like.

You might want to make your final choice after seeing your baby, but it’s a good idea to have a shortlist of favourite names for a girl and boy ready to choose from.

We can help you prepare your shortlist with our baby names tool. You’ll find modern and traditional names, religious and trending names, and more. Explore our name area for inspiration.

Don’t forget to think about what your child’s initials will spell out, or whether you like the short version of the name. Watch out for other common naming mistakes parents make.

By about 23 weeks, your baby will start to hear sounds. He will hear your voice as you go about your daily life and will recognise it after birth. He will also recognise other familiar sounds like your husband’s voice or a tune you listen to often when pregnant.

Long before this was proven by science, traditional Garbha sanskar believed a baby could hear and learn while in the womb. That’s why expecting mums are advised to only see good movies, read nice books and have positive thoughts and feedings.

Whether your child really learns or not, it can only benefit you to have positive thoughts and actions. You can start by relaxing and letting go of any tensions by listening to our soothing pregnancy shlokas.

BabyCenter mum tip of the week

Your pregnancy diet at 22 weeks

If you're pregnant, you’ll need to watch how much caffeine you have. Too much caffeine can affect your baby's development and increase the risk of a late miscarriage.

Up to 200mg of caffeine, a day is considered safe. That's about two cups of instant coffee or four cups of black tea. Caffeine is also found in green tea, energy drinks, colas and chocolate.

Some herbal products and over-the-counter medicines also contain caffeine. So always go through the list of ingredients and check with your doctor if any medicine, even a herbal one, is safe for you.

Tannins in tea and coffee prevent your body from absorbing essential nutrients in your food. So never drink these just before or after a meal or your prenatal vitamins.

If you're a devoted coffee or tea fan, caffeine withdrawal isn't easy. For the first couple of days you may have headaches, fatigue and drowsiness. Try to ease off gradually, by about half a cup a day, to reduce these side-effects.

FAQs at 22 weeks pregnant

• How often should I feel my baby move at 22 weeks?
• What are the signs of vitamin D deficiency?
• Which vegetarian foods are good sources of protein?
• Why are some babies born with low birthweight?

Poll of the week

If you were a smoker before you got pregnant, how did you give it up?

प्रेग्नेंसी के 22वें हफ्ते की जानकारी हिंदी में

22 सप्ताह की गर्भावस्था में शिशु का विकास कैसे होता है, आपके शरीर में क्या बदलाव आते हैं और इस चरण पर आपको क्या जानना जरुरी है, यह सब जानकारी हिंदी में पढ़ें।