Pregnancy week 22 - baby's development and your body

You’re now about halfway through your pregnancy, and your baby is getting stronger. You can likely feel movements now, and they’re becoming more noticeable.

Size:

Your baby is about 24.5 cm or 9.65 inches long, from head to foot.

Weight:

Approximately 430 grams or 15.17 ounces.

Fetal development:

This week, your baby’s hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows become more visible, and all five senses are now developed.

Although the eyes remain closed, your baby can sense light and darkness through thin eyelids. With an established sleep cycle, they may even be woken by loud noises.

Your baby’s grip is now more defined, allowing it to grasp things like its own ears or the umbilical cord, and it may even suck its thumb.

Your body:

By now, your belly is often clearly visible, though individual experiences vary. You’ve probably started feeling your baby’s movements or will soon. If it takes a bit longer, it may be due to the placenta’s position.

Many find pregnancy symptoms less bothersome now than at the beginning, but some may feel increased pressure on the ligaments around the uterus or experience pelvic pain as the belly grows. The skin on your belly may also feel dry and itchy as it stretches.

Other common symptoms in the second trimester include breast growth, increased appetite, back pain, and swelling in the feet and ankles. Skin changes, such as darkened nipples or the appearance of a “linea nigra”—a dark line extending from the pubic area to just below the navel—may also occur.