Pregnant in week 22? In this article, you can read about your baby’s development, the changes in your body, and useful tips for this stage.

Baby: The little crab in the stomach is now about 27 cm long and weighs about 450 grams!

Development

In week 22, your baby can react to both sound and light and sleeps an average of 16 hours per day. All organs are formed by this week but it will take a few weeks before they are fully developed and functioning for life outside the womb.

The foetus prepares for life outside the womb and practices digesting food; this is by swallowing amniotic fluid, which keeps the intestines, kidneys and other organs working. The foetus has also developed taste buds on the tongue and can now sense differences in, for example, the degree of sweetness.

Movement Pattern

In the womb, the foetus lives completely weightless; this means that no position is difficult, but some foetuses already seem to have different favorite sides or positions to lie in!

The way the foetus moves becomes less reflexive and more human each week. The foetus changes position often during the day and can actually make small somersaults and movements even during rest and sleep. If you feel a lot of movement and wonder if the baby never sleeps, this could be an explanation for it! In the middle of pregnancy, many foetuses are still relatively far down in the abdomen, therefore any movements are usually felt most clearly under the pregnant woman’s navel.

Mother: Do you feel any kicks? 💜

The foetus moves freely in the amniotic fluid and does both forward and backward somersaults. So there is a chance that you will feel the foetus kicking at the pubic bone and around the navel at this point. If you don’t feel any movements yet, you will surely start feeling them soon!

Your body

The mother’s body prepares for childbirth and changes with each passing week. Sometimes it can feel like the abdomen is growing extra large, which has to do with the baby and uterus growing faster at certain periods. Maybe you also feel that your stomach is bigger in the evening and smaller in the morning? This is because the abdominal muscles relax more in the evening and may even be a little tired after carrying the front of the uterus all day. In addition, the intestines are fuller and take up more space, which causes the stomach to puff out more.

Colostrum

The body prepares to produce breast milk and nurse the baby after birth, so it is not unusual to have breast milk leaking from your nipples occasionally. It is also completely normal not to leak breast milk during pregnancy.

Colostrum is the first milk produced during pregnancy and the first few days after birth.The colostrum is different from the more mature breast milk that usually flows until a couple of days after delivery. While colostrum is often more yellow in colour, mature milk is more white. Colostrum is richer in antibodies, which are good for the newborn baby’s immune system, and contains plenty of energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. It even works as an effective and healing salve, so you can apply it to your nipples or other areas of skin where you are dry or sore. The same applies to the baby after birth!

If you are bothered by the flow of milk during pregnancy, it can be nice to have protective pads or a soft bra to sleep with. Keep in mind that regardless of whether or not milk comes from your breasts during pregnancy, it says nothing about how the amount of milk will be after birth.

Partner: You are a little more than halfway to your due date, how are you doing?

Some couples feel stressed about the upcoming birth and life with a newborn. To gather energy, feel calm and be more present in the moment, it can be nice to try breathing exercises. At the bottom you will find suggestions for breathing exercises!

Experiment and find the relaxation method that works for you. Maybe you need two completely different types of relaxation? What works for you is not necessarily what is best for your partner. Regardless of technique, it’s a great tool to have with you into labour (or during awake nights with a newborn!).

What do you want your child to remember?

Many parents-to-be find it cozy to fantasize about what life with children will be like. How do you want your child to remember his upbringing? Is there something from your own upbringing that you want your child to experience? It can also be good to talk about and fantasize about how you want to be as parents. However, not everything can be decided and planned in advance – large parts of parenting and your individual roles as parents are set when your child is born