At the 22nd week of pregnancy, the woman is full of strength, but the growing belly is already beginning to noticeably limit her physical capabilities. She can still see her legs herself, lace up her shoes, but she no longer has the same mobility as before: walking causes shortness of breath, the need to sit or stand for a long time in the workplace causes fatigue and discomfort. Many are beginning to dream of going on maternity leave.
How many months is it?
22 weeks of gestation corresponds to 20 weeks from conception. It is the sixth obstetric month, it is exactly five calendar months.
During the gestation of a baby, women and doctors keep counting the time for obstetric weeks. The first such week corresponds to the period from the beginning of the last menstruation to their end, conception falls on the third week. Thus, obstetric weeks are approximately two weeks ahead of the true period.
The beginning of 22 weeks is a full 21 weeks and several days. When we talk about what happens to the baby and his mom at 22 weeks, we mean six days between 21 and 22 weeks. 18 weeks have passed from the delay in menstruation, the woman has long got used to the idea that she will soon become a mother. The current term is just over half of the pregnancy.
Fetal development
This week the baby crosses another important "milestone". Now, if something unexpected happens, the birth of a baby will not be considered a miscarriage, it will be premature birth.
The weight of the crumbs at 22 weeks reaches 500 grams, and this fact gives doctors the opportunity to save his life if childbirth occurs this week. Of course, it is very difficult to predict, but neonatologists with the current level of development of medicine can do a lot to ensure that such a tiny child has a chance of survival.
The growth of the baby this week reaches 30 centimeters... From the crown to the sacrum (CTE) - 22-23 centimeters. Now growth will not increase as fast as before, because the baby has an important task - to gain weight, and this is what he will do with special zeal almost until the very birth.
The baby's weight is growing daily. If at the beginning of 22 weeks they averaged 420 grams, then at 21 weeks it is already almost 500 grams.
What does the fetus look like?
The baby looks more and more like a newborn. He's not so thin and wrinkled anymore. The subcutaneous fatty tissue is being formed at full speed. At 22 weeks, it begins to spread throughout the body. Most of it is on the soles and palms of the baby, least of all - on the forehead and nose.
In boys, there is no subcutaneous fat on the scrotum at all, in children of both sexes, fatty tissue is absent on the eyelids. The most intense increase in the number of fat cells will be observed in the last two months of gestation.
In addition to the fact that the appearance of fat has a beneficial effect on the appearance of the fetus (it ceases to be thin, folds and wrinkles on the skin are gradually smoothed out, the skin ceases to be red), this subcutaneous layer is also important for thermoregulation, or rather, for keeping warm. Now the baby is not threatened with freezing, but after the birth, it is the subcutaneous fat that will help the baby to adapt to the new habitat.
Another distinctive feature of the baby's appearance at 22 weeks is original lubricant. It covers his entire body in a thick layer, including his face. Lubrication is needed to protect the delicate and still thin skin. The lubricant is reliably held on the skin by a layer of lanugo - the original vellus hair, which is a manifestation of the work of hair follicles. The baby has completely completed the formation of a face, fingers, has nails and his own unique fingerprints.
The proportions of the body are gradually coming into line: the head now has the correct shape, it is not as large in relation to other parts of the body as before. Legs and arms grow, and the lower limbs grow faster, before they were noticeably lagging behind the upper ones in length.
Internal organs
At the current time, new organs are not being established. Everything is already formed and even functioning. At 22 weeks, the formation of the spine is completed, its discs are already "functional". The heart copes well with its duties - it supplies blood to all parts of the body, pumping up to 25 liters of blood per day.
The heart grows in size, the heartbeat is already easy to listen to without ultrasound, exclusively with the help of a stethoscope. Heart rate this week is on average 150 to 175 beats per minute.
Maturation of the lungs continues. The intestines make contractions, the kidneys successfully cope with the task of producing urine. The "debugging" of the work of the glands continues: at the current time, sweat and sebaceous glands are actively developing.
The liver produces special enzymes that are needed to break down indirect bilirubin, which is formed during the breakdown of hemoglobin. This rather toxic substance is converted by the liver into neutral direct bilirubin, which is excreted from the child's body through the placenta.
Nervous system
The brain begins to slow down in growth, now more complex, "jewelry" processes take place in it - grooves and convolutions of the cerebral cortex are formed. The brain weighs about 100 grams this week, which is one-fifth of the total weight of the baby.
Swallowing, grasping and sucking reflexes are sufficiently developed, the baby practices them daily. There are also the rudiments of the instinct of self-preservation: the baby is frightened, pulls back the handle if it comes into contact with something incomprehensible. The kid can already differentiate his own feelings.
The central nervous system is getting better and better at controlling motor functions; the baby already independently controls the movement of the arms, legs and head. New neural connections are formed continuously, and this process will continue not only during the entire intrauterine period, but also after birth. Even in adults, young neurons are found, and scientists tend to believe that it is thanks to them that the brain can partially restore damaged functions.
At the 22nd week of pregnancy, the baby feels great about the mother: all her stresses and experiences cannot go unnoticed for him... In response to maternal emotions, the baby changes motor activity, slows down or accelerates his heart rate. He can feel pain, the baby can distinguish the nuances of the taste of amniotic fluid.
What does the baby feel?
Life in the womb is not as boring and monotonous as it might seem. Every day for a kid is a real discovery, every minute he learns something new and interesting for himself. Now he fully hears sounds. All structures of the hearing organs are formed and functioning, the baby perfectly distinguishes the mother's voice from dozens of other voices.
Stranger unfamiliar loud voices can scare him, so now it is better for a pregnant woman to stay away from mass concerts, places with a loud sound background.
At 22 weeks, most fruits begin to try to open their eyes. The blinking reflex is almost complete, the eyelids have long been divided into upper and lower. It is too early to talk about full-fledged vision, although all structures of the visual analyzers are formed.
The baby distinguishes only light spots: if you direct the beam of the flashlight to the mother's belly, the baby will begin to move more actively. Now a lot of information for himself the baby draws from tactile sensations, he actively feels himself, the umbilical cord, the walls of the uterus, the need for tactile contact with the mother will remain in the first months after birth.
The world for a baby at 22 weeks is not limited only to what he hears in the womb and what he manages to grope. The first emotional factors appear. So, mother's song and light stroking of the abdomen give him a feeling of security and peace, and the suddenly triggered alarm clock makes the baby worry and anxious.
Baby gender
The size of the external reproductive organs allows you to accurately determine the sex of the baby on ultrasound. If the gender is not yet known, just now is the most favorable time to find out who the couple is waiting for - a boy or a girl.
In the first third of pregnancy, sex differences between embryos and then between fetuses of different sexes were minimal. Boys now have a fully formed scrotum and penis, and girls can easily see the labia.
The sex glands of babies develop in different ways. In girls, the ovaries have long been in the pelvic area, and the boys' testicles are still just moving towards the scrotum. Most often, this process ends closer to childbirth, sometimes - after the birth of the baby.
Sex hormones of our own production are still available only in boys. The concentration of testosterone is determined in their blood. In girls, the hormonal background is still created due to maternal sex hormones.
You should not postpone determining the sex of the child: after a few weeks, the baby will become cramped in the uterus, he will assume a position in which the arms and legs will be drawn in, and it may be difficult to view the intimate zone. The accuracy of sex determination in the third trimester is significantly reduced.
Baby's immunity
The development of fetal immunity reaches a new level. The number of lymphocytes in the peripheral blood at 22 weeks reaches the maximum mark - in one cubic millimeter there are about 10 thousand of them! However, these cells are still weak, they are not capable of full-fledged formation of gamma globulins.
Now the baby receives from the mother through the placenta not only vitamins, minerals, nutrients and oxygen necessary for his life, but also immune antibodies. They form the very innate immunity that will protect the newborn during the first time after birth.
But the baby's own immunity at the current time is not as helpless as it might seem. The kid is already able to withstand some external threats. However, this should not be a reason for the mother's negligence towards possible dangers: viruses and bacteria are now useless to the baby.
Your baby is on ultrasound
At 20 embryonic weeks (22 obstetric), ultrasound is prescribed to those women who, for some reason, did not do it a week or two weeks ago. This is a mandatory screening ultrasound, which is necessary to assess the general development of the baby, as well as to determine possible anomalies in its development.
Now ultrasound scanning allows you to see what was impossible to see in the first trimester: pathology of the baby's internal organs, malformations of the brain and spinal cord. This is what the doctor attaches special importance to.
Mothers, in addition to answering the main question about the baby's health, want to know if the size of her baby meets the standards. At 22 weeks, the average fetometry values are as follows.
The amount of amniotic fluid is determined by the amniotic fluid index, which this week ranges from 88 to 97 mm. The thickness of the "child's seat" at this time is 22-23 mm.
The doctor also determines the position of the baby in the uterus.
While there is no reason to worry about the breech presentation, the transverse position of the fetus. The kid actively changes the position of the body, his size still allows him.
Feelings of a future mother
The expectant mother continues to enjoy life, because so far the “interesting position” does not create significant inconveniences for her. However, many note that the reserve of strength is already running out: a woman begins to get tired faster, more and more often she wants to lie down and relax, but the term still does not allow to go on maternity leave and fully relax. What changes in well-being can bring 22 weeks of pregnancy, we will tell in more detail.
Stirring fetus
At 22 weeks, almost all pregnant women feel the movements of their babies. If now the expectant mother does not feel the movements of the crumbs, she must definitely inform her doctor about this, because there can be a lot of reasons for their absence.
Weak and irregular movements can be felt by women who are pregnant with their first child. In women during the second or third pregnancy, the movements are not only distinct, but also quite regular. The sensations become more pronounced.
Many pregnant women by this week have already managed to establish amazing contact with their baby. With movements, the baby begins to respond to stroking the abdomen with his mother's hand, in some cases the future dad can already feel the baby's movements, putting his hand on his wife's stomach.
Every day, the woman does not yet need to count the movements of the baby, the doctor will advise the expectant mother to do this later, at the end of the second or beginning of the third trimester.
However, already now, one should get used to mentally noticing changes in the child's behavior: if the baby “calms down” for a long time or moves unusually actively for several hours, the woman must definitely inform her obstetrician-gynecologist about this in order to exclude the likelihood of hypoxia, cord entanglement and other factors that cannot be called child-friendly.
Many women at this time claim that their babies move more at night. However, doctors say that the activity of the fetus during the day is almost the same, and night dances are a subjective feeling of the woman herself, because during the day she moves herself a lot and does not always feel the movements of the baby, and at night the mother relaxes, the sensitivity increases.
The baby moves even in a dream. He sleeps 20-22 hours a day. Sleep movements are involuntary. During short periods of wakefulness, the baby plays with the umbilical cord, sucks on fists, swims and flips, grabs its own legs with its hands.
The mother senses only a small part of her child's movements. If the baby does not touch the walls of the uterus, the woman does not feel anything, only such touches are still perceived by her as movements.
You should not compare the movements of your baby with the activity of others. All children are already different, including in temperament. Active and mobile babies can move more often, calm and lazy - less often. The same character will remain with them after birth.
Allocations
From 22 weeks, a woman must definitely control the nature of discharge from the genitals. To do this, you need to use sanitary pads, daily. This will help solve two pressing problems at once: get rid of the uncomfortable feeling of constant moisture in the perineum and notice in time any changes in discharge, if any.
The most dangerous at this time are watery, profuse discharge.... The outpouring of water at 22 weeks is usually of a single-stage nature, that is, all the amniotic fluid leaves the fetal bladder at once. This is the onset of premature labor. Bloody discharge should also alert, since it can be symptoms of placental abruption, softening and weakening of the cervix, and its erosion.
Discharge green, brown or gray with an unpleasant odor and itching may indicate the presence of an infectious disease. White thick discharge of a curd consistency - thrush.
Normal discharge at 22 weeks can be considered white or light, slightly yellowish discharge with little or no sour odor.Their number increases slightly, and this is also considered a variant of the norm.
Any abnormal discharge that is not normal should be evaluated by a doctor, who will order tests and the necessary treatment.
Pain and common complaints
At the 22nd week of pregnancy, physiological pains gradually begin to come into a woman's life. These are pains associated with changes in the female body. They do not require treatment as they are completely normal.
The uterus grows very rapidly. This cannot but affect the well-being of the pregnant woman. Stretching and thickening of the ligamentous apparatus, which holds the female reproductive organ, manifests itself in the form of pulling, aching pains. Most often, expectant mothers complain that their lower back and back hurt.
The lower back does not constantly pull, episodic appearance is generally characteristic of physiological pain. Sometimes there are breaking sensations in the right or left side, tingling in the uterus. This is also not a cause for concern, as well as "lumbago" in the lower abdomen, which is a sign of pressure from the uterus on the nerve endings.
Sometimes at this time the pubic bone begins to hurt. Such pains are associated with softening of the bones and ligaments of the small pelvis, a slight separation of the bones. This mechanism is provided by nature as a preparatory one: the body prepares for childbirth in advance.
It is important for a woman to know that too severe pains that do not allow her to sit, stand, climb stairs, which intensify at night, may be symptoms of the onset of symphysitis. In this case, a doctor's consultation is mandatory and necessary.
In the evening, a woman may begin to experience severe fatigue in her legs. Knee joints and feet are especially aching and aching. Such pains are due to the fact that the load on the lower extremities has increased, because not only the uterus is increasing, but also the weight of the pregnant woman. Other common complaints during this period relate to headaches as well as a runny nose.
Rhinitis is most often the result of a slight swelling of the mucous membranes, which is quite natural for the current period of pregnancy. Shortness of breath now also refers to problems that have a completely physiological origin. The uterus presses on the diaphragm, which causes a feeling of lack of air. Already a large uterus squeezes the digestive organs, and therefore a woman may suffer from heartburn, diarrhea or constipation.
Frequent urination is an insidious symptom. If it is not accompanied by pain and the urine has not changed color and smell, then frequent trips to the toilet should be considered as a physiological phenomenon: the uterus presses on the kidneys and bladder. If there are accompanying unpleasant signs, you should consult a doctor - inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system are possible.
Headache at 22 weeks infrequently. Usually a headache at this time is a sign of changes in blood pressure. A woman should monitor its level and be sure to consult a doctor if headache attacks occur frequently.
Mood and emotional background
The emotional "swing" that was observed in the expectant mother during the first trimester is a thing of the past. At 22 weeks, there are fewer reasons for concern. This period is almost no longer dangerous from the point of view of termination of pregnancy, the threat of fetal freezing is also negligible.
Screening studies of the first and second trimesters, which women experienced quite significantly, were left behind. Now a relatively calm time has come, which the expectant mother may well devote to herself and her future baby.
Psychologists who accept expectant mothers in antenatal clinics argue that at this time, treatment concerns mainly personal and family relationships. The quite natural desire of expectant mothers to feel protected does not always meet with understanding from relatives.
At the 22nd week of pregnancy, some women may show dissatisfaction with themselves, their appearance, there may be fears that her husband will cease to like her, arouse interest in him. Many are characterized by increased irritability during this period.
A frank conversation will help to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts in the family. Tell your spouse how important it is for you now to feel his support and praise, it will not hurt the household to kindly explain that some of the household duties that were previously assigned to a woman would now not hurt to divide between them.
A woman who is 22 weeks pregnant needs positive emotions, and therefore should limit communication with unpleasant people, refuse to watch films containing bloody and cruel scenes.
If you cannot achieve peace and harmony on your own, you can consult a psychologist. In any antenatal clinic there is such a specialist.
Changes in the body
All the nuances of a pregnant woman's well-being are "dictated" by the changes that occur at the physical level in her body. Much, of course, depends on the individual sensitivity threshold, on the physique, but in general, the sensations at 22 weeks are quite similar in different women. Much becomes explicable and understandable when a woman begins to imagine the whole scale of metamorphoses taking place inside her.
Uterus growth
The uterus has been in the abdominal cavity for a long time, it has left the small pelvis, because it simply ceased to fit in it. A woman clearly feels the uterus, especially if it is toned. Now the height of the uterine fundus is 20-24 centimeters.
The length of its neck is 40 mm on average. A shorter neck is a sign of ischemic-cervical insufficiency, in which the risk of premature birth is significantly increased.
The location of the uterus allows you to feel its upper part a couple of centimeters above the navel line. The doctor will now measure the height of the bottom at each appointment. Compliance with the numerical value of VSDM is considered normal to the obstetric term: at 22 weeks, the bottom height on average should be 22 centimeters.
A woman during this period needs to be very careful and attentive. It is quite simple to determine the tone of the uterus, as it strains, becomes more firm. This condition, if repeated regularly, requires medical advice and examination.
Weight gain
Recommendations to monitor your weight gain are now more relevant than ever. The baby is actively gaining weight, the mother has a great desire to eat everything in the refrigerator, and then the same amount.
Weight gain is very intense, and in this matter it is important to prevent pathology. Excess weight significantly affects both the process of carrying a baby, and the process of childbirth, and also does not contribute to quick and easy recovery in the postpartum period. Besides, the dynamics of weight gain may indicate complications of pregnancy, such as gestosis.
Skinny women by 22 weeks can gain more than 7 kilograms, plus their initial body weight. Women with normal weight or a small amount of overweight - no more than 5.5 kilograms, and expectant mothers who suffered from obesity of any degree before pregnancy - no more than 3.5 kilograms.
Weigh should be done every week, and it is best to weigh with or without the same light clothing... It is best to record the data in a diary, which is worth taking with you to your doctor's appointment.
If the increase significantly exceeds the above norms, a woman must definitely consult a doctor, correct nutrition, change her lifestyle to a more mobile and active one. In the event that the pathological increase is caused by edema, treatment is prescribed, which should not be abandoned, even if it includes hospitalization.
Chest
The woman's mammary glands continue to grow, although the growth rate has noticeably decreased compared to the first trimester. Therefore, the expectant mother at 22 weeks practically does not bother with discomfort in the chest area. But the back may start to hurt. This is a consequence of a change in the center of gravity, which is now influenced not only by a large tummy, but also by a significantly grown breast.
A properly selected bra with wide straps, which will gently support the mammary glands, will help alleviate unpleasant back aches.
At this time, colostrum secretion may begin from the breast. While it has a thick consistency and yellowish color, but closer to childbirth it will become more transparent, and after them it will become breast milk.
The breast now needs special care aimed at maintaining its cleanliness and shape. Modern cosmetics will help to avoid stretch marks; the main thing is that they do not show a local allergic reaction, because the skin of a pregnant woman in the second trimester becomes especially sensitive and vulnerable.
Training contractions
From this week, the woman may start occasional training contractions. Usually they appear earlier in women who are going to become mothers for the first time; in those who have given birth, training contractions usually start shortly before childbirth.
Fake contractions are not dangerous. Despite the fact that their purpose is not known for certain to science, it is generally accepted that Braxton-Hicks contractions are part of a large and early preparation of the body for the upcoming birth. They cannot be considered harbingers of labor in any way, since they never lead to flattening and dilation of the cervix.
False contractions are felt by a woman as a contraction of the uterine smooth muscles, tension of the uterus, a slight ache in the lower back. Roughly the same sensations occur in women during menstruation. If a woman takes a warm shower, lies down, rests, then the training fights recede. They are observed irregularly at week 22 and do not cause intense pain.
There is no need to remove such contractions, including drugs. If false contractions bother you often, you should talk about it with your doctor, since, perhaps, the reason lies in hypertonia, and this condition has nothing to do with false contractions.
Other changes
Among other changes that occur in the body of the expectant mother are a wide range of various factors. Thus, an increase in the amount of blood that is now circulating in the body often leads to a decrease in pressure. Hypotension can be felt by weakness, bouts of nausea and dizziness. If the head is spinning often, the woman needs a doctor's consultation, since spontaneous loss of consciousness is dangerous from the point of view of injury to both the woman and her baby.
Tightening of the skin in the abdomen, thighs and chest can be manifested by stretch marks - ugly areas of connective tissue formed at the site of the break of elastin and collagen fibers. Women who are carrying twins are most prone to stretch marks and gain weight too quickly.
A woman's gait by 22 weeks changes due to the onset of divergence and softening of the pelvic bones. Now the expectant mother moves waddly, sedately, such a gait is often called "duck" among the people.
Appetite at 22 weeks can noticeably increase, as can sweating: this is how the sweat glands begin to work under conditions of increased stress on the entire body. Often, women pay attention to a rapid heartbeat - this is how the heart copes with pumping the increased volume of blood.
If age spots appear, do not panic. They will go away some time after giving birth.
Also, do not worry about bleeding gums, which can make itself felt in this particular week. This condition requires the use of special toothpastes and rinses, which the dentist may recommend. By the way, if there are problems with teeth, then now is a rather favorable time to eliminate them.
Dangers and risks of the current week
The main danger of 22 weeks is swelling. Gestosis increases the likelihood of preterm birth, fetal hypoxia in the womb, and is also one of the most common causes of fetal death and the expectant mother herself.
If, in addition to abnormally rapid weight gain, a woman develops swelling, the doctor must prescribe blood and urine tests. Protein in urine confirms an unpleasant diagnosis. Such pregnant women need special control, they are often hospitalized with gestosis in order to observe the expectant mother in a hospital setting.
During the entire first trimester, a woman's immunity is specifically suppressed by the hormone progesterone. This is necessary so that the mother's immune system does not reject the fetus, which is only half related to her body. As a result, by the middle of the second trimester, immunity is reduced so much that any virus that a woman could have dealt with without problems before can cause illness.
This week, you need to try not to be in crowded places, especially in closed rooms, without urgent need you should not visit clinics and sit in queues next to sneezing and coughing patients.
The consequences of a cold for the fetus no longer pose such a great danger as at the stage of formation of its organs and systems, but even now the flu and SARS can significantly harm. So, a high temperature can cause problems with blood supply in the mother-placenta-fetus system, and sore throat and pharyngitis, in which the throat hurts, are dangerous because a source of infection appears in the mother's body.
A viral infection or a cold at 22 weeks is successfully treated, however, without the knowledge of the doctor, this should not be done, after all, not all drugs are permitted at the current time. The list of medications that can now be taken has expanded significantly. Now it includes some antibiotics, for example, "Flemoxin", antipyretic drugs that do not have acetylsalicylic acid in their composition, as well as sedatives, antispasmodics.
If the cervix is incompetent, a woman may be advised to continue taking "Utrozhestan", although most pregnant women who took it in the first trimester to relieve symptoms of the threat, it is canceled after 18 weeks. The dosage of the drug at 22 weeks can be reduced, this issue is decided solely on an individual basis.
The manifestations of hemorrhoids can be dangerous this week. About 70% of pregnant women face it in the second and third trimesters. In addition to the fact that the violation of blood flow in the hemorrhoidal veins is very painful, there is a likelihood of the nodes falling out, the opening of severe anal bleeding. There is no need to be shy and silent about a delicate problem. The doctor will tell you not only the treatment regimen, but also drugs allowed for the pregnant woman, which will help to quickly relieve symptoms, pain and burning sensation in the anus.
Despite the fact that the baby is already considered conditionally viable this week, a woman should do everything possible to prevent premature birth... The statistics are rather sad - of the children who were born at the current time, only 5-7% survive. In 99% of cases, the survivors remain deeply disabled with severe damage to the central nervous system, hearing, vision, paralysis and paresis.
Therefore, it is important to protect yourself from stress, the harmful effects of toxins and poisons, excessive physical exertion and everything that can cause the onset of labor long before the date set by obstetricians.
Analyzes and examinations
If the second trimester screening is completed, and most pregnant women undergo it between 16 and 21 weeks, then no tests are scheduled yet. If the screening was missed, then an ultrasound scan can be done this week.Blood for biochemistry is no longer taken, because hCG indicators, for example, now do not reflect reality, normally this hormone has noticeably decreased.
The woman will now go to the reception twice a month. If a visit to the obstetrician is scheduled for the current week, the woman will need to have a general urine test. All other studies are carried out only for individual indications.
If a woman is suspected of diabetes, a blood test is prescribed to determine the level of glucose; if the screening is unsatisfactory at 22 weeks, the woman can be sent to cordocentesis or amniocentesis. An alternative to invasive methods that can harm a baby is a non-invasive prenatal DNA test, but its cost is high - several tens of thousands of rubles.
Recommendations for expectant mothers
If a woman listens to herself sensitively and follows all the recommendations of her doctor, it will not be difficult to avoid complications during this period. In addition to the constant requirements to lead a healthy lifestyle and breathe fresh air more often, such tips will be useful at 22 weeks.
A growing tummy and all the anatomical changes associated with this now require a woman to learn how to walk, stand, sit and even lie correctly. Doctors do not recommend sleeping on your back, this position increases the likelihood that the uterus will compress the inferior vena cava. The right and left sides are best for sleeping.
You should sit down gradually, first turning on your side, and then lowering your legs down. While sitting, a woman should not cross her legs over her legs: this disrupts the blood circulation in the pelvis. For walking, you should rip out comfortable shoes without heels, you should not walk with a quick hurried step.
Nutrition
The diet of a pregnant woman should be replenished with high-calorie foods: the need for them is growing this week. In general, the daily calorie intake should increase by at least 500 Kcal.
Fractional five or six meals a day, adherence to the basic principles of a balanced diet will help avoid excessive weight gain, as well as the appearance of constipation and gastroenterological problems: colitis, exacerbation of peptic ulcer disease, etc.
At this time, salt intake should be minimized, because it retains fluid in the tissues and contributes to the formation of edema. Also, do not "lean" on sweet, fried, fatty foods, carbonated drinks and spices.
Sex
Sexual desires continue to increase in women due to increased blood circulation, including in the intimate area. If there are no clear medical guidelines prohibiting intimate relationships, sex will be useful and enjoyable as never before. Some women who have not previously experienced an orgasm admit that it was at 22 weeks that they felt what it was for the first time in their lives.
When having sex, partners now need to be careful. Positions in which a man can squeeze his growing belly with his body are no longer suitable, and positions that imply a fairly deep penetration are not recommended.
If you experience pain or abnormal discharge during or after intercourse, you should definitely consult a doctor.
Aids
Various orthopedic and therapeutic auxiliary aids will help to facilitate the carrying of a baby. Already now, a woman may well choose and start wearing a prenatal bandage. Special stockings and underwear will help prevent varicose veins. Before using such funds, it is advisable to first ask what the attending physician thinks about this.
Reviews
For many women, according to reviews on parenting forums, week 22 has become a source of inspiration. The gender of the baby has been determined, and now future mothers enthusiastically take on the design of the children's room, choose cute trinkets and things for crumbs, the first toys. There is a rational grain in this, because now it is not so difficult for a woman to go shopping as it will be before giving birth. In addition, such purchases set the mother up for a positive and joyful wave of expectation for the baby.
Also, pregnant women this week notice some deterioration in the quality of sleep, since a woman has to wake up several times at night in order to change her body position. It is not necessary to buy special pillows for pregnant women at this time, you can get by with two or three small, most common pillows, which are placed under the tummy, under the knee of the leg that turned out to be on top when lying on its side, as well as under the foot of the lower extended leg. This position will help you sleep more comfortably and soundly.
About what happens to the fetus and the expectant mother at the 22nd week of pregnancy, see the next video.
