Week 22 of pregnancy | Second Trimester

Week 22 of your pregnancy is here already and finds Mom and Baby still growing steadily. Dad is in for a big surprise, and this surprise will without doubt make the pregnancy start to feel a little more real for him.

MOM
Week 22 of your pregnancy will no doubt find you gaining a fair amount of weight as your baby is beginning to fill out. The extra weight might cause you to have a fair amount of backache, and a good way to alleviate the tension is by wearing low heeled shoes – as both flat and high heeled shoes will provide the same amount of strain on your back. You may also want to avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time. Also, remember that resting with your feet up on a stool when you sit down will be hugely beneficial.

BABY
At this stage of the pregnancy your baby is developing a set of eyebrows… one of these days he or she will be able to furrow them while pondering quantum physics! Your baby is also developing taste buds on his or her tongue in Week 22.

If your baby is a boy, his testes will begin to descend from the abdomen. If your baby is a girl, however, her ovaries and uterus will already be fully formed. All the eggs that she will ever produce have already formed as well.

DAD
Dad, this week of the pregnancy may hold a very special treat for you – as this may be the week that you will feel your baby move for the very first time. This can finally make the pregnancy “real” for many men, who have up until now felt a little disconnected. The sensation will not be a hard thump, but rather a soft movement, so pay close attention.

Another week has passed us by already. Next week we’ll explain just what a Braxton Hicks contraction is, and why Mom might be experiencing such a thing at this stage of her pregnancy.