Mom’s Tip of the Week 22
Did you know ... ?
Your uterus may start contracting as soon as 22 weeks pregnant. Called Braxton-Hicks contractions, these occasional, painless, irregular squeezes are one of the ways your body prepares for labor.
Your Baby at 22 Weeks Pregnant
What’s Happening in There
- Your baby has reached the 1-pound mark. She is lengthening as well, coming in at about seven and a half inches.
- Her hearing is continuing to develop. Feel free to sing and talk to your little one in utero. Her connection with you and her language learning is already beginning through this sense.
- Her eyes can recognize light. Though she’s currently in a dark womb cocoon and her eyelids are fused shut, your baby is still able to perceive brightness. If you shine a flashlight on your belly, you might feel your baby react by kicking or turning away.
- Her (or his) reproductive system is continuing to develop.
- Her entire body is covered in hair.At 22 weeks pregnant, your baby is now covered with a fine, down like hair called lanugo. This hair helps to hold the vernix caseosa (or skin protectant) on your baby’s skin.
Baby Brain Waves
Your Baby’s Brain Is Developing
Your baby’s cognitive development is on the fast track throughout the second and third trimesters. Your little one’s brain and nerve endings are working together to develop her senses, including touch. She might stroke her belly or touch her toes as she explores her immediate world. She’s also working hard at grabbing and squeezing her umbilical cord. All that effort she puts in around now at 22 weeks pregnant will make her a pro at gripping your finger when you finally hold her in your arms.
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