If you’re starting to feel big now, brace yourself for what is about to follow. Your baby is going to get a lot bigger, and consequently so are you! You may want to be selective about what you eat so that you and your baby are getting maximum nutrition without necessarily the maximum number of calories.
You may also want to keep yourself as active as possible for a couple of reasons. According to experts women who exercise through their pregnancy could end up having an easier time of it during labor and delivery. Exercise is good for your baby as well and it will keep your pregnancy weight gain in control.
Changes in the baby
Baby is getting all the nutrition it needs from the mother right now, but is practicing swallowing in anticipation for the first meal after birth. Your baby is still very skinny and the skin is all wrinkly but looks more like he or she will at birth.
- Baby’s pancreas is now functioning by producing its own hormones.
- The inner ear is developed and this makes the baby more curious about exploring its surroundings.
- Baby is about 11 inches long and weighs in at 15 ounces approximately.
Changes in the mom to be
If you haven’t done so already, you may notice stretch marks soon. Remember you cannot prevent stretch marks – whether or not you’ll have them, is determined by your genetics. Rather than fancy creams or lotions, staying active and retaining good muscle tone will help you minimize the appearance of stretch marks.
- You may feel the top of the uterus above the belly button now.
- Many women find that their shoe size could actually increase during pregnancy.
- Leg cramps could be another problem that some pregnant women face.
- You may notice that your navel is now protruding (convex rather than concave) though some women’s navel doesn’t change throughout their pregnancy.
Tips for the 22nd Week
If you have pregnancy problems like constipation, leg cramps and heartburn, here’s what will help:
- Exercising regularly and eating lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains will help control constipation.
- It is thought that leg cramps could be due to lower levels of calcium or magnesium; so remember to take your pregnancy multivitamin regularly.
- For controlling heartburn, have smaller meals, cut out fried and spicy foods and lower caffeine consumption.