In this 20th week of pregnancy baby size of 22 weeks is 22,5 cm and its weight is 385 g.

His body is now much more harmonious, and although his head continues to develop along with his brain, its size is proportionately more adapted to the rest of the body.

His muscles are strengthening and his nervous system matures, so that he moves more and more and his movements are more precise, less jerky. However, the 20 week fetus still sleeps most of the day, alternating phases of wakefulness and phases of sleep.

It is the 5th month of pregnancy and the brain of the fetus at 22 weeks continues to develop and its different senses are sharpened. In terms of taste, his preference for sweet is confirmed: when the amniotic fluid is particularly sweet, it absorbs much more.

If it’s a little girl, her vagina is starting to form. But at the level of the genitals, the activity has indeed started. TO 22 week of amenorrhea, i.e. 20 SG, the little girl’s ovaries already contain millions of eggs, future oocytes essential to her fertility. But by birth, a lot of these eggs will degenerate. Only about a million will remain – more than enough to become a mom later.

Belly at 22 weeks begins to weigh and upsets the balance of the body by changing the center of gravity. Back pain, pubic pain (pubic pain), heavy legs, frequent urge to urinate frequently appear at this stage of pregnancy – if they have not yet done so.

The scale is a few pounds heavier – ideally at this stage around 5 kg. The future mother who is four months pregnant must however deal with frequent cravings for snacking, due to a change in the functioning of the pancreas and insulin secretion.

It is not abnormal to feel a few contractions at 22 weeks. As long as they are painless – the belly hardens but does not cause pain – short and few in number (less than ten a day), there is no need to worry: these contractions are physiological. On the other hand, if they are painful and increase in frequency, a consultation is necessary to check that they do not cause changes to the cervix. In the event of a threat of premature childbirth (MPA), the mother-to-be may be put to rest.

The pregnant woman needs to eat properly throughout the pregnancy for the development of the baby and to maintain good health. TO 20 SA, she needs iron. Iron is mainly found in meat (beef, poultry) and in legumes (chickpeas, lentils, beans). Be careful with the meat, which must be well cooked to avoid possible contamination (toxoplasmosis). This trace element makes it possible to capture and transport oxygen in the cells of the fetus. 

Hydration is very important throughout pregnancy.

To alleviate fatigue, a pregnant woman can take a vitamin C cure. Many vegetables are provided with vitamin C, such as peppers, broccoli or turnips. Regarding fruits, kiwis, blackcurrants or oranges contain sufficient quantities. Fresh parsley also gives a lot of vitamin C.

If the pregnant woman, even at half her age 5th month of pregnancy, feels tired, she needs to rest. If on the contrary she is rather in good shape and not yet embarrassed by her belly 22 weeks, she can do swimming or prenatal yoga to relieve or prevent possible back pain. 

The vessels begin to dilate a little more in this 20th week of pregnancy. The pregnant woman may be prone to hemorrhoids or heavy legs. Creams exist to fight against hemorrhoids. You have to get closer to your doctor or midwife. Regarding heavy legs, compression stockings greatly help to improve this condition. In all cases and as long as the mother-to-be can, practicing a suitable sporting activity will help prevent these pregnancy ailments.

This 20st week of pregnancy, i.e. 22 weeks, is the ideal time to perform the second ultrasound. During this so-called “morphological” ultrasound, the practitioner will methodically observe the baby’s complete anatomy in order to detect any anomaly. He will also assess its good growth, the amount of amniotic fluid, the position and appearance of the placenta. In some cases – expectant mother smoker, suffering from hypertension or diabetes, suspected intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) or a history of IUGR – a Doppler will also be performed. This examination consists of measuring the blood flow in the umbilical and uterine arteries in order to control fetal-maternal exchanges. Finally, this second ultrasound also makes it possible to know the sex of the baby at 20 weeks pregnant – if the parents wish, however.

From pregnancy, it is possible to create contact with your baby, a little being with already well-developed senses. Talking to him, making him listen to music, touching him through the belly are all small gestures that allow mom and dad alike to forge a bond with their child. Likewise, her food education begins now: the taste of the amniotic fluid varies depending on what the mother-to-be eats, also by varying her diet, it is possible to introduce her baby to different flavors.

Against back pain, start practicing the pelvic tilt exercise now. Lying on your back on a yoga mat, your knees are hip-width apart and your feet are flat on the floor. As you exhale, press the small of your back against the floor. As you breathe in, lift your pelvis off the ground, being careful not to arch your back. Repeat the exercise ten times.

It is now possible to do 3D or 4D ultrasounds of the baby for non-medical purposes. Paying – from 60 to 150 euros – and not covered by Health Insurance, these “commercial” or “fun” ultrasounds allow parents to have different pictures and / or videos of their future baby. The National College of French Gynecologists and Obstetricians (CNGOF) and the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS), however, warn against this practice. In their press releases (1, 2), the two authorities explain that during these ultrasounds, the exposure to ultrasound can last up to 25 minutes. In order to obtain beautiful images of the baby’s face, the intensity of the ultrasound beam is often increased and carried out continuously, unlike medical ultrasound where the beam, of low intensity, is constantly shifted. However, these ultrasounds produce a potentially deleterious thermal effect and a mechanical effect on human tissues. As a precaution, it is therefore recommended to limit this exposure to a minimum. In addition, “the practice of fetal ultrasounds without medical aim can generate discoveries usually made in a medical context, and these true or false anomalies can disrupt the mother-child relationship”, underlines the HAS.