22 weeks pregnant

You at 22 weeks pregnant

Many women get excited about their pregnancy at this stage, as their lovely round bump really starts to show. Tell your midwife, GP or obstetrician if you have any worries about your baby or the size of your bump – they can help to reassure you.

Maternity clothes or comfortable clothes might be a good idea if your usual clothes don’t fit anymore.

pregnancy illustration, week 22

Pregnancy health problems
Some of the less pleasant side effects of pregnancy might be kicking in for you now:

backache
aching hips, especially when you’re lying down at night
leg and foot cramps
swollen ankles at the end of the day
varicose veins, if you’re prone to them
constipation and haemorrhoids.

Most of these pregnancy health problems can be managed quite well – ask your doctor or midwife for information.

If haemorrhoids are bothering you with itching or burning, increase the fibre in your diet and drink more water. It’s also a good idea to do more light exercise. Exercise can help to reduce constipation, which makes haemorrhoids worse. Also discuss the problem with your health professional, who might be able to suggest a treatment.

Stress and pregnancy
Some stress in pregnancy is normal, but severe stress or stress that goes on for a long time isn’t good for you or your baby.

Stressful events like relationship break-ups, financial concerns and family violence can affect your pregnancy and wellbeing. If you feel very stressed, talk with your doctor or midwife at your pregnancy appointments, or call Lifeline on 131 114 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636. You could also discuss the things you could be stressed about with someone you trust.

To reduce the effects of stress, you could try learning more about the first few months with your new baby. You can learn by going to birth or parenting classes, talking to your midwife or doctor, sharing information with your partner, family or friends and looking at the information on this website. You can also call the Pregnancy, Birth and Baby hotline on 1800 882 436.

Antenatal classes
Antenatal, childbirth education or prenatal classes all mean the same thing. These classes give detailed information to help you and your birth partner get ready for pregnancy, labour, birth, breastfeeding and early parenting.

Even if you’ve done a lot of research online or talked to others, at antenatal classes you can talk to an expert (usually a midwife) about your questions and concerns. Antenatal classes are also a great chance to meet other expectant parents.

You can usually do antenatal classes over several weeks on weeknights, or you might have the option of doing a weekend class. Classes can fill up quickly, so ask your midwife or doctor about making a booking in early pregnancy.

Classes will often include a tour of the maternity unit. There might be a fee.

You can do other private classes, like active birth, hypnobirth and calm birth. If you’re interested, look them up online to see whether they’re offered in your area, or ask your doctor, obstetrician or midwife for more information.

Your baby when you’re 22 weeks pregnant

Some parts of your baby are complete at this stage:

Your baby is about 19 cm from head to bottom and weighs around 460 gm.
Your baby’s inner ear is adult size.
The retinas of your baby’s eyes are fully developed. Your baby is moving around a lot, because there’s still plenty of room.
Your baby’s preferred position is probably ‘transverse’ – lying across your tummy – but they’ll be changing position all the time.