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Pregnancy: 22 weeks
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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How the child grows:
At 22 weeks, your baby is now 11 inches long and weighs almost 1 pound. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are more visible, and he's even starting to develop tiny teeth in his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could look at your uterus, you'd see hair all over his body (lanugo) and deep wrinkles in his skin until fat pads fill them in. His pancreas is steadily developing.
Important: Each baby's development is unique. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of fetal development.
Changes in the expectant mother
During this time, you should be prepared for everyone to want to touch your belly. You may develop stretch marks on your belly due to its constant growth. These small stripes of varying texture, from pink to dark brown, appear in half of women. They usually appear on the stomach, buttocks, thighs, legs, and breasts. There is no evidence that lotion will help prevent stretch marks, but keeping your skin moisturized will help relieve the itch.
Changes in appearance
You knew your belly and possibly your breasts would grow, but some physical changes may catch you off guard.
- Hormones play a huge role during pregnancy and explain most of the changes in appearance.
- Thick, shiny hair. Your hair doesn't actually grow faster, it just falls out slower.
- Increased hair growth on the body. Sex hormones androgens promote hair growth on the chin, upper lip, and cheeks. Hair may also appear on the stomach, arms, legs, and back.
- Rapid nail growth. In addition to changes in nail growth, their structure may also change. Wear protective rubber gloves when cleaning or washing dishes and use moisturizer
- Skin changes. Some pregnant women say their skin has never looked better. Others report acne. Cleanse your face thoroughly twice a day, then moisturize.
- Stretch marks. As the belly grows, women may develop stretch marks, which become less noticeable 6-12 months after childbirth. In this case, heredity plays a role, responsible for the natural elasticity of the skin.
- Skin color changes. Increased melanin can cause darkening of some areas of the skin on the face. These pigment changes can be aggravated by sun exposure. Protect your face with sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat.
- Enlargement and darkening of the nipples.
- Increased foot size. Your feet may increase in size by half a size or more. This is due to weak ligaments and swelling of the feet.
This week's activity: Pay attention to your rings. A common occurrence among pregnant women is slight swelling of the fingers, so it is better not to wear rings during pregnancy.
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