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Pregnancy: 22 weeks
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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How the child grows:
At week 22 the baby has already grown to 28 cm and weighs almost 0.5 kg. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are more distinct and he even begins to form tiny teeth in the gums. His eyes formed, but the iridescent shells (the color part of the eye) still lack a pigment. If you could look at your uterus, you would see a hair covering all over the body (lanugo) and deep wrinkles on the skin until the fatty layers fill them. His pancreas is developing steadily.
Important: the development of each child is strictly individual. Our information is designed to give you an idea of the development of the fetus.
Changes of the future mother
At this time, you must be ready for everyone to want to touch your belly. You may have stretch marks on your abdomen because of its constant growth. These small stripes change the texture from pink to dark brown in half of the women. They usually appear on the abdomen, buttocks, hips, legs and chest. There is no evidence of the fact that lotion will help prevent the appearance of stretch marks, but maintaining the skin in a hydrated state will help get rid of itching.
Changes in appearance
You knew that the stomach will grow, and perhaps the chest, but some physical changes may take you by surprise.
- Hormones during pregnancy play a huge role and explain the majority of changes in appearance.
- Thick, shiny hair. Practically your hair does not grow faster, they just drop out more slowly.
- Increased body hair growth. Sex hormones androgens promote growth of hair on the chin, upper lip and cheeks. Also, hair can appear on the abdomen, arms, legs, and back.
- Rapid growth of nails. In addition to changing the growth of nails, their structure can also change. Wear protective rubber gloves when cleaning or washing dishes and use a moisturizer
- Skin Changes. Some pregnant women say that their skin has never looked so good. Others talk about the appearance of blackheads. Thoroughly clean the skin twice a day, then moisturize it.
- Stretching. With the growth of the abdomen, women can develop stretch marks, which become less noticeable after 6-12 months after childbirth. In this case, the role of heredity, responsible for the natural elasticity of the skin.
- Changes in skin color. Elevated melanin can cause darkening of some areas of skin on the face. These changes in the pigment can be enhanced by exposure to sunlight. Protect your face with a cream and a wide-brimmed hat.
- Enlargement and darkening of the nipples.
- Increase the size of the foot. Your legs can grow to a floor size or larger. This is facilitated by weak ligaments and swelling of the legs.
Activity of the week: Note the rings. A common phenomenon among pregnant women is small swelling of the fingers, so it is better not to wear the rings during pregnancy.
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