22 weeks pregnant: your baby’s development and pregnancy symptoms

There are lots of exciting developments for you and your baby at 22 weeks pregnant. Your baby’s sense of hearing is coming along nicely, and it’s a great time for you to do some quality bonding with your bump.

Here we’ll be exploring some of your baby’s key moments this week, including how much they’ve grown, their pattern of movement, and their developing sense of sight. We’ll also cover some of the common pregnancy symptoms, so get ready to spot the ones you’re feeling all too familiar with. 

Reviewed by Sammy, a registered NHS midwife with a background in neonatal nursing, dedicated to providing compassionate, evidence based care to women and families throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period.

22 weeks in months is 5. You’re now just over 5 months pregnant and over halfway through your second trimester. 

Your baby’s skin is still transparent, and they haven’t yet developed a layer of fat. However, they’re starting to look much more like a newborn, and their little face has both eyebrows and eyelashes¹.

There are developing taste buds on your baby’s tongue, and there’s every chance that they might be getting a flair for flavour! Continue eating a healthy pregnancy diet, packed with delicious, nutritious foods².

Your baby at 22 weeks is very much on the move, and by now, you’ll probably recognise their regular patterns of rolls and tumbles. They’re also starting to settle into a pattern of sleeping and waking, and you might find that your baby decides that it’s playtime just as you’re about to try and get a good night’s sleep³.

Keep an eye on your baby’s movements, and if anything changes, speak to your midwife at the Maternity Assessment Unit straight away.

At 22 weeks pregnant, your tiny baby isn’t so tiny anymore. They’re almost 28cm long from head to toe, which is about the size of a sweet potato, and they weigh around 500g¹.

As your baby’s hearing develops, they’re starting to hear and recognise more and more sounds from inside and outside your body, including your heartbeat¹.

Your baby at 22 weeks loves to listen to your voice, so spend some time bonding with your bump. Talk to your baby, read them a story, or even sing them a song or two. Your efforts may even be rewarded with an appreciative kick!

Your baby’s eyelids are still fused together, but their eyesight continues to develop, and their eyes are still sensitive to light⁴.

Babies at 22 weeks in the womb get all the oxygen they need from the placenta, and even though their lungs aren’t quite fully formed, they’re regularly practising their breathing movements⁵.

In the next couple of weeks (usually around week 24), your baby will start to produce surfactant, a very important substance that helps to keep their lungs inflated. By week 34, your baby should be making enough surfactant to breathe normally⁶.

At 22 weeks pregnant, your baby is now swallowing amniotic fluid in small amounts. This will stay in your baby’s bowels and become the meconium that will form their first poo once they're born².

Along with some of those pregnancy aches and pains, your growing bump can also bring a few other symptoms. 

Stretch marks are pink, brown or silvery white streaks on your skin. They’re very common in pregnancy, especially on your tummy, breasts, and upper thighs. They won’t cause you any harm and will usually fade once you’ve had your baby².

There are lots of creams you can buy that claim to get rid of stretch marks, but there’s no evidence that these actually work. However, moisturising your skin, including your bump, will help keep it nice and soft. It’s also a nice way to spend some time bonding with your baby.

There’s no getting away from it, pregnancy can sometimes come with its fair share of discomfort! But don’t worry - we’ve got some tips and advice on how to manage it. 

Between the changing hormones and your expanding bump, the round ligaments that connect your womb to your pelvis are starting to stretch. This can cause round ligament pains, sharp pain in your lower tummy, often more common on the right side⁷.

Round ligament pains aren’t harmful to your baby, and to keep pain to a minimum try⁸.

• Bending your hips if you feel a cough or a sneeze coming on
• Not arching your back when you’re standing or sitting 
• Supporting your baby bump by squeezing your abdominal muscles when you move around

Changes in your hormones and posture can also lead to backache and pelvic pain. Aim to wear flat, comfortable shoes, keep your back straight as much as you can, and don’t forget to rest when you need to⁹. You can also try sleeping with a pillow between your legs and keeping your knees together when getting in and out of the car to help support your pelvis¹⁰.

At 22 weeks pregnant, you might be experiencing leg cramps. They can often be worse at night, tend to affect your feet and calves, and are thought to be caused by changes in your circulation and by tired leg muscles¹¹.

When cramp strikes, try stretching your calf muscles and giving them a good rub. It’s also a good idea to stay hydrated, so make sure you’re drinking plenty of water¹¹.

During pregnancy, swelling (also known as oedema) in your legs, ankles, feet, and fingers is common. It can worsen at the end of the day and become more pronounced throughout your pregnancy¹².

In most cases, gradual swelling is nothing to be concerned about. However, if the swelling is sudden and accompanied by a severe headache, problems with your vision, and/or vomiting, this could be a sign of pre-eclampsia, and you’ll need to seek medical advice from your maternity unit straight away¹².

Do your feet get bigger during pregnancy? Yes and no. The weight you gain during pregnancy, coupled with hormonal changes, can alter the arches of your feet, so while your feet aren’t actually growing, there’s a chance you’ll move up a shoe size¹³.

Your skin tends to become more sensitive during pregnancy, not only because of higher hormone levels but also because it has become more stretched and delicate. If you’re suffering from irritated or dry skin, stay out of the sun, wear a high-factor sunscreen when you’re outside, and keep your skin well moisturised. You could try using a bath emollient oil too.

Stick to wearing natural fabrics next to your skin, such as cotton or linen, and if you suspect something is causing your irritation, identify and avoid it – could it be the washing powder or perfume you use?

If you notice darkened or brown patches on your face, this is known as chloasma, or ‘the mask of pregnancy. It’s caused by the cells in your skin producing too much pigment¹⁴. It’s not harmful and is likely to fade once your little one makes an appearance.

Acne can also appear at 22 weeks pregnant, though it's more common in the first trimester¹⁵. If you’re struggling with acne or any other skin complaint, speak to your doctor or midwife, and don’t use any creams, ointments or medications unless instructed to do so by them.

On the upside, an increase in blood flow and oil production can leave your skin looking healthy and radiant during pregnancy. Now that’s what we call a pregnancy glow up!¹⁶.

Piles or haemorrhoids are swellings of enlarged blood vessels that occur inside or outside your bottom. They can cause pain or bleeding when you go for a poo and itching and soreness around the anus¹⁷. 

They can happen at any time but are common in pregnancy. Constipation (another pregnancy symptom) is a common cause of piles, so make sure you’re getting lots of wholegrains, vegetables, and fruits in your diet¹⁷.

During pregnancy, you may find that you get varicose veins in your legs. These are swollen veins under the skin, which often get better after you’ve had your baby. Although not harmful, varicose veins can be pretty uncomfortable, so here are a few things you can do to ease any discomfort they cause¹⁸:

• Try not to cross your legs when you’re sitting
• Maintain a healthy weight during your pregnancy
• Rest regularly and try not to stand for long periods of time
• When you head to bed, rest your legs on pillows so that they’re higher than the rest of your body
• Rotate your feet one way, then the other 8 times, and bend and stretch them up and down
• Do some gentle exercise, such as swimming or walking

If you notice that your breasts are leaking, this could be because your body has started to make colostrum - your baby’s first breast milk. Use breast pads in your bra to absorb the milk (these are also a good item to add to your hospital bag).

You can also speak to your midwife about collecting and storing your colostrum to give your baby once they arrive¹⁹.

Follow our top tips for a healthy week 22 of your pregnancy as you get ready for your third trimester. 

You can have the whooping cough vaccine anywhere between 16 and 20 weeks, but you’ll usually be offered it when you’re around 20 weeks pregnant. To get the best protection, it’s best to have the vaccine before week 32²⁰.

You don’t have to have the vaccine, but whooping cough can be very serious, particularly for your baby. Healthcare professionals recommend that you get the vaccine during pregnancy as it’s the most effective way to protect your little one for the first 2 months of life until they have their own vaccinations. Have a chat with your midwife, who can provide you with more information if you’re unsure.

During pregnancy and birth, your pelvic floor muscles come under a good deal of pressure. If they’re weak, you may leak a little urine when you sneeze or cough²¹. Lots of women experience this, so you’re definitely not alone, and it’s nothing to feel embarrassed about.

Keeping up with your pelvic floor exercises can help to strengthen the muscles²¹:

• Tighten and squeeze the muscles around your bottom - it can help if you imagine that you’re trying to hold in a wee and wind at the same time - then relax.
• Do this a few times quite quickly, then again more slowly, holding them as you count to 10.

Breathe normally during the exercises and try to do three sets each day.

Other things you can do to support your pelvic health include²²:

• Staying hydrated.
• Going to the toilet when you need it (rather than holding it for too long).
• Using a footstool when going for a poo to help you go without straining.

During pregnancy, eating a healthy and balanced diet will ensure that you and your baby get all the nutrients you need. Explore our recipes, which are as delicious as they are nutritious.

It’s also important to stay hydrated during your pregnancy. The extra blood pumping around your body requires lots of water, and you may feel thirstier than usual²³.

While it might be a little frustrating having to pop to the loo all the time, aim to drink between 6 and 8 glasses of water every day²⁴, and keep a bottle of water with you when you’re out and about.

Being pregnant and becoming a parent is a big life change. It’s completely normal to feel a range of different emotions, not just at 22 weeks pregnant, but at every stage of your pregnancy (hello mood swings!).

Try not to compare yourself to others. Your pregnancy journey is unique. Lean on friends and family when you can, especially if you’re not enjoying being pregnant or feeling overwhelmed. If you’ve got any worries at all about how you’re feeling, speak to your doctor or midwife, who’ll be able to provide you with the support you need.