Five and a half months, or 22 weeks of pregnancy, is the period when a woman already knows the sex of her baby, feels his movements and enjoys her position. But this period is fraught with many dangers and possible risks.
Food
The diet for pregnant and lactating remains unchanged throughout the entire period of gestation and lactation. However, after the third trimester, the need for nutrients increases significantly. This is due to the preparation of the body not only for childbirth, but also for the future process of feeding the baby (because after birth he needs twice as many nutrients than he received in the mother’s womb). List of products that must be completely excluded before delivery:
- bulb onions;
- garlic;
- Tomatoes
- juices (packaged);
- frozen vegetable sets;
- red fish;
- caviar (except squash);
- chicken eggs;
- citrus;
- chocolate (cocoa);
- coffee.
Nutrition, which must be adhered to in the third trimester and after the birth of the baby:
- fat-free or low fat milk 2.5%;
- low-fat white fish (hake, pollock);
- beef tenderloin;
- turkey (fillet);
- chicory or strong tea;
- purified water (bottled);
- baked or steamed vegetables (fried, spicy, smoked excluded);
- cottage cheese;
- kefir;
- green apples
- green pears;
- bananas
- peaches, apricots, melon and watermelon - in small quantities;
- quail egg;
- berries - blackberries, white currants, gooseberries, white cherries, blueberries, black currants;
- vegetables.
It is also necessary to reduce the consumption of tomatoes, carrots, beets, celery, eggplant.
Ultrasound scan
Secondary ultrasound examination (ultrasound) when bearing a child is prescribed at the 22nd week of pregnancy. This examination makes it possible to determine whether the future baby has any possible developmental abnormalities. The examination also allows you to see if the internal organs of the fetus are developing normally.
At the 22nd week of pregnancy, the development of the fetus is as follows: the coccygeal-parietal size of the child is no longer significant with respect to determining the norm of development of the future baby. Along with this, thanks to the study, the doctor can examine the proportions of the small body.
At this stage of pregnancy, the doctor analyzes the amount of amniotic fluid, after which you can determine the level of polyhydramnios / oligohydramnios. Also, during the study, the state of the umbilical cord is established. At this time, in a normal course, the weight of the child should be about 400-550 g.
Growth indicators should be approximately 28 cm. It is worth noting that at this time the baby can be born prematurely. However, it can already be viable and develop normally with appropriate care. This examination is necessary in order to avoid possible complications. If you take a photo at the 22nd week of pregnancy by ultrasound, you can clearly see the future baby.
Feel
Many are interested in the question of what happens in the 22nd week of pregnancy with mom. Full women will feel slowness, and it will be difficult for slender girls to perform those physical activities that were previously performed with ease. In some future mothers, toxicosis may begin if it was not previously; edema also appears during this period. Therefore, it is advisable to remove the rings, if any, so that they do not cut into the fingers during swelling.
Due to the fact that the stomach is growing, a pregnant woman may feel a displacement of the center of gravity, she may be disturbed by heartburn, and acne may sometimes appear on her face. After childbirth, they disappear, this is due to hormonal changes in the body. Some women feel a strong load on the back, in which case you should start wearing a bandage.
At the 21-22th week of pregnancy, a strong appetite appears, during this period a woman should gain no more than 8 kg. At the expense of meals, you need to hold back a bit, there is a risk of gaining excess weight. The discharge from the vagina should be yellowish uniform, but if the discharge is too plentiful, the color and texture changed, an urgent need to contact a female doctor. By this time, the threat of premature birth has not yet gone, therefore, a woman should listen to her body.
Physiological changes
At the 22nd week of pregnancy, the woman’s body adjusts to the appearance of the baby. Therefore, the expectant mother can at the physical level feel all the changes that occur with her during this period. These include:
- Intense tremors and fetal movements. Visually, you can notice how the baby turns over, taking a more comfortable pose or feel like he is trying to straighten out in the womb. This is the main thing that happens to the baby in the 22nd week of pregnancy.
- Itching or burning in the chest. Nipples become hard and ache unpleasantly upon contact with underwear. This is due to the intense formation of colostrum and the preparation of the mammary glands for feeding.
- Worsening cramping in the lower back, lower abdomen. These signals indicate the imminent onset of labor. Therefore, when the first unpleasant pulling sensations appear in the above area, you should immediately ask your doctor for a referral to a hospital.
- Stop weight. This factor scares women at the 22nd week of pregnancy. What is really happening? The child has already taken everything he needed to grow. Therefore, many women in labor notice a stop in their weight gain.
- The appearance of edema. Puffiness, especially in late pregnancy, can be a sign of polyhydramnios or a signal about the imminent discharge of water (accuracy plus or minus 3 days).
Tests and examinations
At the 22nd week, a woman must pass several tests. Namely:
- General blood test to know what the level of white blood cells, red blood cells (set every two weeks or once a month, the doctor looks at the dynamics of hemoglobin).
- General urine analysis. Basically, they do it in order to see how the kidneys work.
- Blood from a vein to determine the Rhesus conflict between the mother’s body and the baby’s body.
- Blood test for TORCH infection. This examination will help to identify if a woman has diseases such as AIDS, syphilis, rubella, hepatitis B and C, and other viral infections. The fact is that they may not manifest themselves, but a little later, for some unknown reason, the fetus may die.
- Screening shows whether there are any diseases and malformations of the fetus, whether there is a threat of miscarriage.
- Blood biochemistry shows what the state of internal organs is, how well the metabolism proceeds.
- According to the doctor’s testimony, sowing is taken from the vagina. It will help identify poor cells on the cervix. Typically, such tests are given during the first visit to the antenatal clinic, when the mother is registered, and before childbirth.
Also, a pregnant woman should be weighed, measure abdominal volume, pulse, pressure and body temperature.
Discharge
Normally, vaginal discharge by the sixth month of pregnancy does not differ in color, texture or smell from normal discharge of a healthy woman.
A moderate amount of light or light gray transparent discharge with a slight sour smell is absolutely normal during this period. In the event of a suspicious smell, color or consistency, you should definitely consult a doctor and take tests for microflora and fungus. This must be done if the discharge has turned green or yellow, curdled clots or mucus are noticeable in them. A change in secretions can signal a sexual infection that needs to be urgently treated.
If spotting appears on the 22nd week of pregnancy, you must urgently call an ambulance and warn your doctor: perhaps this is the beginning of a premature birth. Blood allocation can be observed with placental abruption, if it is located close to the cervical canal, or indicate placenta previa. Clarify this with an ultrasound scan. With detachment in other areas of the blood will not be, but there is pain in the abdomen. If abundant watery discharge appears, having a light translucent shade and a normal smell, you should also urgently consult a doctor: amniotic fluid may leak. In the vast majority of cases, slight leakage is the norm.
Complications
At the 22nd week of gestation, some complications may appear in the well-being of expectant mothers. These include a rather sharp increase in the weight of a pregnant woman. As a result, slowness also increases. The stomach continues to grow, which adds some more inconvenience, in particular - sleep disturbances.
Acne may occur. This is due to hormonal changes in the body. The appearance of pain and bleeding gums are also not uncommon. These deviations, as a rule, after delivery within a fairly short period of time pass by themselves and are not dangerous.
Often at this time in women, swelling of the limbs may appear. This process may be a symptom of the onset of anemia. In the case of such manifestations, blood pressure and urinary protein should be monitored.
Anemia develops due to an insufficient amount of iron in the mother's body. Symptoms of this complication include frequent dizziness and general weakness. There is a risk of disturbances in the work of the heart during this period. This is explained by an increase in the load on the heart muscle. Already at the 22nd week of gestation, women often have abnormalities in the digestive processes. Heartburn and other problems of a similar nature may make themselves felt.
If your stomach hurts at the 22nd week of pregnancy, consult a doctor immediately!
What happens to the baby
This period corresponds to 5.5 obstetric months. The growth of the fetus is 20-25 cm, and the weight is 400-500 g. With each subsequent day, the weight of the child will increase. At this stage, the rapid accumulation of body fat begins.
The fetus at the 22nd week of pregnancy begins to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids are becoming more distinct. Eyes have formed, but his iris (colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelashes and eyebrows, hair on the head appear, but due to the low content of melanin, they are still colorless. The body is covered with thin hairs (lanugo).
This week, the baby is more like a newborn than ever before. He knows how to open and close his eyes. Facial expression is already well developed, with ultrasound, you can see how the baby sucks a finger, plays with the umbilical cord. He performs more than 200 movements per day. They become stronger. You can feel the baby pushing, putting his hand to his stomach and waiting a couple of minutes.
The brain is already fully formed and weighs about 100 g. A child at the 22nd week of pregnancy learns to suck a finger, coordinate its movements, roll over, and respond to touching the stomach. At the 22nd week, hearing organs begin to form. The kid already recognizes the voices of mom and dad. May be dissatisfied with too loud or sharp sounds.
Sex
If there are no contraindications, then making love during pregnancy is permitted and even welcome. The child is reliably protected thanks to amniotic fluid. During this period, in connection with increased blood flow, a woman has a huge desire for intimacy with her husband. An increase in sensitivity is due to the fact that genital cells are more fed with oxygen. If a woman has never experienced an orgasm, then just during this period she will experience it, and, as practice shows, she will experience it after childbirth.
Sex is not permitted in some cases:
- Uterine hypertonicity is one of the main contraindications, because the child already suffers from oxygen starvation. In this regard, the fetus may die at any time from a lack of oxygen and nutrients; Also, women prone to abortion may have premature placental abruption.
- The threat of miscarriage when there is an increased tone of the uterus or contractions.
- If the previous pregnancy ended in a miscarriage.
- Partial or complete placenta previa. During sex, there may be an detachment, as a result, bleeding will open, which is dangerous for mom and baby.
- One partner is suffering from a viral infection; there is a risk of infecting the fetus through the placenta, because it is the pathogen that easily enters the amniotic fluid and infects the baby.
Recommendations
It is proposed to listen to the advice and recommendations of doctors according to behavioral criteria at the 22nd week of pregnancy. The information is fact-finding, so for some advice you can additionally consult with your family doctor.
- If a woman decided to do work in the garden, then it is worth protecting her hands with gloves.
- Eat only fresh vegetables and fruits, and be sure to wash them.
- Do not drink raw milk.
- Do not eat raw, undercooked, or poorly fried meat.
- If the expectant mother has a cold, then you need a doctor's consultation. Taking any medication without the knowledge of a doctor is very dangerous.
- At this time, you should take care of the most comfortable position of the child in the stomach, do not overwork.
- If there are cats in the house, it is necessary to check the animal for toxoplasmosis in a special laboratory.
- Try not to remove the cat tray yourself, especially with your bare hands.
The sizes of the stomachs are different at 22 weeks of gestation. Photos in our article confirm this. If you suspect a feeling unwell, you should immediately contact a specialist. In special cases, in order to minimize risks, a pregnant woman can go to hospital for support. There, under the experienced guidance of an obstetrician-gynecologist and medical staff, waiting will be safe and easy.