22 weeks pregnant
At the 22nd week of pregnancy, the unborn child is already 20 weeks from the moment of fertilization, the sixth lunar month of pregnancy is in progress.
Fetal changes
According to ultrasound at 22 weeks of gestation, the length of the fetus reaches 27-28 cm, it weighs approximately 430-500 g.
At 22 weeks gestation, the fetal brain reaches a weight of 100 g, it contains a full set of nerve cells, and from that moment its mass increases only due to the enlarging processes. New connections are established in the brain of the future baby, so his reflexes are becoming more complex.
The structure of the fetal skin is in many ways already similar to the skin of newborns, the system of tactile sensations is being improved.
At 22 weeks gestation, there is a chance that the baby will survive after birth. An interruption at this time is no longer considered a miscarriage, but a premature birth. In official medicine, a fetus at 22 weeks of gestation has a chance of survival when it weighs at least 500 g and its length reaches 25 cm. Such children almost always require special conditions for nursing and supporting breathing, and sometimes cardiac activity.
The ability of the fetus to survive outside the mother's womb is determined by the degree of development of its lungs, because it is from this time that alveoli begin to form in the lungs, which look like a kind of respiratory sacs. They form the basis of lung tissue, gas exchange takes place in them, and, therefore, the age comes when the fetus can breathe.
Changes in a woman's body at 22 weeks of gestation
A growing belly at 22 weeks of gestation creates a feeling of sluggishness in those women who have been overweight before. The height of the uterus above the pubic joint at this time is 22 cm, the bottom of the uterus is 2 cm above the navel. In the case of multiple pregnancies, the belly at 22 weeks of gestation looks larger, as at a later period.
At 22 weeks of gestation, you can find swelling in the legs, old rings on the fingers can become tight and cause discomfort - these are all clear signs of edema. In addition, hidden edema is manifested by excessive weight gain, which is one of the symptoms of late gestosis (dropsy of pregnancy). The reason for such gestosis is not at all in the abuse of fluid, more complex mechanisms work, including the functions of the kidneys and placenta. Gestosis negatively affects not only the well-being of the mother, it worsens the condition of the fetus - the supply of oxygen and nutrients to it is disrupted.
Typically, vaginal discharge at 22 weeks of gestation is light, odorless, or slightly sour, so the appearance of curdled clots, pus, or a lot of mucus can be a manifestation of a genital tract infection that can threaten the normal course of pregnancy and the well-being of the fetus.
An abundant watery discharge at 22 weeks gestation is suspicious of amniotic fluid leakage and can be ruled out with a simple test.
Due to the increasing weight of the uterus, a woman may experience discomfort and pain at 22 weeks of gestation in the groin and lower back.
Examination at 22 weeks gestation
The doctor will without fail send a woman for an ultrasound scan at 22 weeks of pregnancy, if she has not gone through it at 20-21 weeks. Even with a successful pregnancy, this screening imaging method is mandatory, as it allows you to assess the condition of the fetus. Ultrasound at 22 weeks of pregnancy allows not only to carry out fetometry (to measure the main weight and growth parameters of the fetus), but also to determine the sex, the degree of maturation and thickness of the placenta, and smaller malformations.
Measurement of blood pressure at the reception will most often show reduced numbers, since the volume of circulating blood has increased significantly. Increased pressure is one of the symptoms of late gestosis.
Weight gain at 22 weeks gestation should not exceed 300-500 g per week, weekly body weight control is recommended.
YouTube video related to the article:
Found a mistake in the text? Select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
