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Your Pregnancy: Week 22

Your baby

• This week your baby tips the scales at 350 g (12 oz). From the crown of her head to the bottom of her buttocks, she's now about 19 cm (7.5 in) long.
• Your baby's eyelids and eyebrows are fully formed now and so are her tiny fingernails.
• Her organs, such as the liver, are now becoming specialized for their unique jobs after birth. For example, though your baby's fetal liver still works differently than that of an adult, it is beginning to process and remove bilirubin (a byproduct of the breakdown of red blood cells) from the bloodstream — one of the liver's main functions.
 
Treat yourself
You're probably feeling pretty good these days. Your waistline may have vanished but most likely you can still bend over easily, sit comfortably, and walk without effort.
 
What kind of “hair days” have you been having, anyway? Pregnancy can change the quality of your hair, and that means new styling and hair care challenges. Is your crowning glory thicker, frizzier, oilier? We have hair solutions for whatever Mother Nature has sent your way!
 
You said it! Advice from real moms
“Smile and nod to all the people who want to give you advice and then do what you feel is right!” - Tina
 
The name game
Have you got baby names on the brain? If you find name searches more frustrating than fun, you’ll get a laugh out of our article about the politics of baby naming.
 
Good Question! What are the signs of premature labour?
About one in every 10 babies is born prematurely. Full-term babies are those that are born between weeks 38 and 42 of pregnancy and pre-term babies are those born before week 38.
 
If you go into premature labour, it’s important to identify it as soon as possible. Possible signs of early labour to watch out for:
• Low, dull backache
• pressure as if your baby is pushing down
• menstrual-type cramps
• frequent and regular contractions, which may not be painful but feel different from Braxton-Hicks contractions
• fluid leaking or gushing from the vagina
• bloody, watery or mucousy discharge
 
Nearly twice as many premature babies survive today as did 40 years ago. However it's usually best for babies to remain in utero as close to full term as possible to develop and grow fully. Drugs can be given that may stop the labour for a couple of days — enough time to administer corticosteroid drugs which can reduce many potential complications for the baby.
 
Learn more about preterm birth and how to reduce your risk.
 
Looking ahead
Do you know what gestational diabetes is? Essentially, it’s high blood sugar brought on by pregnancy. You’ll probably be offered a screening test between 24 and 28 weeks. If you have gestational diabetes, it will resolve itself once the baby is born. In the meantime, you’ll be taught how to keep your blood sugar in a healthy range.

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