22nd week of pregnancy: what happens to the baby and mom - Lifehacker

The child reacts to the mother and what she eats.

Text author

Yulia Shevchenko

Obstetrician-gynecologist and journalist.

What does your child look like?

Length fetus from the crown to the heels - an average of 27.8 cm, and weight - 430 g. But for different women with the same period, these parameters may vary. it depends on the physique and health of the mother and how the placenta works.

The lungs are already formed, but they cannot yet perform their function. The baby continues to actively swallow amniotic fluid. His taste buds are well developed, so he can react to what his mother eats.

At this time they become conspicuous hair and eyebrows. At boys from the 22nd week, the testicles begin to descend into the scrotum from the abdominal cavity. This process will end closer to childbirth or in the first months of a child's life.

Things to remember at this stage

Pain in the lower abdomen can cause a lot of trouble and anxiety. Usually there is nothing wrong with them. But sometimes these are really harbingers of premature birth. Therefore, the expectant mother needs to monitor how often unpleasant sensations are repeated and what they are accompanied by. If contractions suddenly begin or the water breaks, you need to urgently call an ambulance.