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22 Weeks Pregnant: Your Baby, Your Body and What to Do
Your baby looks like a miniature newborn and responds to touch and sound.
Before you use this guide: Pregnancy weeks are counted from the first day of your last period. Sizes are rough averages, and healthy babies vary. This is general information, not an individual medical assessment, so please confirm personal health decisions with your doctor or midwife.
How your baby is growing
Your baby now looks like a small newborn. The eyebrows and eyelashes are visible, and the lips are more distinct. The sense of touch is developing, and your baby may explore by touching the face, hands and umbilical cord.
The pancreas, which makes hormones that manage blood sugar, is developing. The skin is still thin and wrinkled, and will plump up as more fat is laid down.
How you may be feeling
Your growing womb can press on veins and cause varicose veins or haemorrhoids. You may also have aches in your back, hips and pelvis. Looser joints, caused by pregnancy hormones, can make you feel a bit clumsy.
Your to-do list for week 22
- Avoid standing or sitting for long periods, and put your legs up when you can.
- Add fibre and fluids to ease constipation and haemorrhoids.
- Ask your midwife whether support tights would help if you have varicose veins.
- Start looking at where you might give birth, and ask whether your local unit offers tours.
When to ask for help
Tell your doctor or midwife about pelvic pain that makes walking hard, such as pain at the front of the pelvis or in the buttocks. Pelvic girdle pain is common, and physiotherapy can help.
For heavy bleeding, severe pain, fluid leaking, a severe headache with vision changes, or a baby who is moving less than usual, do not wait for your next appointment. Contact your midwife, doctor or maternity unit straight away. Our guide to pregnancy warning signs has more detail.
Not sure which week you are in? Use the due-date calculator to estimate your due date and current week.
Useful at this stage: pregnancy weight gain calculator and baby shower planner.
Trusted resources to read next
These public health resources provide additional information. Guidance can vary by country, so prioritise advice from your own care team and local health service.
- NHS: Pregnancy — Pregnancy care, common symptoms, screening and complications.
- NHS: Week-by-week pregnancy guide — Pregnancy development and care by week.
This content is for general information only and is not medical advice. Every pregnancy and every baby is different. Always talk to your doctor, midwife or paediatrician about your own situation, and seek urgent care if you are worried.