Pregnancy Guide for Couples: Week 22
Welcome to Week 22! You’re moving right along. Today, we will briefly discuss your baby’s growth and high risk pregnancies.
What’s Going on with Baby
At Week 22, your baby is the size of a compact laptop!
This week, your little one has eyebrows and hair that are visible! Some babies are born with little to no hair, while others may have a ton of hair on their heads. You’ll just have to wait and see what your little one has. Here are more ways that your baby is growing:
Baby’s hearing is getting good. So good that they may be hearing noises from inside your body, like your breathing, digestion, and heartbeat.
Brown fat forms in your little one’s body, where heat production is.
For boys, the testes are descending.
What’s Going on with Mom
As you progress into the pregnancy week after week, you’ll continue attending your prenatal appointments once a month unless told otherwise. These appointments are typically quick, as long as there’s not a long wait in the waiting room before seeing your doctor. Of course, if you fall into the high-risk category, you may have to attend more prenatal appointments or have a more detailed visit. Here are reasons why your doctor could deem your pregnancy as high-risk:
Advanced maternal age. Women over age 35 are considered to have an advanced maternal age.
Having more than 1 child. Being pregnant with twins or multiples increases the risk of complications.
Previous pregnancy complications. Doctors will want to monitor you if you’ve had complications with previous pregnancies.
Medical conditions. Diabetes, hypertension, or other preexisting medical conditions will be monitored.
Obesity. Obesity increases the risk of gestational diabetes and other risks.
If you have a high-risk pregnancy or are later deemed high-risk, know that many high-risk pregnancies continue as planned as your doctor closely monitors you throughout the remaining months. Make sure you ask questions and do your research to know your options.
What’s going on with Partner
Make sure that you continue taking bump photos of Mom throughout the pregnancy. Many expectant couples take a bump photo each month, but feel free to take as many photos as you want! You may also want to look into getting professional bump photos done. If you’re interested in doing this, start researching photographers to book a photoshoot for Mom’s third trimester.
RESOURCE OF THE WEEK
We've all seen the TV shows depicting mothers in labor - screaming at the top of their lungs. Yet we also hear about "pain-free births." So what's the deal? Click the link to read my blog all about birth pain and what you can do about it.
