Week 22 Size: Coconut
About the size of a fresh coconut.
Relative Visual Scale
Solid circle represents your baby's size. Dotted circle shows the full-term week 40 size threshold.
Baby's Development
The baby's eyes are fully formed, though the irises still lack pigment. The eyebrows and eyelashes are well-defined. The baby is developing a sense of touch and will explore their face and body.
Weekly Milestones
- ✦ Sense of Touch
- ✦ Eyelashes & Eyebrows Formed
Your Body & Symptoms
Your uterus is now situated about an inch above your belly button. You might notice mild, painless contractions called Braxton Hicks, which are your uterus's way of practicing for labor.
Common Symptoms this Week
Doctor & Care Recommendations
- ✓ If you feel a Braxton Hicks contraction, drink a glass of water and change positions.
- ✓ Practice good posture and avoid lifting heavy objects.
- ✓ Keep applying moisturizer to soothe stretching abdominal skin.
PregWeeks
CHECKLISTUltimate Hospital Bag & Birth Plan
Print-Ready PDFThe Ultimate Hospital Bag Checklist & Birth Plan PDF
Prepare for labor with confidence. Our doctor-reviewed checklists ensure you don't forget any newborn or partner essentials in the hospital delivery room.
- ✓ Clinical OB-GYN Approved List: Separate checklists detailing exactly what mom, partner, and newborn baby require for a standard 3-day recovery stay.
- ✓ 10-Second Birth Preference Builder: Minimalist visual plan templates designed to help delivery nurses digest your labor choices instantly on check-in.
- ✓ 1-Click Offline Access: High-resolution, print-ready document formatted to download directly to your mobile device for offline reference in the clinic.
Weekly Health Guides & Resources
Second Trimester Guide
Read comprehensive clinical milestones, screening checklists, and developmental guidelines for this phase.
Track & Relieve Symptoms
Learn why symptoms occur, home remedies, and clinical indicators for this week:
Food Safety Checklists
Verify safety statuses, listeria and mercury risks, and safe alternatives for:
Frequently Asked Questions: Week 22
Evidence-Based Clinical Sources for Week 22
PregWeeks is dedicated to medical transparency. Every milestone, symptom tip, and fetal development guideline for Week 22 is sourced directly from clinical guidelines published by leading obstetric authorities. Read more about our editorial methodology on our Medical Sources page.
Prenatal Diagnostic Testing for Genetic Disorders (Practice Bulletin No. 162)
ACOGClinical recommendations for mid-pregnancy screening options, including the anatomy ultrasound scan commonly scheduled between weeks 18 and 22.
View Clinical Guideline ↗Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (Practice Bulletin No. 190)
ACOGPractice standards for screening and diagnosing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), typically scheduled between weeks 24 and 28.
View Clinical Guideline ↗Implementing a Gestational Diabetes Screening Protocol (Committee Opinion No. 798)
ACOGStandardized protocols for glucose screening tests to detect gestational diabetes and optimize maternal-fetal metabolic health.
View Clinical Guideline ↗Get weekly pregnancy updates
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