22 weeks and growing...

Here are the milestones my baby has reached this week:

You are 22 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 20 weeks)

• The fetus reacts to loud sounds.
• Baby starts having a regular sleeping and waking rhythm.
• The mother's movements can wake her baby.
• Taste buds are forming on your baby's tongue.
• The baby is 28cm long (crown to heel) and weighs over 450 grams.
• The weekly weight gain has increased to around 70 grams.

Your baby is about 11 inches long and weighs in at about 1 pound. The eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed, and the fingernails cover the fingertips. Sounds from a conversation are loud enough to be heard by the fetus in the uterus. If you talk, read, or sing to your baby, it's reasonable to expect him or her to be able to hear you.


I woke up this morning and thought she had turned. I know from the ultrasound that she is breech, and all of her kicks are felt down low. However, this morning as I was lying in bed I felt rhythmic movement at the top of my uterus, which gave me hope that she had changed positions. Then I realized that it could've been hiccups I was feeling, not kicks, which would make sense that I would feel those up high if she was still in a breech position, so I am not letting my guard down yet. The midwives say I don't really need to think about it until 30 weeks or so. I, on the other hand, am hoping that she will find her bearings and get into a head-down position before she grows too big. I know there are several maneuvers a pregnant woman can do to get her baby to change positions, so I am not too worried about it, but I would like the peace of mind of knowing that she is head down nonetheless. Actually, I am feeling little flutter-like movements down low as we speak, which feel more characteristic of little hands than feet, so we may just be in luck! Good girl, Rachel. Good girl.