22 weeks pregnant: Your baby and your body

Choose your week

Week 22

Know your due date?

Enter the due date from your care team to find your estimated week today. Your date stays in this browser tab.

Second trimester

About the size of

a sweet potato

Approximate length

10.9 in / 27.8 cm Head to heel

Your baby

Your baby's lungs continue developing, with breathing-like movements happening before birth. Swallowing small amounts of amniotic fluid is also part of development. These activities happen in a fluid environment; the placenta provides oxygen during pregnancy. The sweet-potato comparison is only an approximate size guide and cannot show how mature an individual baby's organs are.

Your body

Stretch marks may appear on the belly, breasts or thighs as the skin stretches. Skin color can also change during pregnancy. These visible changes do not tell you whether you are doing something wrong. A gentle skin-care routine may help with comfort, but ask before using a treatment that promises to prevent or remove pregnancy-related skin changes.

This week

Understanding stretch marks and skin changes

Bring a list or photo of the products you use if you want advice about them. Describe any itching, pain, rash or sudden change rather than grouping everything under stretch marks. Contact your maternity care team right away for severe itching, itching on your palms or soles, or itching that is worse at night; do not wait for a routine visit. If changes in your appearance are upsetting you, that is also a valid topic for a visit. You can ask for support without needing a physical symptom to be severe. The goal is to understand the change and make you more comfortable, not to achieve a particular appearance.

Explore prenatal care

Looking ahead

A question for your next visit

Which skin changes are expected, and do any of my symptoms or products need review?

Sources for this week

Read the NHS guide for this week ↗ Body changes and discomforts — Office on Women’s Health ↗ Itching in pregnancy — NHS ↗

Browse pregnancy weeks

A little context for these comparisons

These are approximate sizes for each week, not measurements of your baby. Babies and produce both come in different sizes, and the illustrations are not shown to scale.

Before week 20, length is measured from head to bottom. From week 20, it includes the legs, from head to heel. That change explains the jump in length between weeks 19 and 20.

When to get help

If your baby’s usual movements slow down, stop, or change, contact your maternity care team right away.

Seek medical care right away for warning signs such as a severe or persistent headache, vision changes, chest pain, trouble breathing, severe belly pain, vaginal bleeding, leaking fluid, or thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. These are examples, not a complete list. If you cannot reach your care team, seek urgent medical care. Call 911 for a medical emergency.

Read the CDC urgent maternal warning signs

About this guide

Approximate measurements and development information draw on the NHS weekly guides. Linked US health resources support care and preparation topics. The topics are suggestions for discussion, not a schedule of required appointments or tests. Your own care plan may differ.

Every pregnancy is different. Your care team can help you understand your baby’s growth and any symptoms you’re experiencing.