Pregnancy Week 22

This week your baby measures nearly eight inches and weighs about one pound! You now have a little doll inside you (size wise that is) or if you would like to stick to fruit, about the size of a mango.  This mango now has eyebrows, eyelashes, and maybe some hair!  If you've been suffering from heartburn during this pregnancy you chances of having a baby born with hair are greatly increased! This is most likely due to the hormones (it's always the hormones) that cause heartburn being linked in some way to the creation of hair! Granted it's not guaranteed, but for my first I had horrible heartburn the entire time and she was born with a full head of hair! I can't wait to see if the same will be true for this one, I hope so, it's the only silver lining when I'm dying from the burning!!!  In addition to it's new body hair and eyelashes, your little one is now able to perceive light and dark. You may notice more movement when you're out laying in the sun or walking around with a thin shirt.  As your pregnancy progresses you may also be able to shine a flashlight on your belly and watch the waves as your little one scoots away...weird I know.

Your little one can also hear your voice, your heartbeat, your gurgling stomach, and the whoosh-whoosh sound of the blood circulating through your body.  Something I found interested with my daughter was that after she was born she HATED those bear soothers that had a recorded heartbeat in them. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why she hated them so much, until I realized that because of my heart defects (one of which is my heart is turned around facing the wrong way) my heartbeat sounded different than what was "normal".  My daughter hated the soother because it wasn't the heartbeat she was used to!!! I think that is just amazing how your babies already know who "you" are before they actually meet you.

This week, along with your belly continuing to grow, don't be surprised if your feet start to as well.  This is because of the hormone relaxin, which loosens your pelvic ligaments to help accommodate your growing belly, also relaxes all of the other ligaments in your body.  This can result in the bones beneath the ligaments in your feet spreading out slightly.  This may leave you with a half or whole-shoe size increase at the end of this journey.  But be aware that this is not guaranteed, with my daughter I never had an increase in shoe size, and so far I haven't with this one either...and quite frankly I'm praying they don't because I am eyeing my pair of Louboutin heels and counting the days until I can wear them again! Speaking of heels, now is the time to put them away in your closet and pull out your most comfortable flats to help you keep your balance since your center of gravity is, and will continue to, shift throughout the rest of your pregnancy.

Week 21
Week 23