Pregnancy ~ week 22

I don't really have anything new to report this week. Still feeling pretty good and no real complaints. I have my follow up with the Cardiologist tomorrow to go over the results from my Echo and Lab work. Hopefully those are all good.

Each week I shop around for a good update for the week, as some are boring and only 1-2 lines. But this week I found one at Similac.com. I may stick with this site for a while as it looks to be filled with lots of information, so here is this weeks update:

Baby's Growth and Development

During your 22nd week of pregnancy, your baby is starting to discover a world around him as his senses continue to develop.

When you’re 22 weeks pregnant, your baby is about 7 1/2 to 8 inches long head to rump, around the length of a head of cabbage, and weighs about 1 pound.

Your baby's sense of touch and taste progress significantly this week.

Taste buds begin forming.

Your baby's brain and nerve endings mature enough to process the sensation of touch.

Your baby's reproductive system continues to develop. In a boy, his testes begin to descend. In a girl, her ovaries and uterus now are in place and her vagina develops. She already has all of the eggs she'll need for her own reproductive life.

When you're 22 weeks pregnant, the surface of your baby's brain, which has previously been smooth, begins to develop folds. This creation of hills and valleys in the brain will continue until the 34th week of pregnancy, when your baby's brain will have enough surface area for a full complement of brain cells.

Your baby continues to hear sounds from the outside world. Although these sounds are muffled behind the amniotic fluid and the protective covering of vernix, your baby soon recognizes your voice.

Your Changing Body

Around your 22nd week of pregnancy, you might notice your body begins "practicing" for your baby's upcoming birth.

You might feel your baby's first real kicks. If you haven't already, you probably will soon. This will be much different from the fluttery quickening you've felt in the past weeks.

Colostrum, likely your baby’s first meal after birth, continues to develop in your breasts.

You might breathe faster, but by your 22nd week of pregnancy, your shortness of breath has probably lessened.

Your uterus expands beyond your navel.

Many of the typical second-trimester symptoms that you might already have noticed could continue at 22 weeks pregnant, including back pain, increased vaginal discharge, nasal congestion, and sensitive gums.

By the 22nd week of pregnancy, your uterus might practice for labor and delivery with occasional "warm-up" contractions called Braxton-Hicks contractions.
Braxton-Hicks are called false labor. They are very different than the contractions in true labor. These contractions should be painless and irregular and vary in length and intensity. They will not cause you to dilate. At first, it might be easy to mistake Braxton-Hicks for real contractions, especially if this is your first pregnancy. If you have more than 6 contractions in an hour, they last at least 30 seconds, and don’t go away when you move around, contact your doctor.

Baby size from TheBump.com:

Baby's now the size of a papaya!
Baby's settling into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.