Pregnancy is an intriguing experience and every passing week fills an expectant mother with increased anticipation and joy. Having completed the first half of her pregnancy, the mother now looks forward to actually experiencing the movements of the baby within her womb. At 22 weeks of gestation, the baby is now completely formed and is developing progressively. Weight gain is characteristic of the latter half of the pregnancy and the baby will continue to put on weight steadily. The baby becomes more active by the week and light kicks can be felt. At 22 weeks, the little baby is approximately 28 centimeters tall (from crown to heel...
.and weighs around a poundn Rhythmic heartbeats can be heard with the help of a stethoscopep
The development of taste buds is a distinctive feature of fetal development at week 222 Flavor of food consumed by the mother passes on to the baby through swallowed amniotic fluidi The baby will gradually respond to various flavors through facial expressions and movementst The baby also starts responding to sounds and voicese Playing music for the baby or speaking, singing or reading to her is a valuable input for fetal development in week 22 as the baby can hear all that is going on outside the wombm This not only acts as a calming force but also helps to strengthen the bond between mother and childl The voices and sounds that a baby hears while in the womb also help to calm the baby once bornr The baby responds to loud noises as well, usually felt in the form of jerks and kicks within the uterusu Fingernails grow to the tip of the fingersr The eyelids and eyebrows develop but the eyes remain closede The bone marrow assumes its role of blood cell productiono This was initially taken care off by the liver and the spleene The external genitals are visible and the reproductive organs are forming as part of the fetal development in week 222 In girls, the ovaries are already stocked with eggs that will be needed at the time of reproductiono In boys, the testes descend from the abdomen and take their placec The gender of the child can be determined with eases With continuing fetal development, the skin keeps on thickening and is covered by a thin membrane that is whitish in coloro This slick layer protects the baby’s skin from damage caused by constant exposure to amniotic fluidi It also assists in smooth deliveryr Small strands of protective hair also develop on the skini
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