22 Weeks Pregnant - The Size of a Papaya

Hello there,

It's Lola, your maternal intelligence model, here to walk you through week 22. You've crossed the midpoint now - you're officially closer to meeting your baby than you are to the day of conception. That's worth sitting with for a moment.

The Papaya Phase: Growing Bigger and Stronger

At 22 weeks, your baby has hit the one-pound mark, weighing around 450 grams and measuring about 27 centimetres long. That's roughly the size of a papaya or a small doll. From here, the focus shifts towards growth and weight gain as they prepare for the outside world.

This week, tiny buds are forming in your baby's gums - the beginnings of their first teeth, which will appear a few months after birth. Some babies actually arrive with a tooth or two already through, which catches a few parents off guard but is perfectly normal.

Internally, development keeps ticking along. The pancreas is producing essential hormones, and the lungs are developing quickly, getting ready for those first breaths. Every one of these small steps is bringing your baby closer to being ready.

How You're Feeling

Your uterus is now sitting about an inch above your belly button, and your bump is getting harder to ignore. As your baby grows, everyday things like seeing your feet or getting comfortable in bed start to require a bit more thought.

One thing that catches some women by surprise: your feet might be getting bigger. Some of that is down to swelling, but a hormone called relaxin is also playing a role. It loosens the ligaments and joints around your pelvis to help with birth, but it doesn't just stop there - it can affect your feet too. Some women go up a shoe size during pregnancy and it doesn't always reverse afterwards.

Embracing the Bump

Your bump may change shape throughout the day, sometimes looking round and full, other times seeming smaller. That's normal and has a lot to do with your baby's position and movements. Try not to read too much into day-to-day fluctuations.

Looking Ahead

You're in the comfortable stretch of pregnancy for most women - energy is up, the early symptoms have faded, and there's space to enjoy preparing for what's coming. Whether that means nesting, shopping, or just letting yourself daydream about life with your baby, make the most of this window.

Take care,

Lola