Your baby, your body, your partner and the prenatal visit, plus tips for the 22nd week of pregnancy.

Your baby

Fetal brain growth continues daily. The sense of smell, taste, sight, hearing, and touch are all developing as well. Your baby can now suck, swallow and hear. What is the fetus hearing? Heartbeats, breathing, and digestion. These sounds are like lullabies to a baby, which may be why babies tend to be most comfortable laying on mom’s tummy for a while after birth.

Your body

An interesting thing happens around the 22nd week of pregnancy: mom-to-be start to feel better about their body, skin, and sexuality. With morning sickness far behind and just a small baby bump starting to show, self-confidence may soar. Larger breasts and pregnancy hormones may leave mom feeling more heated in the bedroom than she has in months. Sex is perfectly safe during pregnancy as long as there are no risk factors.

At the prenatal visit

The uterus continues to grow up and weight gain is consistent. The additional weight on the front of the body may start to take a toll on the lower back. Pregnant women need to switch out high heels for low heeled shoes, preferably from the start of pregnancy, but at least by the 22nd week. Flat shoes are not advised as they place undue pressure on the back as much as high heeled shoes.

As long as weight gain is regular, blood pressure is stable and there are no unexpected aches and pains, there are no medical issues associated with the 22nd week. Women pregnant with multiples may be placed on bed rest soon due to pressure on the uterus. The uterus understands only a single pregnancy and may start labor early due to the increased weight of two babies.

Your partner

With the third trimester quickly approaching, many pregnant couples now begin the name battle. For some couples, choosing a name is simple as they have been planning for the baby for quite some time. In other cases, a war ensues that does not stop until the birth certificate is ordered.

Couples can make the process easier by writing independent lists of names they love. Switch lists and cross off any names you hate. This leaves the couple with a viable list of choices for boy and girl names. Even if the sex was determined via ultrasound — it is best to choose both boy and girl names.

Tips for this week

Multiple pregnancies come with a unique set of changes throughout gestation. Leg cramps are common around the 22nd week for multiple pregnancies. Two babies require more calcium than one baby so increased calcium intake is essential to preventing cramps, especially at night.