Your Pregnancy Week-by-Week - 22 Weeks Pregnant

What's more, guess what? Your boy, who is about the size of a tiny doll, has recently broken the 1-pound mark now that you're 22 weeks pregnant.

What is the weight of that? Next time you're at the grocery store, hold a 1-pound bag of sugar in your arms and invite people to ask you why you're so excited. Is it true that the bag is 11 inches long? That's also the length of your baby!

You're in month 5 of your pregnancy if you're 22 weeks old. There are just four months left!

As her sense of touch grows this week, your sweetie is making better sense of the world. In reality, since there's nothing else to catch in utero, your baby's grasp is very firm now, and she may sometimes clutch the umbilical cord tightly. Don't worry, it'll take care of itself.

Similarly, the sense of sight is getting more refined. And with those fused eyelids, the fetus can now detect light and shadow much better than before. But bear in mind that unless you're pointing a spotlight on your uterus, which you should do, your baby will be more in the dark inside your wet womb.

Your voice, pulse, gurgling stomach, and the whoosh-whoosh of blood flowing through the body are all audible to her.

Your uterus is just just an inch above your belly button at 22 weeks pregnant, and it's rising by leaps and bounds. But it's not just the stomach that's expanding these days. Have you had a look at your toes? Look right now, before you lose sight of them.

If you're like many pregnant women, you'll notice that your feet develop as well. If you're going to revamp your whole shoe wardrobe, this is great news; but, if you've just spent a lot of money on a pair of Manolos, this is bad news.

Although some foot development can be due to pregnancy swelling (edema), there's another explanation why feet rise during pregnancy — and don't always shrink back. Relaxin is the pregnancy hormone that loosens the ligaments and joints around your pelvis to enable your baby to pass through (and is also the hormone that makes you clumsy during pregnancy). It doesn't distinguish between ligaments you want loosening, such as those in your pelvis, and those you'd prefer it left alone, such as those in your feet.

As a result of the loosening of the ligaments of the foot, the bones underneath them appear to stretch outward, resulting in a half or entire shoe size rise for many women and tootsies that feel unexpectedly close.

If you do go to the mall for new flats, choose ones that are lightweight and roomy, with a heel no higher than a sensible, chunky 2-inch heel. You'll have ample trouble holding your balance when your belly balloons out if you don't wear stilettos.

By now, you've already met at least a handful of well-wishers who can't help reaching out and patting your stomach. It might be an acquaintance, a coworker, or even a complete stranger on the deli side.

It's understandable, because pregnant bellies look beautiful on the outside and hide something much cuter on the inside. And you might not mind — in fact, if you're a sentimental type, you might enjoy the public show of affection for your baby bump.

However, if you don't mind, there are a few options. One, you should tell them how you feel in a gentle yet strong manner: "I know you mean well, but I just would rather you didn't touch my stomach." Two, you should back up — actually — to avoid having your bump touched. Finally, you will turn the tables by giving them a teasing belly rub in exchange. Know, you're still sharing your body on the inside; you don't have to do so on the outside.