"Mom finds it pleasant if I gently tap my feet against her abdomen, so that's what I do."
22 Weeks Pregnant
The Baby You are probably so used to your belly by now and the life that you feel that you notice when there is a radio silence and there's nothing to feel for a while. There are still all kinds of things happening, however, in the factory that is called your uterus. Your baby has lots of fun, reacts to everything that comes from outside and sleeps a lot. He is getting more and more fat on his body and his skin becomes less and less translucent. Now he weighs approximately one pound (440 grams) and he is 11 inches (28.5 centimeters). If you are expectating twins it looks like you are already much further along than five months. Your uterus is much higher and your babies take up a much larger space than if you are only expecting one child. Your children can still tumble over each other and they will also kick and push at all kinds of places in your tummy. Expectant mothers of twins say their abdomen feels like it's full of snakes or even a complete football team. A few more weeks and the little ones will assume their ideal position from which to grow further. The strongest child of the two or the one who pushes the hardest in either case will end up lying on the bottom and be the first born.
It's funny that babies at this stage of growth are also already starting to develop reflexes: the grabbing reflex is clearly in place, your little one catches his umbilical cord or his other hand and plays with it. In that way, twins already get used to each other long before they are born.
You don't need to be scared that your baby will squeeze his umbilical cord or get tangled up in it. The force with which the blood flows through the umbilical cord and the jelly-like mass that surrounds the arteries and veins ensure that the umbilical cord feels like a full garden hose. You can tie a knot in it, but it would be incredibly hard to tie it hard enough to cut off the flow of water.
Thirty percent of babies twist the umbilical cord one or two times around their neck through their movements without it causing any problems. The umbilical cord is normally 19.5 to 23.5 inches (50 to 60 centimeters) long and it looks like a twisted rope.
Mother Although most pregnant women feel better than ever, your immune system is suppressed so that your body doesn't reject the baby so it can happen that you catch a cold, develop a cough or get the flu. You feel sick and everything hurts. Your belly sits, especially with a cough, in the way considerably and you'd prefer to spend the whole day curled up under the blanket. That's fine, even more so if you have a fever because then you will get rid of it the quickest way possible. Fortunately your baby doesn't suffer from it, he is safe and very well protected. Even more so: when you have a cold you make antibodies to expel the virus from your body and they also are introduced to your baby. Therefore, when he is born, he already has resistance to certain viruses.
Influenza is normally just as innocent as a cold. The influenza virus can reach your baby by means of the placenta, but luckily he doesn't get sick from it. With a fever it is advisable to get in touch with your health care provider (HCP). If you have diarrhea or vomiting for longer than a day, consult your HCP. Pregnant moms need to avoid dehydration!Keep drinking sufficient water, electrolyte solution, even flat soda; it is important that you can continue to pee. Your urinary tract is more sensitive to infection now that you are pregnant. If you have pain when you urinate, you may have cystitis or a urinary tract infection. Get in touch with your HCP if you have problems urinating.
If you have a headache, a fever or a cold a few Tylenols won't hurt - but ibuprofren may. Most other painkillers-natural or chemical -- contain potentially harmful substances. Ask your pharmacist or HCP which resources are good for diarrhea, heartburn or other complaints and sicknesses when pregnant.
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Yay, you're going on vacation! Papa thinks that you should all have a break because Mommy is so busy lately. And of course because Mommy is frequently tired and huffs and puffs. Her belly is getting bigger and bigger. She can sometimes give you a hard time if you ask something anyway, so you play in your own room more often. Then later she feels guilty about scolding you and after she naps, she gets up and you bake cookies together like the old times. That's awfully nice too.She has to do funny pregnancy exercises down on the floor and it's fun to get down next to her and act like a cow and stretch around.There's another thing they don't agree on yet, by the way. Where that small crumb will have to sleep. Maybe we have to move, bad news! But you guys don't really believe that. Isn't there an attic? Then the big kids can go there. That would be cool. But yeah, then a lot of stuff has to be cleaned and the attic also has to be tidied up. Perhaps you are going on vacation because soon they will be so busy with the attic, we'll have to ask about that...
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your immune system is suppressed so that your body doesn't reject the baby so it can happen that you catch a cold, develop a cough or get the flu. You feel sick and everything hurts. Your belly sits, especially with a cough, in the way considerably and you'd prefer to spend the whole day curled up under the blanket. That's fine, even more so if you have a fever because then you will get rid of it the quickest way possible. Fortunately your baby doesn't suffer from it, he is safe and very well protected. Even more so: when you have a cold you make antibodies to expel the virus from your body and they also are introduced to your baby. Therefore, when he is born, he already has resistance to certain viruses.
