Week 22
Your baby is the size of a papaya
At 22 weeks your baby just crossed the 1-pound mark, the eyebrows and hair are visible on ultrasound, and one significant reproductive-system milestone is happening this week. Per Mayo Clinic, the testes start descending in male babies, and the uterus, ovaries, and vagina are fully in place in females. Here's what's actually new this week, plus the screening that's coming up in two to six weeks.
Key takeaways
- A female fetus's lifetime egg supply peaks around 20 weeks (6 to 7 million primordial germ cells per a 2024 NIH StatPearls review). By week 22 the long decline has started, and by birth the count is closer to 1 to 2 million.
- At week 22 the testes start descending into the scrotum in male babies, and the uterus, ovaries, and vagina are fully in place in females, per Mayo Clinic.
- Braxton Hicks contractions can show up as early as week 20, per Cleveland Clinic. Hydration, position change, and rest ease them.
- The glucose screening for gestational diabetes is scheduled between 24 and 28 weeks, per ACOG. About 8% of US births in 2024 ended in a gestational diabetes diagnosis.
What week 22 does to your baby's reproductive system: testes descending, eggs past peak
Your baby is papaya-sized. Per Mayo Clinic, about 7 1/2 inches from crown to rump and roughly 1 pound.
The eyebrows and hair are now visible on ultrasound. Hair has no pigment yet, so it shows up white or very light. Lips and eyes are clearly defined. The face is starting to look like a thinner version of the newborn you'll meet at delivery.
The headline this week, though, is internal.
Mayo Clinic notes that at week 22 the testes have begun to move down into the scrotum in male babies. The descent continues over the next several weeks. In female babies, the uterus, ovaries, and vagina are fully in place.
And inside those ovaries, something specific.
A female fetus's lifetime egg supply peaks around the 20-week mark. Per a 2024 NIH StatPearls embryology review, the ovaries hold roughly 6 to 7 million primordial germ cells at the peak, with about 3.5 million in each ovary. By week 22, the count is already starting its long decline. By birth, your daughter will have closer to 1 to 2 million. By puberty, 300,000 to 500,000.
Put another way: if your baby is a girl, every egg she'll ever ovulate is already inside her this week.
Movements are also stronger and more deliberate. You may finally be feeling kicks from the outside, especially in the evening when your baby tends to be more active.
Why your belly tightens out of nowhere, and the screening waiting at weeks 24 to 28
Sometimes your whole abdomen will tighten for thirty seconds, then release.
That's a Braxton Hicks contraction. Per Cleveland Clinic, they can show up as early as 20 weeks, though most people notice them more frequently in the late second and third trimesters. They're irregular, painless, and ease when you change position or drink water.
The key difference: real labor contractions get longer, stronger, and closer together. Braxton Hicks don't. They come and go on their own schedule, last under two minutes, and don't open the cervix.
What helps when one starts:
- Drink a full glass of water (dehydration is the most common trigger)
- Change position or take a short walk
- Stop and rest if you've been on your feet a while
- Empty your bladder; a full one can set them off
The other thing on the horizon: the glucose screening test, scheduled between 24 and 28 weeks per ACOG. It's a 50-gram glucose drink followed by a blood draw one hour later, checking for gestational diabetes, which affected about 8% of US births in 2024 per a JAMA Internal Medicine analysis. If the 1-hour screen flags, you'll do a 3-hour follow-up. A positive result isn't a failure. It's a hormonal response to pregnancy, very manageable when caught early through dietary tweaks, monitoring, and sometimes medication.
The bump is unmistakable now. Your skin is stretching faster than it was a few weeks back. The compression socks that fit at week 18 may be ready for a size up, and a pregnancy support pillow usually earns its place in the bed by this week.
Contact your provider right away if Braxton Hicks become regular (every 10 minutes or less), painful, or come with bleeding, fluid leakage, or low-back pressure. Those can point to preterm labor and need same-day evaluation.
For dads
Here's your move:
Put your hand on her belly when she says the baby is moving. **At 22 weeks, kicks are often strong enough to feel from the outside.** It might take a few tries to catch one. When it lands, it's the first time your kid pushes back against your hand. While you're there, ask about her glucose test. It's coming up in two to six weeks, and a partner-along appointment is easier than going solo. Pull up the schedule together and put it in both calendars.
Real talk:
Real talk on the glucose screening: about 8 in 100 US pregnancies test positive for gestational diabetes, per JAMA Internal Medicine. If hers does, it's not bad luck or something she ate. It's hormones from the placenta interfering with how her body uses insulin, and it tends to resolve after delivery. The plan is usually finger-stick monitoring, dietary tweaks, sometimes medication. None of that is a moral judgment. Solidarity counts. If she's cutting back on something, cut back with her. Ask 'what's hard about this for you?' once the diagnosis lands. Then listen without trying to fix anything.
Common concerns
Is the belly tightening I'm feeling actually Braxton Hicks?+
Probably. Per Cleveland Clinic, Braxton Hicks can start as early as 20 weeks. The whole abdomen briefly hardens for under two minutes, then releases on its own. They're irregular and painless. Hydrating, changing position, emptying your bladder, or resting usually eases them. If you can talk through them and they don't intensify, that's a strong sign they aren't labor.
When is the glucose screening test scheduled, and what should I expect?+
Between 24 and 28 weeks for everyone, per ACOG. Earlier if your provider flags risk factors like a higher BMI or a previous gestational diabetes diagnosis. The standard 1-hour screen is a 50-gram drink followed by a blood draw an hour later, and you don't need to fast for it. If the 1-hour result is high, the diagnostic 3-hour test follows.
Did I do something to cause Braxton Hicks?+
No. They show up on their own as your uterus practices for labor. Common triggers are dehydration, a full bladder, and long stretches on your feet. None of those mean you did something wrong, and none are dangerous. They're a normal part of late second-trimester pregnancy.
When should I worry that contractions might be preterm labor?+
Call your provider right away if contractions become regular (every 10 minutes or less), painful, last longer than a minute, or come with bleeding, fluid leakage, low-back pressure, or pelvic heaviness. Those can be signs of preterm labor and need same-day evaluation. Don't wait to see if they go away.
Product picks for week 22
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FITRELL 3 Pairs Compression Socks for Women and Men 20-30mmHg
Graduated 20-30 mmHg compression. The body-changes section notes the second-trimester pair you bought earlier may be ready for a size up.
Momcozy U Shaped Full Body Pregnancy Pillow with Removable Cover, 57 Inch
Full-body U-shape supporting back, belly, and hips. The body-changes section notes a pregnancy support pillow earns its place in the bed by this week.
BellyBottle Pregnancy Water Bottle Tracker - Weekly Stickers + Straw + BPA Free
Hydration is the front-line move when Braxton Hicks fire, and a time-marked bottle makes the daily intake automatic.
Sources
- Mayo Clinic, Fetal Development: The 2nd Trimester (2025) — https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/fetal-development/art-20046151
- Lin J et al., Genetics, Female Gametogenesis. StatPearls (NIH NCBI Bookshelf, 2024) — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555917/
- Cleveland Clinic, Braxton Hicks Contractions (2022) — https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/22965-braxton-hicks
- ACOG, Gestational Diabetes (2024) — https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/gestational-diabetes
- Yang Y et al., Trends in Gestational Diabetes in the United States, 2016 to 2024. JAMA Internal Medicine (2025) — https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2842943
A quick note: This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always talk to your healthcare provider about any questions or concerns. Content based on guidance from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Mayo Clinic, and peer-reviewed medical literature. Learn how we create our content.