22nd week: Fine down all over the body

Weeks and days
21+0 to 21+6
Month
6
Trimester
2

This week, the fetus grows from about 179 to 191 millimeters and weighs around 480 grams by the end. Fine down now usually covers the whole body. In Germany, it is the last week for the second ultrasound paid for by health insurance.

A single large zucchini lies in an open palm on beige linen
Zucchini210 to 250 mm, the size of your baby at the end of the week

Week 22 of 40

Calculate your week
1st trimester2nd trimester3rd trimester

How big is the fetus?

050100150200250 mm20th week153 to 16621st week166 to 17922nd week179 to 19123rd week191 to 204Zucchini at the same scale

179 to 191 mm

By the end of the week, the fetus is about the size of a zucchini. From head to heel, it measures about 28 centimeters.

Crown-rump length at the transition from the UNSW Embryology table to the values from Archie et al. 2006, weight according to the WHO growth charts. A large zucchini is 210 to 250 mm long.

This week

Your baby

  • Lanugo hair now usually covers the whole body, even where the eyebrows will grow later.
  • In boys, the testicles begin to move from the abdomen toward the scrotum. They usually only arrive there shortly before birth.
  • The baby can clench its fists, suck its thumb, and play with the umbilical cord.

Your body

  • The distance from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus is on average 22 cm by the end of the week.
  • For some, the movements are now so distinct that their partner can also feel them through the abdominal wall.
  • 55 to 90 out of 100 pregnant women get stretch marks. In one study, 43 out of 100 women already had them before the 24th week.

What matters now

  • In Germany, the time window for the second basic ultrasound closes at 21+6. If you have not had it yet, this is the last week.
  • In Austria, too, it is the last week for the second Parent-Child Pass (Eltern-Kind-Pass) examination with ultrasound.
  • Introduce yourself in good time at the hospital where you would like to give birth. There is no fixed week for this, so ask there.

Get checked right away: heavy bleeding, severe or persistent abdominal pain, fever, pain when urinating, or vomiting where you cannot keep anything down.

Gestational sacPlacentaFetus with heartbeat

On ultrasound

  1. 21+0

    Head circumference is on average about 186 mm.

  2. 21+0

    Thigh bone (femur) measures on average about 35 mm.

  3. 21+6

    Last day for the second ultrasound paid for by health insurance in Germany.

In Germany, the window for the second ultrasound paid for by health insurance closes at 21+6. The third follows between 28+0 and 31+6.

Frequently asked questions about the 22nd week of pregnancy

Which month is the 22nd week of pregnancy?

The 6th month of pregnancy, in the 2nd trimester. Figures such as 21+4 weeks also belong to the 22nd week of pregnancy.

Can a baby survive in the 22nd week of pregnancy?

No. The 22nd week of pregnancy runs from 21+0 to 21+6. Only from 22+0 does the German guideline consider treatment possible, and then only at the express wish of the parents.

From when can a partner feel the movements?

For some, already now. How early depends on the thickness of the abdominal wall and the position of the placenta.

How much weight have I gained in the 22nd week of pregnancy?

With a normal weight before pregnancy, about 3.7 to 5.2 kilograms up to 22+0 is usual. In the 2nd trimester, around 0.4 kilograms are added per week.

Sources

Updated on 30 October 2026 · Fertilio Editorial Team