A 22 week old baby still does not know how to put him or herself back to sleep if he or she wakes up at night, and the night cries will wake you up. You can help your baby have better sleeping habits by trying not to let your baby over-sleep during the day time. If your baby naps too much during the day time, this will likely disrupt their nighttime sleep as well, and cause you to lose sleep. Typically, a baby at 22 weeks will sleep on average for 10 to 11 hours at night, and nap for around 3 to 3.5 hours during day time.
Your baby will also wake up at night for feeding, but most healthy babies can go through the full night without feed by about 6 months. For our first child, I was reluctant to stop feeding her at night, and did not stop feeding her at night until she was about 10 months old - and I had to do this at the insistence of my husband and family doctor! The second time around, with the experiences gained from our first child, I stopped feeding our boy a bit before the 6 months mark. The initial crying for the milk at night was rather intense, as was with our first child, but we toughed it out, and after the first 2 nights, the crying (for feeding) persisted, but was becoming less and less intense, and in all, it took about 6 nights. After that, things were perfect, and our boy would sleep from night till morning without waking up for feedings. The toughest part is for the parents to not give in to a crying baby. You can really help this along by putting your baby to sleep on a full stomach.
Baby Weight and Size
An average baby at 22 weeks old will weigh around 15.25 to 15.5 pounds, and measure around 25.5 inches. As mentioned in previous week, babies start to develop and exhibit their personality during this time period. They begin to communicate to you about what they like, dislike, and what interests them or bores them. They begin developing the personalities that makes all of us unique in our own ways.
During this stage of life, your child is learning new things all the time. With better eye sight, improved hand-eye coordination, and better motor controls, your baby is much better able to handle and explore their immediate surroundings. Remember that everything is new and interesting to a baby, and they may find some of the most simple and common things interesting or even exciting.
Baby Movements
Your baby may also be able to move around a little simply by kicking his or her feet against a flat surface. He or she may also turn and twist in all directions, and with some support, is able to sit up for a short period of time. Neck strength is also much more developed by now that you baby may be able to hold their head quite steadily.
The most important aspects for healthy baby development is still the loving and nurturing a parent gives to their child. Taking the time to bond with your child through activities such as cuddling, hugging, kissing, massaging, reading, singing, tickling, or any other variety of activities will have long term benefits for your baby's healthy development. Talking and singing often to your baby has great benefits for helping your baby learn and develop their language skills, and is important for healthy social and emotional development as well.
Watch a 2 year old toddler read, and see how this child's reading skill develops at 3 and 4 years old.