Baby's Position Throughout Pregnancy?

At 22 weeks it is probably the baby's bum. All three of my kids sat their little rear ends right above my pelvis bone and it was super uncomfortable. If it is small and hard it could be the feet or heels and probably is not the head or hands.

Good luck and hold on, you are in for quite a ride

YES! A baby's head will "bob" like a bobble head in water and a butt will be relatively more static. Check out www.spinningbabies.com for more info on how to belly map you baby.

I believe there is still a lot of room for the baby to move around at 22 weeks. I am also 22 weeks along and feel the baby moving all over. The hard lump probably is his head...if it feels big enough for that. If you feel it kicking you :o) it's probably his feet. The bottom also feels bigger (like the head) but not as hard. Sometimes I feel my son's head on one side...then later it moves to the other side. Pretty soon he'll get more squished in there and won't be able to swim around quite so much! :o) Congrats on your pregnancy!

L.,
They move all about all the time, But that is not to say that sometimes they don't just hang out in one spot too. Feet are small and you most likely would not be able to feel them very well right now unless your baby does a really good stretch. The Head and the little bottom are easiest to find. The head wobbles when you gently push on it quickly and repeatedly, you will feel it bob against your finger tips. The bottom doesn't move quite as well but you can feel it by doing the same thing. (this doesn't hurt them, so no worries about that, they are well protected) My guess would be that it is his bottom. mine usually are sideways at this point and slightly head up, but really there is no standard position. But in a few short weeks you will have an ultrasound and know for sure!
Have fun poking and prodding:)
E.

Using a doula can be helpful for answering questions like this as well. You can learn more about doulas at my website www.birthfirstdoula.com or find many at www.doulamatch.com.

I had a lump on my stomach that showed up about the same time. The PA thought it was a foot or knee. She was convinced actually, but after a while, I noticed it really didn't move. The baby moved, but the lump didn't. Has youre lump moved at any point? or is it always there? Turned out I had a fibroid. It showed up in an ultrasound. It didn't cause any complications whatsoever and has since gone away. Apparently, they can grow pretty big when you're pregnant. Not saying you have a fibroid, just telling you what my "lump" turned out to be. I had actually forgotten about it until I saw your post. :) Congrats on the baby btw!

Once I got to about 30 or so weeks my daughter was transverse. I wore my daughter like a 1990's fanny pack for the end of the pregnancy. Her head was on my right and her toes on my left. Too funny! She moved just in time for the delivery.

The best way to get an idea is to have your provider show you how to palpate the fetal position and what the different body parts feel like. It is fun to follow you baby around as he moves. You can gently poke them, too and see if you get a reaction...
They can move a lot right until the end.

I'm happy to see my answer has already been mentioned, but here's a second vote for www.spinningbabies.com. A great self education resource!!

Isn't that so fun to start feeling little baby body parts? It helps you imagine what your baby will be like! I agree with those who say to ask your practitioner for some baby-positioning and palpation guidelines. I too had a fairly stationary hard lump on the right with both of my pregnancies, and both times the CNM said it was baby's bum, and he/she was already head-down. But I've heard many stories of people scheduling c-sections for breech babies, only to have baby move at the last minute for a vaginal delivery! Good luck, and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy!

Spinningbabies.com is a great resource. Any experienced midwife or doula will be able to help you identify baby parts as your pregnancy continues--they are often more skilled at this than other practitioners because they do not rely on ultrasound technology as much and have very experienced hands.
At 22 weeks, your baby is still doing some backflips and such, but pretty soon things will get crowded and the big movements will slow (although kicking, etc., will feel more intense as you run out of room).
My midwife taught me this when I was about 30 weeks: lay on your back and squish your bump. Find a big, hard lump and feel around it on either side. If it seems to go in and then back out, you've probably found the baby's head and neck. If it seems like it it is never-ending hard mass, you've probably found his bottom and back. You'll often feel the little tickly (or punching) movements on the opposite side of your belly from the bum-lump.
BTW, as you end your pregnancy, the ideal position is head down and facing your back. Since the heaviest part of the baby is the back of his head, you can encourage this position by doing pelvic rocks on your hands and knees and generally spending lots of time on your hands and knees. I made a point of playing with my son and cleaning the floors on my hands and knees during my second pregnancy, and that was by far my best and easiest birth.
Best wishes!

My son turned somersaults up until the final month. The last few months I could pretty much tell where his butt was, but other bumps were harder to identify. During labor his head was down, but they had to keep moving the fetal monitor because he kept wiggling around. Some kids are just really active. There are lots of layers of tissue between you and your son forming a tough but flexible protection. Pregnancy is an amazing event!

Some babies move head-down early on, others move around, and others don't go head down until near delivery. The lump your feeling could be bum or feet very easily. Feet will probably move/kick/etc more than bum.
Have you had your ultrasound yet? That can tell you what direction he's facing for now. But there is plenty of time for him to move into position.