Pregnancy Week 23
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Inside Pregnancy Week 23
The baby is probably now just over a pound and a little over 11 inches long. The body is proportioned like a newborn, minus the body fat. The bones of the middle ear are hardening. Male voices are more easily heard by baby than female. If born now, the baby has a 15% chance of survival. Lanugo, the fine body hair, has darkened. The organs are still visible through the skin.
Pregnancy Symptoms You May Feel During Week 23
Your weight gain is probably in the 12-15 pound range. The uterus is now positioned directly above the bladder, which can be quite uncomfortable at times, and may also lead to leaking. It’s important to determine whether the liquid is urine or possibly amniotic fluid. The simplest way to tell? The sniff test. Amniotic fluid is odorless, so if no smell is detected, contact healthcare provider immediately.
Skin issues are becoming more noticeable now as well. You might be surprised to see the linea negra, a vertical line running down your abdomen. It has always been there, but due to hyper pigmentation you might be aware of it for the first time. That hyper pigmentation is also responsible for darker freckles and areolas.
Other skin issues are those unsightly stretch marks, appearing as dark pink or purple often, on stomach, breasts, hips, and buttocks most often. The good news, they will at least fade to a fainter hue after the baby arrives. You can try rubbing different lotions into them, but most likely the outcome will be determined by genetics not skincare.
Other skin issues include those little growths called skin tags. They might disappear after baby’s birth, or you might need the doctor to snip them off. Another skin oddity attributable to hormones is the appearance of red palms and soles.
Visit With the Obstetrician
It’s important to remember that no medication or supplement should be taken without a doctor’s OK. Things that might be thought of as benign or harmless can be quite dangerous during pregnancy. Lots of people take nutritional supplements or herbal remedies and think of them as safe because they are natural, but many things can cause miscarriage or contractions, or hurt the placenta or growing baby. Never take anything without checking first.
Preparing for Baby
If you haven’t done so already, it’s definitely time to get your maternity leave settled with your employer. Make sure you know the law, company policies, and your own preferences. Do you want to take off before the baby’s due date? Waiting for labor to begin? Are you going to take a full leave, then return to your regular schedule or will you ease back into it? Does your company have a daycare on site? Will a relative be helping out? Have you found a good nanny? Will you be using a home daycare provider or sending your child to a center? Or will you be pondering staying home more permanently? So many choices and decisions and you’ve not even met the little one yet. However, it’s important not to put off the decision-making. The longer you wait to decide, the fewer choices that will be open to you.
Pregnancy Lifestyle
The stress might be building up now as the pregnancy hormones are raging, the pregnancy is more than half over and you are obviously to the world at large, expecting a new life. Make sure you are doing the basics:
- staying well rested,
- hydrated,
- and getting some regular physical activity (as permitted.)
You might want to start practicing more involved relaxation techniques, such as breathing techniques, visualization, stretching, and listening to relaxing music. Consider it practice for when the baby arrives, to help you relax during birth.