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.
Personalized Pregnancy Week by Week Calendar
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I am 23 weeks tomorrow n have gained 13 lbs. seems like too much weight already :/ this is my 3rd baby n my 3rd boy. very excited to see him but have a lot of worries. dont have a name picked yet because wasnt sure he'd still be in there thanks to multiple er visits but hes here n happy god has blessed us this pregnancy has been the hardest n felt like ive been on my death bed but feelin way better now. hope it continues. e.d.d is 10/19/13, congrats to everyone
I'am 23weeks and four days today. im having a girl this will be my third girl. was hoping for a boy so my son would have a playmate. but thankful that we are both healthy can't wait till 9-29-13
I am 23 weeks pregnant as of today. my husband and i are expecting our second child and also it will be our second little girl. we really wanted to try for a boy but my daughter who is going to be 3 this july said that it was going to be a girl before we found out that it was a girl and now she is super excited i am letting her make choices for her and her sisters bedroom. i cant wait to have both my girls with me all the time.
I'm very excited this time around i'm am 23 weeks today i'm having a boy something my husband and i worked for i thank god every time i have good from the docs i have no living children besides him i have had 5 losses this is so different i'm very happy im praying for everyone on this site good luck and god bless his name is zion e.d.d 08/08/13 also they have me on p shots really working well
Congratulations hun, sorry to hear ur loss, hope all goes well with the birth of ur son my e.d.d is 13/8/13 a baby girl :)
I am 23 weeks pregnant and we are expecting a baby girl, so excited ! my due date is july 2,2013. i just went to the doctor though and they told me my baby measurements were of a 28 week and 6 day baby and my due date would be may 16, 2013. later another doctor came and measured my stomach and felt for the baby and said there is no way you can be 28 weeks. also, they said that my babies weight was 3 pounds already. uggh so confusing, i been waiting for almost 2 weeks so they can let me know my exact due date. its just so complicated not knowing my due date, and too top it all off a have a really bad cough. i just can't wait tell my baby girl gets to be in my arms !
23 weeks and i'm having a boi this is my 1st child and can't wait to have him i'm so inlove with all his kicks and hiccups but i keep getting this tighting pain starting from my ribs all the way down and they hurt so bad so bad that they take my breath away and i find my self bending over like i'm going into labour after 5 mins they go why am i getting this i can't see my midwife or doctor till next week i did say about them before when i was 18 weeks and she said its bh contractions but if they are bh why am i getting them my family as got a lot of stillborns in the family my mum lost a boi at birth and so did my brothers girl friend not to say my husband prev girlfriend ad a still born to i'm so scared somethink wrong do any 1 else get this p.s i still get morning sickness most day so not sure if this could have somethink to do with it xx congrats on all the ladys who's add they babys and who will soon be a new mummy gudluk xx my god be with u xx
Iam 23weeks and this lil boy put me threw alot my due day is.may 11 i got a long way to go me and my baby girl and husband is ready to see him
I am due may 15th and my son doesn't seem to make me achy or sickly at all i feel wonderful for 22 weeks.!.!.
Feeling pretty good. just very blessed after 2 miscarriages, i'm 37yrs old and baby is doing good. baby will be 10 yrs apart from my son and 15 yrs apart from my daughter. so strange feel like i have to learn everything all over again.
Ibad it is right now cuz i am also dealing wthkidney stones so im in a lot of pain. weight wise i feel huge at 168lbs, but doctors andnurses say im reallyquite smll my pre-pregnancy normal weight is about 138 so i dont care what theysayi feel fat lol
I'm 23 weeks today and so far packed on over 20 lbs. wow. but its all belly. i started out about 155 but i'm also very tall. my boy makes me real hungry! i will be talking with my doc about how to maintain and not gain too much. e feel great though and have not felt sick once. lucky in that way i guess. maybe that's why i have gain so much..never puked
Im 23 weeks today and i went for wic yesterday and they told me i weigh 141, theres no way i weigh 141 i was 123 before i got pregnant.. i think it was beause i had on really heavy sweatpants, a sweatshirt, boots and i had to pee really bad.
I'm 23weeks with twin boys i'm in pain all the time
I am also 23 weeks preg. with my 7th baby i have 6 girls and am very happy t say this one is a boy so excited how dif. this will b.good luck everyone
I found out that i was having a boy, about a week ago at my ultrasound...i was hoping for a girl but i know we'll love the baby boy all the same. his name is going to be ryan. he seems to get active during the night and evening hours, and sometimes ater lunch around 1-2 in the afternoon. i love feeling him kick, i do feel fat. but i've only gained 7.8 pounds since before i got pregnant. and i'm definately not looking forward to the rest of the weight gain, i wont be able to get rid of after ryan is born. i'm also retty scared of giving birth, and all the bleeding that comes along with it, im really worried about how sex will be for my boyfriend, after he is born too...any advice from "not new" moms???
This is baby #3 for me! when the baby is born it will be 2 months shy of 7yrs for a newborn in our home... we are 23 weeks today and very excited! i have gained only 6 lbs and feeling very energetic. thanking god every day for our new blessing!!!
I'm 23 wks with my 3rd and have gained 12 lbs and ob says thats great gaining gradual is best!! best of luck all & congrat's
Im 23 weeks pregnant with my baby girl im so happy god have blessin me to have heatlhy baby and my mom and my babys dad they are helpin me have a bless dayy
Wow... i feel fat lol. i went from 113 lbs to 130 and im now 23 weeks and 1 day. lol they say that's the perfect weight gain though. but idk.
I think i am 23 weeks as of 2morrow see my first dr. visit was friday due to i get cramps and bad preasure below like if it time to push, this been happening for the past 2 month r so now n plus every month i stll gets my cycle for 2 r 3 days, but i can feel gods blessing moving in me and at nites i cant sleep. dr said that i must do a sonogram this week, some days i look big and someday u cant tell at all is this normal? so i ask all mothers to keep us in your prayers this is a test of my faith with god, i trust him everyday.
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Am 23 weeks to day feeling so great having a boy, after 2 miscariages,l feel so bblessed. praying for all the new mom in the house
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