Twenty-third week of pregnancy

At 23 weeks of pregnancy, you may start to have some occasional contractions. Your little one is very active and the dad-to-be may finally be able to hear him.

Weight and length at 23rd week

 

How many months is 23 weeks pregnant?

The 23rd ^week  marks the beginning of the sixth month of gestation. To know the exact correspondence between months and weeks of pregnancy you can use our conversion table.

23rd ^week : frequent symptoms

• Cravings
• black line
• Backache
• Occasional contractions (hard belly)
• Round ligament pain
• Gum bleeding

How your body changes

Password: slow down!

The uterus continues to expand and begins to put more pressure on the internal organs. As a result, your diaphragm may have less room to expand, making your breath somewhat tighter . The weight of your belly and the increased curvature of your spine could also cause or worsen back pain . Try to slow down and face daily tasks more calmly. Furthermore, when you’re sitting, pay attention to your posture: keeping your back straight will improve the quality of your breath and relieve lumbar pain.

False contractions

After intercourse or when your baby is moving very vigorously, you may feel your tummy harden for a few seconds and then relax. Don’t worry: this is not the onset of labor, but the so-called Braxton Hicks contractions . Unlike actual contractions, these spasms aren’t painful or regular  , and they help your body prepare for delivery. Sometimes they can also appear when your bladder is too full or when you are dehydrated , so try not to ignore the urge to urinate and drink enough .

An increasingly real presence

Visits to the gynecologist or midwife continue , who will check the position of the baby and the size of the uterus. Do you have hundreds of questions and thousands of concerns? Take advantage of the visit to get all possible clarifications. These days your little one moves a lot and from this week the future dad and the other family members could also start to feel it. His presence thus becomes ever more concrete and real .

How the child grows

It is about 28 centimeters long , the size of a grapefruit , and weighs about 470 grams .

A touch of colour

At the 23rd ^week of pregnancy, your baby now looks like a newborn, even if it is still very thin and wrinkled due to the low accumulation of subcutaneous fat. 

Melanin is starting to deposit inside the skin , a colored substance that will serve to  protect it from sunburn . The amount of melanin produced depends on the genetic heritage and determines the color of the baby’s skin , as well as its eyes and hair .

The first poo

Your baby continues its preparations for life outside the womb: it continues to drink large quantities of amniotic fluid and its digestive system is mature enough to absorb the nutrients.

Meconium has started to accumulate in the intestine , a viscous and greenish substance which will represent your baby’s first poo and which in most cases will be eliminated around 24 hours after birth : are you ready for the first diaper change?

A healthy and varied diet

The placenta continues to supply oxygen and nourishment to your little one and takes care of eliminating waste substances. Meanwhile, the  pancreas has started producing insulin , the hormone that regulates the amount of sugar in the blood. For this reason, try not to overdo it with sweets , so as not to overload your child’s metabolism. More generally, follow a healthy diet , vary your foods often and eat lots of fruit and vegetables : remember that  taste education begins in your mother’s belly. 

Do you know that…

Even if the melanin -producing cells have started to activate, it will take a few years for them to be able to function at full capacity. This is why, in the first years of life, it will be important to protect your baby’s skin (with clothes, hats and sunscreen) and avoid exposing him directly to sunlight during the hottest hours of the day.

For the dad

Starting this week, you too should finally be able to feel your child’s movements . Try stroking your partner’s tummy and talking to him: your little one will learn to recognize your voice and will get a feeling of calm and tranquillity .

Checks and exams to do

Click here to see the tests you can take for free between the 20th and 24th week of gestation

The advice of the 23rd ^week   of pregnancy

• In case of gum problems or pain in one or more teeth , don’t be afraid to make an appointment with your trusted dentist . Most dental treatments (including local anesthesia) can be done safely during pregnancy and the second trimester is the best time to get treatment.

• Prenatal gymnastics can be very useful for preventing back pain: activities such as stretching , yoga, pilates and above all swimming will help you strengthen your back muscles and improve your posture .

• To improve your breathing and counteract the feeling of “shortness of breath” caused by the enlarged uterus, you can try the following exercise.

Relaxation exercise

Lie down and close your eyes. She places her hands on her belly and inhales slowly through her nose. She focuses her attention on her belly, which inflates like a balloon when you inhale and deflates when you exhale, slowly letting the air out through your nose. Repeat one, two, three, four times.