You have reached 23 weeks of your pregnancy, a very special place on your road to motherhood. It is a time to feel more connected to your baby and an awareness of beautiful changes taking place within you. Every week brings new experiences, feelings, small milestones all to relish. As your body adjusts to new challenges, do keep your eyes peeled, look after yourself and love and savor every moment to the fullest. In this blog, we will walk you through what to expect this week from how your baby is growing to simple care tips that help you feel your best during this stage of pregnancy.
Your Baby At 23 Weeks Pregnant
Your 23 weeks pregnant baby is growing fast and becoming more active each day. From this week on, you may start to see and feel those tiny kicks and stretches — a wonderful sign that your baby is getting stronger. Your baby is now about 28.9 cm long from head to heel, roughly the size of a large mango, and continues to gain weight steadily. Their arms and legs are now perfectly in proportion, giving them that familiar newborn shape. In the coming weeks, you will likely feel more defined kicks, rolls, and wiggles, sometimes even visible as gentle ripples on your tummy! While it might look a bit strange at first, it is a magical reminder that your little one is thriving inside you.
Tip: Start noticing your baby’s movement patterns. If the kicking slows down significantly, it’s always a good idea to check with your midwife or doctor.
Developing Features
Your baby keeps filling out and gaining fat leading to skin that looks smoother. A fine layer of hair known as lanugo still covers their body, and around this period, it may darken, making it look more pronounced on an ultrasound scan.
Your little one is also growing to more resemble a newborn each week, with rounder cheeks, clearer facial features, and coordinated limb movements.
• Rapid eye movements are the start of early practice for seeing the world after the baby has been born.
• Ridges develop on their palms and soles, forming the basis for distinct fingerprints and footprints.
• Lungs begin to produce surfactant, a key substance that helps air sacs puff up and that stops them from sticking together after one takes a breath.
Your Body At 23 Weeks Pregnant
By the 23rd week of pregnancy, your baby bump becomes beautifully visible and it’s often the time when others start noticing your pregnancy glow!
Your belly now measures about 1.5 inches above your belly button, showing how your uterus is steadily expanding to make space for your growing baby. By this stage, most moms-to-be have gained around 5.4 to 6.8 kilograms, which is perfectly normal for mid-pregnancy.
If you would like to make sure your weight gain and uterine growth are on track, it’s always best to check in with your gynecologist during your prenatal visits. Every pregnancy is unique, and your doctor can reassure you that everything is progressing well.
Common Symptoms You May Notice
As your baby continues to grow and your body adapts, you might experience a few physical changes. Most of these are normal, but knowing what to expect can help you feel more at ease.
- Tiredness and sleeping problems
- Stretch marks
- Swollen and bleeding gums
- Pains on the sides of your baby bump (round ligament pain)
- Piles (haemorrhoids)
- Headaches
- Backache
- Nosebleeds
- Indigestion and heartburn
- Bloating and constipation
- Leg cramps
- Feeling hot
- Dizziness
- Swollen hands and feet
- Urine infections
- Vaginal infections
- Darkened skin or brown patches on the face (chloasma or “mask of pregnancy”)
- Greasier, spotty skin
- Thicker and shinier hair
Quick Tips for Better Pregnancy
As your pregnancy progresses, your body works harder to support both you and your growing baby. Check out these simple tips to stay healthy and hydrated throughout this phase.
Drinking plenty of fluids, especially water, is very important during pregnancy. Besides water, you can have vegetable juice, fruit juice, milk, and some herbal teas.
Avoid coffee and sodas because their caffeine content can cause dehydration. These drinks act as diuretics, meaning they make your body lose more fluids.
A good sign of proper hydration is pale yellow or clear urine. If your urine is dark yellow, it means you need more water.
Staying well-hydrated can help prevent:
- Headaches
- Uterine cramping
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Swelling
Conclusion:
As you move through 23 weeks of pregnancy, take a moment to appreciate how far you’ve come. Your baby is growing stronger each day, and your body is doing an incredible job nurturing this new life within you.
It’s completely normal to experience a few aches, changes, and emotional shifts along the way they’re all signs of your body beautifully adapting to motherhood. Remember to stay hydrated, eat nourishing foods, rest when you need to, and keep track of your baby’s movements.
