fetal development, height and weight, woman’s sensations

23 obstetric week is 21 weeks from conception. If you count as ordinary months, then now you are at the beginning of the sixth month of waiting for the baby.

By the 23rd week, the uterus is already raised by 3.75 cm above the navel, and its height on the pubic symphysis is 23 cm.By this moment, the figure of the expectant mother has already noticeably rounded, weight gain should be between 5 and 6.7 kg…

The content of the article:

Feelings of a woman in the 23rd week

Week 23 is a rather favorable period for almost all pregnant women. In most cases, women do well. When this week goes on, almost all of the woman’s sensations are focused on the baby, because now she constantly feels him.

Most often, at 23 weeks, women experience the following sensations:

• Braxton Hicks contractions… In principle, they may not yet exist, but this is a very common occurrence. Contractions appear in the form of light spasms in the uterus, do not worry, they are part of her preparation for future childbirth. If you put your hand on your abdominal wall, you can feel previously unfamiliar muscle contractions. It is the muscles of your uterus that are trying their hand. In the future, such contractions may begin to intensify. However, do not confuse Braxton Hicks contractions with actual labor pains;
• Weight increases markedly… The fact is that your uterus continues to grow, along with it the placenta increases and the volume of amniotic fluid increases. Some people you know may notice that your belly has grown too much and assume that you will have twins. Or, perhaps, you will be told that your belly is too small for such a period. The main thing is not to panic, all children develop in different ways, so you shouldn’t listen to anyone, you, most likely, are all right;
• Pain when uncomfortable body position… At this time, the baby is already kicking very noticeably, sometimes he can hiccup and change his position in the uterus at least 5 times a day. Because of this, you may be bothered by pulling pain. Also, it can be sharp, manifests itself on the sides of the uterus and arises from the tension of its ligaments. The pain quickly disappears when the position of the body is changed, and the uterus remains relaxed and soft with it. Some women, as early as 23 weeks, may experience pain in the symphysis area, bone fusion of the pelvis in the bosom area, and gait may also slightly change due to the divergence of the pelvic bones before future childbirth;
• Feeling of heaviness in the legs, pain may appear. You may notice that your old shoes have become a bit cramped for you, this is quite normal. Due to the increase in weight and due to sprains of the ligaments, the foot begins to lengthen, static flat feet develops. Special insoles for pregnant women and comfortable, stable shoes will help you cope with this problem;
• Varicose veins may appear… It is by the 23rd week that such an unpleasant phenomenon as varicose veins can appear. This is due to the fact that the wall of the veins relaxes under the influence of hormones, and the uterus, in turn, disrupts the outflow of blood through the veins due to compression of the veins of the small pelvis;
• Probably the appearance of hemorrhoids… By this time, it can manifest itself along with constipation. Pain in the rectal area, prolapse of nodes, bleeding will be characteristic. Do not self-medicate under any circumstances! Hemorrhoids in pregnant women can only be cured by a specialist, this is a very difficult task;
• Skin is sensitive to ultraviolet light… Due to the high levels of hormones, you should be careful while in the sun. If you are going to sunbathe now, it may end up with age spots;
• Pigmentation appears… Your nipples have darkened, a dark stripe has appeared on your tummy from the navel down, and now it is already quite bright;
• Disturbed by nausea… Its cause lies in the fact that the enlarged uterus compresses the biliary tract and interferes with normal digestion. If you feel nauseous after eating, try to get into a knee-elbow position, it will feel a little easier. It should be noted that this posture also benefits your kidneys. Thus, the outflow of urine is improved.

Fetal development at 23 weeks

By the twenty-third week the child’s weight is about 520 grams, the height is 28-30 centimeters. Further, the longer the period, the weight and height of the child will vary within very large limits, and the more significantly the children will differ from each other. As a result, by delivery, the weight of the fetus in some women can be 2500 grams, while in others 4500 grams. And all this is within the normal range.

In the twenty-third week, literally all women already feel the movement… These are very palpable tremors, sometimes hiccups, which will feel like rhythmic shuddering in the stomach. At 23 weeks, the fetus can still move quite freely in the uterus. However, his somersaults can cause you significant discomfort. You can clearly feel the heels and elbows.

By 23 weeks, your baby will also experience the following changes:

• Fat build-up begins… Regardless, so far your little one looks wrinkled and red. The reason is that the skin forms much faster than sufficient fat deposits can form under it. It is because of this that the child’s skin is a little saggy. Redness, in turn, is a consequence of the accumulation of pigments in the skin. They make it less transparent;
• The fetus is more active… As mentioned above, every week your baby becomes more energetic, although he is still pushed very gently. With an endoscopy of the fetus at this time, you can see how the child pushes into the water membrane and grabs the umbilical cord with the handles;
• Digestive system is well developed… The baby continues to swallow small amounts of amniotic fluid. At 23 weeks, the baby can swallow up to 500 ml of it. He removes it from the body in the form of urine. Since the amniotic fluid contains scales of the epidermis, particles of protective lubricant, vellus hair, the child periodically swallows them along with the waters. The liquid part of the amniotic fluid is absorbed into the bloodstream, and a dark olive-colored substance called meconium remains in the intestines. Meconium is formed from the second half, but is normally secreted only after birth;
• The baby’s central nervous system develops… At this time, with the help of devices, it is already possible to register the activity of the brain, which is similar to that in children born and even in adults. Also, at 23 weeks, the child can dream;
• Eyes have already opened… Now the baby sees light and darkness and can react to them. The child already hears very well, he reacts to a variety of sounds, increases his activity with sharp noises and calms down with gentle conversation and stroking his tummy.

Photo of the fetus, photo of the woman’s abdomen, ultrasound and video for a period of 23 weeks

Belly photo at 23 weeks

Video: What happens in the 23rd week of pregnancy?

4D ultrasound at 23 weeks – video

Recommendations and advice for the expectant mother

At the 23rd week, you must definitely do an ultrasoundif this was not done by you two weeks ago. Remember that if you do not pass this test now, then later it will be much more difficult to identify any fetal pathologies, if any. Naturally, you need to be in the fresh air more often, eat properly and balanced, follow all the recommendations of your doctor.

• Visit the antenatal clinic every two weeks… At the reception, the perinatologist will assess the development, track the dynamics of the increase in the volume of the abdomen and the height of the fundus of the uterus. Of course, measurements are taken of the blood pressure and weight of the expectant mother, as well as the fetal heart rate. At each such appointment, the doctor examines the results of a general urine test of a pregnant woman, which she must take on the eve of the appointment;
• Move more, do not spend long time in a sitting position… If you still need to sit for a long time, for example, at the workplace, but get up from time to time, you can walk a little. You can also put a small bench under your feet, and for the workplace you need to choose a chair with a solid seat, a straight back and handrails. All these measures are aimed at avoiding congestion in the legs and pelvis;
• To prevent the development of hemorrhoids, include in your diet foods that are rich in coarse fiber, try to consume enough fluids and vitamins. In addition, it will be useful to lie down on your side several times during the day and rest in order to relieve the veins in the pelvic region;
• Nutrition should take into account the tendency to heartburn and nausea, constipation… Try to eat as often as possible, avoid foods that can cause constipation and increase juice secretion. If you gain weight easily by 23 weeks, then be as careful as possible;
• Sex is becoming more and more restrictive. By the 23rd week, you are no longer as active as before, the choice of postures becomes more and more limited, some caution and foresight is required. However, intercourse will benefit you. A woman needs to get an orgasm, and therefore positive emotions, which will undoubtedly affect the future baby.

Reviews on forums and social networks

Judging by the reviews that future moms leave on various forums, then you can see a certain pattern. As a rule, women who are at this time, most of all else in their position, are worried about movements, or “shawls”, as many mothers affectionately call them. By the twenty-third week, every lucky woman experiences this wonderful phenomenon several times a day, connecting future dads to this joy.

Some by 23 weeks have already experienced contractions according to Braxton Hicks and consulted a doctor about what it is and what it is eaten with. I would advise you to also talk about this with your doctor if you have already had to experience them. The fact is that many mothers, having read on the Internet and in various books, that this is a completely normal phenomenon, do not tell doctors about this and do not cause any panic. But you still need to talk about it, because inadvertently these contractions can be confused with generic ones.

Varicose veins are still a known problem. Again, everyone cope with it in different ways, but in principle, you just need to try to get more rest and wear the most comfortable shoes.

After reading some of the reviews of expectant mothers at week 23, you can make sure that the thoughts of women are now only occupied by the baby.

Katia:

We have just started the 23rd week. My baby is still a little too calm. In the morning I only feel subtle tremors. It worries me a little, although overall I feel great. I will go for an ultrasound scan only in a week.

Julia:

We are 23 weeks old. I gained about 7 kg. I’m really drawn to sweets, it’s just some kind of nightmare! I don’t know how to control myself. Throw out all the sweets from the house! Before pregnancy, there was no such love for sweets, but now …

Kseniya:

We also have 23 weeks. The ultrasound scan is only in a few days, so I don’t know yet who we are waiting for. The baby kicks very hard, especially when I go to bed. By this time I gained 6 kg. The toxicosis was very strong and at first I was with 5 kg. Now I feel very well.

Nastya:

We have 23 weeks. I gained weight 8 kilograms, now it’s even scary to go to the doctor. Ultrasound showed that there will be a boy, we were very happy about that. And about weight, by the way, my mother-in-law told me that with the first child she was limited in everything and she gave birth to a baby with a small weight, and then with the second she ate what she wanted and did not limit herself at all, well, in moderation, of course. Her butuzik was born. So I will not go on any diets.

Olya:

I have 23 weeks. Was on ultrasound, we are waiting for my son. The husband is incredibly happy! Now there is a problem with the name, we can’t come to an agreement in any way. I have already gained 6 kg, the doctor says that this is quite normal. The kid weighs 461 grams, kicks with might and main, especially in the evenings and at night.

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