26 Dec 2016 | 10 min Read
Sudeshna Chakravarti
Author | 799 Articles
At 23 weeks pregnant, your little one is going to have a major growth spurt and is likely to double in size in the next month or so. By this week, your baby’s face will be fully formed too, and you can notice their facial features during an ultrasound scan.
In terms of bodily and emotional changes, your pregnancy hormones may continue to go on overdrive, and you may experience a set of new pregnancy symptoms along with the ones experienced in the previous weeks. You may also experience frequent brain fog during this week, a condition better termed as “pregnancy brain”, which may make you feel hazy and forgetful.
Let’s find out more about your baby’s development and growth progress, and the common symptoms that you may experience during the 23rd week of pregnancy.
At 23 weeks of pregnancy, you are six months pregnant and will be entering the third trimester in a few weeks. This also means you have only three months to meet your little bundle of joy. By this week, your baby’s arms and legs will pack more of a punch too, and you can even see them poke through the outside.
Let’s have a look at some of the other interesting facts about your baby’s growth progress and development in the 23rd week of pregnancy.
At 23 weeks of pregnancy, your baby is the size of a large mango. They will measure about 28.9cms (11.38 inches) in length and weigh around 500.1gms (1.1lb).
If you are curious to get a deeper insight into your baby’s development and size progress each week, you can follow the posts published under the pregnancy week-by-week section by BabyChakra. These posts will give you all the details about your baby’s weekly development, common pregnancy symptoms that you may experience, and self-care tips to maintain good health.
These posts also discuss the prenatal tests and check-ups, such as ultrasound that you may need weekly during your ob-gyn appointment.
The following section discusses more about how your baby’s body develops in the 23rd week of pregnancy, and also the common growth milestones that they are set to achieve in this week.
Remember the early signs of pregnancy that you experienced? Some of the symptoms felt this week are going to be similar. Apart from that, the other common symptoms that you are likely to experience include:
In the 23rd week of pregnancy, you will continue to experience certain physical and emotional changes. These changes, however, are more rapid than the ones experienced in the first trimester. You may notice the following changes:
Physical changes:
Emotional changes:
In case you experience any other symptoms than these and feel that they aren’t typical of pregnancy, consult your doctor right away.
Will your baby’s rapid growth, your belly will appear bigger at this stage, and you can even notice occasional kicks from outside. Additionally, the frequency of your baby’s movements will now become more prominent and you will feel them wiggle throughout the day, especially at night when you are trying to sleep.
In case you are curious to know more about your baby’s activity inside the womb, and how it will change in the upcoming weeks, you can consider using the pregnancy month calculator for information.
When you are 23 weeks pregnant, you will have a routine prenatal check-up with your doctor. They will check your weight, blood pressure, and also determine the foetal heart rate using a feotoscope. The doctor may also recommend an ECG cardiac check-up to understand your cardiac health.
In addition to this, you may also have an ultrasound to get comprehensive details about foetal anatomy. However, it may not give you details about all your baby’s organs. It will just help detect any congenital abnormalities or defects in your baby.
In this section, we have discussed some essential self-care tips for the 23rd week of pregnancy that will keep you safe and comfortable.
Here’s a set of checklists for the 23rd week of pregnancy:
When you are in the 23rd week of pregnancy, you begin to practice more caution to keep yourself and your little one safe. You might also be curious to know about certain things that will help maintain your health. Some of the crucial questions to ask your doctor are:
When you are 23 weeks pregnant, you are considered six months pregnant and have only 3 months left to meet your little one. At this week, your baby will undergo a major growth spurt, and achieve certain growth milestones in the womb, such as functional reflexes and responding to your voice.
Apart from this, you may continue to experience certain unpleasant pregnancy symptoms, such as headaches, forgetfulness, swelling in your hands and legs, and bleeding gums. If any of these symptoms are felt in excess, make sure to consult your doctor right away.
Keep an eye on your baby’s movements and also practice a healthy lifestyle to ensure both you and your little one’s health.
Is my baby fully developed at 23 weeks?
At 23 weeks, your baby’s face and certain other body parts like the respiratory system are fully developed and functioning. The remaining body parts, such as the lungs continue to develop.
Are you six months pregnant at 23 weeks?
Yes. You are considered six months pregnant at 23 weeks.
What should I feel at 23 weeks of pregnancy?
You may feel an increase in your baby’s kicks and movements. You may also experience common pregnancy symptoms like backache, swelling, bleeding gums, and headaches.
Can my baby feel my touch at 23 weeks?
Your baby starts to feel sensations starting weeks 23-26, and they can feel your touch at any point during this time.
Does rubbing my belly comfort the baby?
Yes, rubbing, patting, and touching your belly can soothe your baby.
Can I lay on my back when pregnant?
You should avoid sleeping on your back starting the 18th week of pregnancy. Instead, sleep on your side and use maternity pillows to support your back and legs and offer comfort.
Ovulation calculator: Check out this post to know why you should be using an ovulation calculator while planning your pregnancy.
24 weeks pregnancy symptoms: Are you 24 weeks pregnant? Click on this post to know the common symptoms that you might experience during this time.
Featured image: Freepik.com
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Suggestions offered by doctors on BabyChakra are of advisory nature i.e., for educational and informational purposes only. Content posted on, created for, or compiled by BabyChakra is not intended or designed to replace your doctor's independent judgment about any symptom, condition, or the appropriateness or risks of a procedure or treatment for a given person.