In the 23rd week of pregnancy, your baby continues to grow and moves significantly more. It can now control its movements and sometimes already reaches for the umbilical cord. At the same time, you as the expectant mother are also gaining weight. You will surely also notice in pregnancy week 23 that your belly is now growing faster and becoming rounder.
In our pregnancy calendar, you can find out how your baby is developing in pregnancy week 23, how heavy it is, and how its size is changing. At the same time, we summarize how you are doing in the 23rd week of your pregnancy and which symptoms are typical. In doing so, we show you how the automatic baby hammock from swing2sleep gently helps your baby to sleep.
How your baby develops in the 23rd week of pregnancy
In pregnancy week 23, your baby is developing rapidly and is growing more and more into a little human being. An important milestone awaits this week: your baby's auditory ossicles are becoming harder. As a result, your unborn baby can already hear.
It first perceives your heartbeat and your blood flow, which it can hear clearly. It can get quite loud in your belly due to the numerous noises in your body. At the same time, your baby is now also hearing the first sounds that originate outside your belly. In particular, your baby perceives low tones better than higher tones this week.
In pregnancy week 23, your baby also perceives your voice. It penetrates through your body via bone conduction and thus reaches your baby. If you want to sing something to your baby now or talk to it, it can already hear you.
This week, your baby's pancreas is also developing. It produces important hormones and is responsible for your baby's sugar metabolism. In the ultrasound, your baby's movements can also already be seen. Every now and then, you might also notice a small kick in your belly.
Size and weight in the 23rd week of pregnancy
In pregnancy week 23, your baby has already reached a considerable size. It currently measures 28 to 30 centimeters. This makes it roughly the size of an eggplant or a savoy cabbage. Currently, your baby's size is still measured from crown to heel. Soon this will no longer be possible when your baby changes its position and curls up. Then the femur length will be used as the basis for the size calculation.
Your baby currently has a weight of around 450 grams. This number can vary from baby to baby, as these are guide values. Some babies are heavier and larger, while others are rather small and delicate. As long as your baby's development is normal, you should not worry about minor deviations.
For many pregnant women, it helps to distract themselves from their worries with preparations. So that your baby can sleep restfully after birth, it needs a suitable cradle. We recommend our innovative automatic baby hammock, which functions as a sleep aid and gently rocks your baby to sleep. This makes falling asleep easier and your baby can sleep through better.
How the expectant mother is doing in the 23rd week of pregnancy
If you are pregnant in pregnancy week 23, an important milestone may await you. Your belly is now clearly visible: many expectant mothers only then truly realize that a baby is growing inside them. Enjoy this feeling and the excitement associated with it to the fullest.
You may already be thinking a lot about the birth. If this is your first pregnancy, you don't know what to expect. This makes many pregnant women nervous and anxious. It is best to already consider in pregnancy week 23 where you want to give birth and whether you want a natural birth. Talk to your midwife to clarify uncertainties and questions.
It might also help you if you already take a first look at the individual birthing positions. Whether you want to give birth lying down, standing up, or in the tub is your personal decision. In the coming weeks, you will have enough time to deal with these thoughts.
If you are worried about a premature birth, you should discuss this with your doctor. The chance of survival for your baby now increases with every week: its organs are developing rapidly and it is growing. The baby's development is so far advanced between the 23rd and 25th week of pregnancy that it could survive even in the event of a premature birth thanks to modern medicine.
Typical symptoms in pregnancy week 23
In pregnancy week 23, you are in the sixth month of your pregnancy. The second trimester is slowly coming to an end: in pregnancy week 25, i.e. in two weeks, you will reach the third and final trimester of your pregnancy. Various symptoms are also noticeable in the current week of your pregnancy.
You may be suffering from iron deficiency – many pregnant women are affected by this. You may have also had too little iron in your blood even before your pregnancy. In 20 percent of all pregnant women, anemia even develops during pregnancy, which is caused by the iron deficiency. The consequences of iron deficiency are dizziness, increased fatigue, and a feeling of weakness. Especially when standing up quickly, your blood pressure can drop and you feel dizzy.
It is also possible that you perceive increased itching. This is not uncommon, especially on the belly, because the skin continues to stretch, which can lead to itching. Special oils and creams can alleviate the itching.
In addition, many pregnant women feel an increasing sense of fatigue and lack of energy from the 23rd week of pregnancy. This can be due not only to an iron deficiency, but also to the hard work your body is currently doing.
You will probably also notice weight gain in pregnancy week 23. In this phase of your pregnancy, you gain 250 to 300 grams per week. Your gynecologist will check and record your weight during the prenatal appointments. This ensures that you and the fetus are doing well.
Several months will pass until the birth. Nevertheless, you surely already want to prepare everything for your baby's arrival. With the automatic baby hammock from swing2sleep, you offer it a particularly secure sleeping place. Your baby sleeps in a cozy hammock and is protected there from light and noise. It lies tightly enclosed in the hammock as if in the womb.
What you should consider in pregnancy week 23
As your pregnancy progresses, a lot changes for you. Your belly is getting bigger and will soon restrict you in everyday life. At the same time, your urge to urinate is steadily increasing as your baby's weight presses on your bladder.
We therefore summarize for you what you should consider in pregnancy week 23:
Pay attention to your diet:
You should eat a balanced diet to provide your body with all the important nutrients. Excessive weight gain is not good for either you or your baby. Therefore, make sure to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and get enough exercise.
Avoid heavy exertion:
You should avoid heavy exertion in pregnancy week 23. Do not carry heavy groceries and take it slower in everyday life. You should also avoid long hikes or other strenuous activities.
Involve your partner:
As an expectant mother, you feel the baby's movements and notice how your baby continues to develop. Try to involve your partner and experience as much as possible together. A pregnancy should be an event that you go through together.
Have your iron level checked:
If you often feel tired and listless, you should talk to your doctor. He can determine your iron level and check whether there is a deficiency. It may also help you to eat an iron-rich diet. Otherwise, your doctor will probably prescribe an iron supplement.
Talk to your baby:
Your baby can already hear your voice now. Therefore, you should talk to your baby a lot in pregnancy week 23. You can also sing to it: babies remember not only voices but also melodies after birth.
Your baby is growing faster and faster and continues to develop from week to week. Even if some time will pass until the birth, you should already take it easy and take particularly good care of yourself.
Automatic baby hammock from swing2sleep: recommended by midwives & osteopaths
The automatic baby hammock from swing2sleep is an intelligent sleep aid for your baby. It has already convinced more than 170,000 families and has become an indispensable part of many nurseries.
You place your baby in the hammock: there it lies safely and tightly enclosed. It already knows this feeling from your belly and therefore feels particularly comfortable. This makes it easier for it to fall asleep and it can sleep through better.
The automatic baby hammock is intelligent: the motor adjusts the intensity of the rocking to the baby's movements. If your baby is about to wake up, the motor can rock it back to sleep. You can control the automatic baby hammock via app and also receive push notifications. Thanks to its unique function, our stress-reducing automatic baby hammock is recommended by midwives and osteopaths.
