Pregnancy Week 23
 How big is your baby?
The measurement is now at around 11.38 inches (28.9cm) and your baby is now weighing approximately
1.10 pounds (501g).
How big are you?
Your uterus should now be about 1.18 inches (3cm) above your bellybutton and about
9.05 inches (23cm) above your pubic symphysis this week.
Your total weight gain at this stage of your pregnancy should by now be about 12 to 15 pounds (5.5kg-6.8kg)
How is your baby developing and growing
Your baby's body will start getting plumper and wrinkled and any lanugo hair may start to turn darker at this time. His/Her eyebrows and eyelids are well formed by now.
Over the next month your baby is going to gain considerable weight, and will be
weighing almost double what it is at the moment.
The three bones which make up your babys middle ear - the hammer, anvil and
stirrup - are all starting to harden, this means that sound transmission is now
possible. Although your baby may be able to transmit sound, there is no way of
knowing if your baby is able to interpret this sound at this point (although the brain is
developing rapidly, it may still be too immature to deal with the sounds).
The important organs which your baby uses to produce hormones are developing nicely. One hormone in particular, insulin, is being produced by the pancreas. Insulin helps your baby break down and use sugar. When a baby is exposed to high blood sugar levels the pancreas will respond by increasing the blood-insulin level.
Changes In You
At this point in your pregnancy some of your friends and family may say you look like you are carrying twins and others may say you are way too small for how far along you are. You need not concern yourself with what they are saying - remember every pregnancy is different and babies grow at different rates.
Your healthcare provider will be measuring you and weighing you at every visit and he/she will be the first to pick up on any problems. Keep your
weight gain steady and all should be fine.
Two of the side affects of the rapid growth your baby is making is round ligament
pain and sciatic
nerve pain. Round ligament pain is caused by the stretching of the ligaments
which support the uterus, while sciatic nerve pain is caused by pressure being
place on the sciatic nerve. Both of these are a result of your growing uterus
and baby.
Your Nutrition
Protein plays an important part in your pregnancy and development of your baby. It is important that
during the
second and third trimesters that you ensure your intake of protein in your
diet is meeting your requirements. You should be aiming to get in 75g of
protein a day, and there are a wide variety of
protein sources to help you do this.
One nutritional intake you may need to watch during your pregnancy is your sodium (salt). Should you consume too much sodium, it may cause you to retain water, which in turn will lead to
swelling, bloating and discomfort.
Foods to avoid which contain lots of sodium include: pickles, potato chips and salted nuts.
Visit our Media Center for pictures of your growing baby
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