23 weeks what is the stage of pregnancy. External factors of fetal development. Your baby's development

21.02.2019

A gestation period of 23 weeks is 21 obstetric weeks (from conception), that is, the age of the child is 21 weeks. If we count how many months the 23rd week is, then lunar calendar Now is the end of the 6th month, and if we consider ordinary months, then it’s just the beginning.

From 23 to 24 weeks comes beautiful time to feel fully pregnant. Now all the sensations of the expectant mother are focused on the child, since she constantly feels his movements and already knows that the baby can hear her.

Mother's feelings at 23-24 weeks of pregnancy

At 23-24 weeks of the cycle, a woman begins to feel the beauty of her situation. Right now, every day you can stroke your tummy, talk to it and enjoy your pregnancy. The abdomen has noticeably risen above the navel, the fundus of the uterus rises 21-25 cm above the womb. The fetal movements have become more noticeable, it even sometimes hiccups and can change its position several times a day.

The expectant mother may have the following reasons for concern:

  • When your stomach hurts and pulls sudden movements or uncomfortable position;
  • When excess weight appears, which occurs not only from overeating, but also from the appearance of late gestosis. Also, excess weight, the increase of which occurs sharply, can symbolize polyhydramnios;
  • When copious discharge appears: curdled, bloody, with an unpleasant odor.

At 23-24 weeks of the cycle, a woman’s appearance changes to better side, hair becomes thicker, skin becomes clearer, which is associated with the production of the hormone progesterone. A pregnant woman becomes sensitive to ultraviolet light, which causes increased pigmentation when exposed to the sun. Signs of this period are expressed in pigmentation of the skin and nipples, and a dark stripe appears that vertically crosses the mother’s belly.

At the beginning of this cycle, many pregnant women show signs of toxicosis, which is due to an increase in the size of the uterus, which compresses the bile ducts, disrupting normal digestion. Therefore, meals during this period of the cycle should be fractional and dietary. Expectant mothers should eat foods that do not cause increased stomach acidity and constipation. The diet must be balanced, that is, the woman must calculate in advance how many and what foods can be consumed per day and strictly follow these instructions.

Belly at 23-24 weeks of the cycle

At six months, the belly increases almost every day and rises 3-4 cm above the navel. The stomach does not really interfere with fastening shoes and sleeping, as many mothers who visit the forum write. Only mothers who are having twins complain about the inconvenience, since their belly is already of decent size. Weight gain and an expanding belly cause insomnia, so you should sleep on your left side with your knees slightly bent. It is in this position that the fetus takes the optimal position, and the weight of the uterus does not interfere with placental blood circulation.

Baby at 23-24 weeks of cycle

A period of 6 months indicates that fetal movements are felt more strongly, which is facilitated by its increasing weight and activity. Also, at 23-24 weeks of pregnancy, rhythmic tremors appear, which from time to time bother the stomach. These are signs of hiccups that mislead many expectant mothers who visit a forum or an obstetrician-gynecologist in search of an answer. At 6 months of pregnancy, the fetus is less active, since there is not so much space in the uterine cavity. Therefore, women clearly feel the baby’s movements, which sometimes even bring discomfort.

The baby's size ranges from 28 to 30 cm and weighs approximately 520 grams. The height and weight of the fetus can vary significantly, which is influenced by genetic predisposition, maternal nutrition, and the presence of concomitant diseases. If a pregnant woman has twins, the size and weight of each fetus may also differ from one another. The following indicators during childbirth are considered normal: the child’s height is 45-48 cm or more, weight is 2500-4500 kg.

The fetus at 23-24 weeks of the cycle wakes up once an hour, and the rest of the time it sleeps, gaining strength. Between 23 and 24 weeks, there should be at least 10 noticeable kicks per day. If a woman has twins, then there should be more movements in the tummy, but in this case the diet should not be increased, but it is best to consult with an obstetrician-gynecologist about how much and what foods should be consumed per day. Otherwise, weight gain may occur, which will negatively affect the health of the fetus and mother.

Twins

The period of 23-24 weeks for those who will have twins is already a difficult period, since the belly has significantly increased in size, misleading friends. The belly is growing by leaps and bounds, since twins are two fetuses that grow and develop, gaining weight every day. Using an ultrasound at 6 months of pregnancy, you can determine how much each fetus weighs.

An obstetrician-gynecologist prescribes weekly examinations at 6 months for expectant mothers with twins. This is due to the fact that twins require special attention from a specialist. It is especially important to keep an eye on the following points:

  1. Discharge;
  2. Women's nutrition;
  3. Ultrasound indicators;
  4. Signs of premature birth;
  5. Polyhydramnios;
  6. Weight gain;
  7. Movements.

Twins also require additional ultrasound, with which possible pathologies can be excluded.

Ultrasound at six months

A period of 24 weeks does not require a routine ultrasound, but if there are signs of miscarriage, then the procedure must be carried out in mandatory. Using an ultrasound, you can determine the weight and height of the fetus (if twins, then both babies), the day of the cycle, signs of premature birth, and oligohydramnios.

Polyhydramnios at 6 months of pregnancy

Polyhydramnios is a serious complication of pregnancy at six months, the causes of which can be:

  • Infection of the membranes;
  • Anomalies in the development of the amniotic sac;
  • Pyelonephritis;
  • Rhesus conflict;
  • Twins.

Polyhydramnios is an excessive amount of water surrounding the baby, the signs of which are a sharp increase in the size of the abdomen, a feeling of heaviness, and acute pain in the lower back and perineum. Polyhydramnios is also accompanied by high blood pressure, which occurs almost every day of the cycle. Polyhydramnios also has the following symptoms at the 24th week of the cycle: poor hearing of the fetal heartbeat and characteristic discharge.

There are chronic polyhydramnios - it develops in the third part of the pregnancy cycle, and acute polyhydramnios - it appears instantly and on the same day the volume of the abdomen increases sharply. Polyhydramnios is diagnosed based on the pregnant woman’s complaints, the specialist takes into account the signs of the disease, on what day the discharge began, and makes an appropriate diagnosis, and on the same day prescribes the necessary treatment.

During the six months of pregnancy, you should carefully monitor your diet and health, taking into account all possible signs of miscarriage and symptoms of various diseases.

You are already 23 weeks pregnant. It's a wonderful feeling when you carry a little baby under your heart - your baby. Enjoy this time to the fullest, because the next pregnancy will not be soon, and perhaps you will stop at one child. Heartburn and toxicosis should no longer worry you; your stomach is not yet so big that it can hinder your movement. Therefore, do morning exercises, go for walks in the park more, be fresh air, visit the pool (if it allows good development fetus and your health).

Many people are interested in the 23rd week of pregnancy, how many months is it? An obstetric month is 4 weeks, not 30-31 days, which means 23 weeks is 5 months and 3 weeks, or 6 months without one week.

How does the expectant mother change?

Every time a pregnant woman comes to the doctor, he examines the abdomen, how much it has risen and enlarged, the height of the uterus, and also listens to the baby’s heartbeat. At week 23, the pregnant woman should gain about 7-8 kg, her tummy becomes rounder and rounder. The placenta is already about 24.5 mm.

On at this stage a woman may experience painful sensations in the lower abdomen, very similar to contractions, do not be alarmed by this, rest and relax, these are training contractions according to Braxton Hicks. The uterus is preparing for childbirth and “testing” its strength. Almost every pregnant woman should go through these painful sensations around the 23rd week of pregnancy. Don't worry and don't confuse it with real contractions. The pain in the lower abdomen may get worse, but this will not last long.


Convulsions may occur, especially at night. Sometimes the pain is very strong, so you have to be patient. In order to reduce and get rid of them, it is important to do foot massage, contrast showers and morning exercises. Also, to prevent cramps from occurring, it will help you a lot. Don't forget to watch your diet. Eat the right amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates. Remove fried, fatty and floury foods. Food greatly affects the development of the fetus, as well as your health. Cramps can occur due to the wrong foods.

Headaches at the 23rd week of pregnancy should completely disappear, but if they tormented you before. The fetus gets bigger every day and takes up a lot of space in your tummy. Now you will go to the toilet more often, as the baby puts a lot of pressure on bladder.


Another problem that may arise around week 23 is body swelling. Most often, swelling occurs in the summer, during hot seasons. Don’t be alarmed when you see a couple of extra pounds on the scale, this may just be water retention in the body. Of course, you are concerned about the question: how can I understand that I have swelling? You should feel small tingles in your fingers. Your feet will swell and become heavy, your socks will start to feel tight, and your feet may even become a size larger. It is also clearly visible that your face has enlarged; first of all, your nose swells. You can relieve and reduce swelling by consulting your doctor. He will tell you what to do. For example, exclude salty foods from your diet, drink water in the right amount, and also do not drink teas, juices and carbonated drinks.

Your baby's development

So the 23rd week of pregnancy has arrived, what happens to the baby during this period? At this stage of pregnancy, the baby is already beginning to produce the first stool (meconium), which will be passed after birth. Now the hairs on my head are starting to darken, and nails have appeared on my legs and arms. The baby can sometimes swallow the liquid in which he is located, so he may hiccup very often, but not for long, a maximum of a couple of minutes. Your child's hiccups can be heard as barely perceptible tapping sounds on the stomach.
During the 23rd week of pregnancy, the baby should weigh about 450 grams and have a length of 20 cm. The baby urinates in the amniotic fluid very often and this is good, you should not worry that he is swimming in his urine, because the amniotic fluid changes quite often. Baby on this moment It doesn’t look very nice, the skin is wrinkled and red in color. But soon the baby will accumulate subcutaneous fat and the skin will become a normal color. Pigments build up in the blood, causing your baby's skin to look extra red.

A mother at 23 weeks of pregnancy can already feel more clearly. At this stage, the baby’s movements are still smooth. He can suck thumb on your hand or pull the umbilical cord. If the fetus is very active, it can become entangled in the umbilical cord and form around the throat - this is very dangerous. If the baby is confused, they will definitely tell you about it during the ultrasound examination.


The child begins to make breathing movements, despite the fact that the lungs are not yet open. He is learning to breathe, and after giving birth these exercises will help him a lot. Now your child sleeps a lot and is growing quickly. Scientists say that at around 23 weeks of pregnancy, babies can dream.

23 weeks of pregnancy - ultrasound photo:




23 (twenty-third) week of pregnancy is how many months . The child gained another 100 grams in weight and reached a weight of about 450 grams. The growth rate in length is more modest - plus 1 cm per week, that is, already 20 cm.

This active weight gain is due to the fact that the baby builds up subcutaneous fat. Despite this, it still looks red and wrinkled because the skin grows faster than fatty tissue and the excess hangs down. The skin itself becomes less transparent due to the formation of a reddish pigment in it.

Bones and muscles develop intensively. The formation of nails on the fingers is almost complete. The down covering the fruit begins to darken.

The child does not spin in his stomach without interruption: he has periods of sleep and wakefulness.

The fetus develops a pancreas that produces a number of hormones. The main one, insulin, is responsible for metabolism in the body, in particular for the processing of glucose. If the mother is sick diabetes mellitus, then the child has a high chance of a malfunction of the pancreas. Therefore, a pregnant woman should definitely be checked for this disease, and if she already has it, do not keep silent about it, since both she and the unborn baby need special therapy now.

The uterus has already risen 2 fingers above the navel and is noticeably protruding forward. The volume of amniotic fluid increases. You have gained 5-7 kg weight.

23 Week Pregnancy at this stage, mild cramps may begin, “petrification” of the uterus - these are Braxton Hicks contractions. Unlike real contractions, they are irregular and practically painless. Braxtons prepare the body for childbirth.

During pregnancy, you want to drink more often and more due to the body's increased need for fluid. Drink as much as you want, but sweet carbonated drinks and canned juices prefer plain water, fresh compotes and fruit drinks. Do not overuse tea - it contains caffeine, and green tea contains even more than coffee. Energy drinks are also contraindicated for pregnant women, as the manufacturer usually warns about on the label. Don’t be lazy to read the labels on any product you buy: the fewer preservatives and dyes you and your baby have to digest, the better.

Try to limit your salt intake. Salt retains fluid in the body, and this can lead to edema, especially if you drink a lot. Keep in mind that fast food contains a lot of salt, so you should avoid the variety of McDonald's for now. Popular “snacks” (chips, crackers, nuts, dried fish), as well as canned food, are also not the best food for a pregnant woman due to the excess sodium chloride in it.

23 weeks of pregnancy is How manymonths?

Congratulations, you are coming to the end of your sixth month of pregnancy. Since the obstetric month is exactly 4 weeks, then How many months is 23 weeks pregnant? - this is five obstetric months plus three weeks, that is, six months minus one week. On term 23 weeks The fetus is already 21 weeks old. Very often at this stage, expectant mothers compare: - who gained how much? An increase of 5 to 7.5 kg to the initial weight of the expectant mother is considered the norm.