23 Weeks - Pregnancy

Baby

Although still very thin, your baby now resembles a newborn. His bones located in the middle ear are hardening, and he is able to hear you. Encourage dad and anyone else that will be spending a lot of time with your baby to talk to him through your belly. Studies show that familiar voices get your newborn’s attention and soothe faster than unfamiliar voices.

Mom

Now that you’re into your third trimester, a new set of symptoms may come up, including back pain, swelling, fatigue, achiness in your abdomen and sides from all the ligaments stretching, constipation, leg cramps in the middle of the night, and leaky breasts. That’s right. Your breasts may begin leaking colostrum (the pre-milk fluid that your baby will drink before your milk comes in) as early as now, perhaps before now in some women. SmartMomma recommends some very thin, absorbent breast pads to wear in your bra to help with this problem.

As you swell, you may also notice some pain and numbness in your hands. Many office-working pregnant women may develop carpel tunnel syndrome or tendonitis. This is due to all the extra blood circulating in your body. To alleviate this pressure, try not to sleep on your hands and elevate them if you can. Also, do some hand strengthening exercises during your workday and take frequent breaks from clicking that mouse, if you can.

The sixth month also brings more leg and back pain for some women, especially as they sleep at night. It is imperative that your body has some support in the evening to keep your spine aligned and pressure off of the sciatic nerve. You should look at getting yourself a pregnancy pillow or buy some extra regular bed pillows instead. Your spouse might complain that your bed gets really crowded, but he also sleeps well at night, so he’ll get over it.

Have you registered for birth classes yet? These classes usually happen at the middle or end of your third trimester. Many hospitals offer a variety of classes from labor & delivery to nursing to infant care. Take advantage of these; they will come in handy when it’s time for your baby to make his grand entrance.

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PLEASE NOTE

This should be used as a general guideline and is for general information and educational purposes only. Please remember that all pregnancies develop at different rates. If you have questions about your baby's development, please contact your doctor or midwife.