Week 23: Your pregnancy
Your baby’s growth: She’s 8 to 9 inches long
Your baby continues to grow and by the end of the week will measure about 8 to 9 inches long. By week 23 your baby is taking on the shape of a full-term baby, but her bones and organs are still visible beneath a thin layer of translucent skin.
Although your baby continues to add fat to her body, she still looks wrinkly. This happens because her skin develops more quickly than fat accumulates.
Here are other developments this week:
- More movement. She'll begin moving around more than ever, stretching and flexing the muscles in her arms and legs, fingers, and toes.
- Skin tone. Skin pigment is being deposited this week to create your baby's skin tone.
What’s happening with you
- More bathroom breaks. As your uterus gets larger, it rests on top of the bladder, increasing your need to urinate frequently.
- Isolated pains. As you approach the end of your second trimester, your growing uterus may trigger more back pain, pelvic pressure, leg cramps, and headaches.
- Trouble sleeping. Some of this discomfort may affect how well you sleep. The closer you get to your delivery date, the more wakeful you may become. Anxiety, frequent urination, heartburn, and general discomfort may result in restless nights. This uneasiness will most likely stop once your little one arrives.
