Week 23

Your Baby's Development

Even though fat is beginning to build up on your baby's body, the skin still hangs loosely, giving your baby a wrinkled appearance. Your baby's daily workout routine includes moving the muscles in the fingers, toes, arms, and legs regularly. As a result, you may feel more forceful movements.

By now your baby weighs a little more than 1 pound (454 grams). If preterm labor and delivery happened this week, a baby could survive with expert medical care, but might have mild to severe disabilities. With increasing research and knowledge in the field of fetal medicine, the long-term prognosis for premature babies (preemies) improves every year.

Your Body

The closer you get to your delivery date, the more trouble you may have sleeping. Anxiety, getting up to pee, heartburn, leg cramps, and general discomfort can mean a short night's sleep. But your baby's health and your own depend on you getting enough rest. Try a warm bath, soothing music, a relaxing book, or a cup of herbal tea to put you in the mood to snooze.

Many doctors recommend that pregnant women sleep on their sides, not their backs or stomachs, so that blood flow to the placenta is not restricted. If you find this uncomfortable, try placing a pillow between your knees to relieve the pressure of your weight while lying on your side.

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