23 weeks pregnant mom food. What does a woman who is pregnant feel at this time

The 23rd week of pregnancy is a good time to check and review your shoe “arsenal”. Your baby grows up to 20 cm and weighs about 0.45 kg. Perhaps this week, his closed eyes will begin to open, although it will not come to real vision soon.

What month?

twenty third obstetric week is the sixth lunar month. If it is more convenient for you to count from conception, then it turns out that the period is two weeks less. In rare cases, install exact date pregnancy is not possible. As it happens, as well as all the information about the timing -.

Your body

A hippopotamus, an elephant and a kruglyash on legs - with what words some mothers do not reward themselves! Some - with humor, others - with a slight longing for the lost chiseled figure. Never regret anything. Every pregnant woman is beautiful in her condition.

Photo of tummies (click to enlarge):

The bottom of the uterus is now located just above the navel, which gradually begins to protrude outward. If you are wearing a piercing in your navel, it's time to pull out the earring. Do not worry: the puncture site can theoretically grow over, but in practice this happens very rarely.

Feel

Doctors consider the second trimester to be the calmest and most prosperous period of pregnancy. Many women agree with this. Early toxicosis has passed for a very long time. The child's pushes are not too strong yet, they delight and give positive emotions. General health is just great. However, unpleasant manifestations are also possible:

headache;
constipation;
heartburn;
swelling of the hands, feet, face;
dizziness and weakness;
increased fatigue;
bleeding gums;
periodic cramps (usually cramps the calves or feet on the inside);
the initial stage of varicose veins;
inability to quickly concentrate, switch from one thought to another.

It is quite possible to overcome such troubles. It is enough to be attentive to your diet, devote enough time to sleep and rest, keep work and household diaries. In addition, it is important to visit the dentist and antenatal clinic doctors on time.

Now you want to urinate every now and then. This feeling will increase until the very birth, as the growing uterus presses on bladder and prevents large amounts of urine from accumulating.

Your face may show dark spots. This is unpleasant, but it is impossible to change this situation. A thick layer of makeup can simply tire you out and worsen your skin condition. So just think about how after childbirth, all excess pigmentation will definitely disappear.

At week 23, you may be surprised to feel nausea shortly after eating. But after all, early toxicosis has long ended? Everything is explainable. Sometimes the uterus can squeeze the bile ducts a little, and this interferes with proper digestion. Talk to your doctor about solving this problem.

Pain and complications

Certain conditions during pregnancy should be cause for concern. For example, any severe pain in the abdomen and/or lower back. Please note that these should not be pulling sensations that rarely occur and quickly pass. When the stomach hurts for real, only a doctor will help. Especially if contractions start along with the pain. If the fetus is rejected by the uterus now and premature birth occurs, even modern medical technology is unlikely to save the life of the child.

A serious and dangerous complication of pregnancy in the second and third trimester is preeclampsia (late toxicosis). Its main symptoms are persistent edema, excess weight, protein in the urine and blood pressure disorders. If preeclampsia is recognized and cured in time, in the third trimester you will prevent many complications. Learn more about late toxicosis.

Fetal development

Your child under the heart sleeps a lot and is awake for several hours every day. Throughout the day, he moves his limbs many times, drinks amniotic fluid (up to half a liter per day), from time to time turns in different directions.

Fetal movements so far it is difficult to calculate, no norms for this period have yet been applied. Many shocks are still quite weak. The baby still has enough space in the uterus, and you simply do not feel many of its movements. But if the fetus is large, or you are expecting twins, the movements may be felt more clearly. Some mothers say that even at this time their baby really kicks.

When moving, the fetus can touch any part of the uterus with a pen or leg. Some women feel tremors in the lower abdomen, others say that the baby often hits somewhere to the side. All these feelings are very individual.

What happens to the baby at the twenty-third week:

bones and cartilage are still mineralized;
brain activity is already almost comparable to the brain activity of a newborn child;
under the skin, the formation of a fatty layer is in full swing, and the skin itself ceases to be transparent (but remains red due to the large number of blood vessels);
the baby’s heart is already listened to not only during an ultrasound scan, but also with an ordinary medical stethoscope;
the eyes begin to open little by little, but full vision will develop only some time after childbirth;
meconium, the original feces, continues to form in the intestines (it is formed from all kinds of particles that the fetus is swallowed along with the amniotic fluid).

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you need additional medical supervision. The fetus may experience malfunctions in the pancreas, which is now actively busy producing its own insulin.

What does the baby need

Your emotional state is very important. In any situation, whole cocktails of hormones are formed in your blood. And you have a common blood circulation with the fetus. So the feelings too. Please note: the fetus suffers not only from your fear or stress. Too vivid experiences, some kind of superbig joy will also tire you and the child.

Be sure to talk to the baby, stroke the tummy. If relatives are ready to do the same, do not forbid. Establish contact with the child even before he is born.

Nutrition remains unchanged: your diet should be balanced and extremely healthy.
If you have heartburn, cook porridge and jelly more often. There are several ways to quickly get rid of an attack of heartburn. For example, drink a sip of warm milk or eat soda on the tip of a teaspoon and drink water. Please note: if you have not dealt with heartburn in such ways before, it is better not to try. Just be careful with your diet.
If you have swelling after walking or just in the evenings, check your drinking regimen. Any liquid should be drunk little by little. But do not force yourself to endure thirst, especially in hot weather. Completely exclude salty, spicy foods from the diet, limit sweets.
Check all your shoes. You may need shoes or boots one size larger. Skip complex fasteners, laces, high heels, wedges and platforms. Shoes should not press, rub, get wet in wet weather or slip in the snow.
If you decide to buy new shoes, boots or boots, it is better to do it in the afternoon. It is at this time that the legs tend to swell slightly, and you will be able to correctly assess the quality and comfort of the new thing. If the model you choose is tight, ask for a different size. Never listen to the promises of the seller that everything will be stretched, carried, and then it will be on the leg.
Watch the skin of the chest, abdomen, thighs and buttocks. Avoid dryness in these areas of your body. Enjoy by special means from stretch marks (including for prevention) or high-quality olive oil.
Record your training bouts. They should be rare and irregular, without pain or abnormal vaginal discharge.
You will have to give up sex if you have multiple pregnancy, there is a threat of miscarriage, the placenta is low, or the amount of amniotic fluid is below normal.
Watch for vaginal discharge. They should be moderately thick, white or transparent, without much odor. For any deviation from the norm, go to the doctor.
If for some reason you are late with a screening study of the second trimester (blood tests, urine tests, ultrasound), the antenatal clinic doctor must write out all the necessary referrals.
Check your weight: the approximate increase since the beginning of pregnancy should not exceed eight kilograms.
Wear a prenatal band to support your belly and distribute your weight better.
Go in for sports, but without tiring physical activity. Best Views yoga or swimming.
Try to sleep only on your left side. Place small pillows under your stomach, back and between your knees.
If your city has a cord blood collection and storage service, consider using it. Cord blood stem cells are a real, natural medicine with the widest spectrum of action.

Another danger

Not all pregnant women are happily married. Some are lonely initially, and the unborn child is the result of a short relationship without good prospects. It also happens that the relationship with the partner and the father of the child is terminated during pregnancy. What to do with sexual desires? Especially if a man appears nearby, ready to be there, to care, love and give intimate experiences?

Look at this situation from a moral point of view. The expectant mother is responsible for two. And now you need to think first of all about your baby. And if your personal life did not work out, do not try to solve everything now. For real worthy man understand and wait. And lovers of short-term adventures and thrills will just drop out.

Opinions of doctors about such cases are unequivocal. A new sexual relationship can bring an infection into your body, cause many problems. So the whole personal life - for later. Think about your baby and about all the imminent joys of motherhood.

Video guide: 23 weeks of pregnancy what happens, fetal development, weight gain, swelling, cord blood

Already five calendar months a baby lives in your tummy, on the calendar the 23rd week of pregnancy, and according to obstetricians, this is 5 and a half months. This is still the second trimester and your general condition is characterized as positive and quite active.

Headaches and morning sickness should not bother you, and small mood swings will be helped by walking in the fresh air and minutes of communication with a child actively drumming on your stomach. It's time to find out what is special about the 23rd week of pregnancy and how your bladder has changed.

Baby development at 23 weeks

At the 23rd week of pregnancy, what happens to the baby can be found not only in smart obstetric books, but also by the behavior of the child. You have already noticed that he sleeps a lot, but when he wakes up, he uses the opportunity to communicate with you. I wonder what the baby looks like at 23 weeks pregnant.

Physical Data

By the 23rd week of pregnancy, the size of the fetus is up to 30 cm, with a weight of half a kilogram;
His body is fully formed, but still too thin, subcutaneous fat is just beginning to form, the skin is still richly covered with hairs;
If you look at his hands during an ultrasound scan, you can see small marigolds;
The baby actively moves, moves his fingers, can cover his face with his hands or suck his thumb.

Internal organs

At a period of 23 weeks of pregnancy, the development of the fetus goes by leaps and bounds.

His digestive system fully formed: it can not only swallow amniotic fluid, but also synthesize water and sugar from it, and everything unnecessary will go to the intestines and form original feces;
Your child makes up to 60 swallowing movements per minute, and if he likes the taste of amniotic fluid sweetened with fruits or sweets in your diet, he will swallow more actively (learn about what to eat so that the baby gets enough vitamins and minerals, learn from the article Nutrition during pregnancy >>>;
By the way, having swallowed, the baby may begin to hiccup, and if you listen, you can notice it;
At 23 weeks, the child's spleen has already begun to function, which is entrusted with the function of forming blood cells and monitoring their quality.

Mental development

You already know that the baby hears you, feels warmth, and even distinguishes light, even though his eyes are still closed. It is believed that at week 23 the child is already dreaming, of course, dreams are short-lived and not as colorful as yours. By the way, the sleep phase itself is short-lived, the baby wakes up every hour, but can also quickly fall asleep.

Please note that at the 23rd week of pregnancy, the baby's brain is actively developing, compared with the second month of pregnancy, its size has increased 10 times and now the weight of the mental center is 20 grams;
With each week, the brain will improve and grow exponentially.

In it you will also find a list of products for preparing the cervix for childbirth + learn how to cope with edema, nausea and other phenomena of the second and third trimesters of pregnancy with the help of nutrition.

Gender of the baby

It will not be difficult to determine the sex of the child at the 23rd week of pregnancy, except that the too shy toddler will cover himself with his hands.

In boys, by the 23rd week, the scrotum is fully formed, only the testicles themselves have not yet descended $
And in girls at this time, the ovaries are formed, and the egg cell fund is laid for future offspring.

Just imagine, the baby has not yet been born, and nature is already taking care of procreation.

Mom's well-being

It's time to find out, at a period of 23 weeks of pregnancy, what happens to mom. You should be pleased with the fact that toxicosis and vomiting are not characteristic of the 23rd week of pregnancy, headaches and migraines should also go away. However, hormones continue to build the weather in terms of your mood, but do not rush to get upset - this is all temporary and will pass by itself.

Uterine size

Your baby is growing, and with it, your organs are increasing in size.

The bottom of the uterus at the 23rd week of pregnancy is already at a distance of 4 cm above the navel. Of course, you may feel some discomfort at such sizes, because your internal organs are in a compressed state, there may be pulling pains on the sides, especially noticeable when sitting or when sneezing;

On examination, the specialist can tell you the length of the cervix. During pregnancy of 23 weeks, a length of 4 cm is considered the norm, while the walls themselves must be elastic and smooth, in which case your child is protected from the dangers of the external environment, and the possibility of premature birth is reduced to zero;

Another point regarding the uterus is the preparatory contractions, which can begin from the 23rd week of pregnancy. Such contractions are called false, they are short-term, not frequent, not painful.

Note! Regular and increasing contractions with a frequency of more than 5 times per hour at the 23rd week of pregnancy is a serious signal of danger, you need to go to a medical institution.

Pain at 23 weeks

It is possible that at the 23rd week of pregnancy you will be disturbed by pulling pains in the abdomen and back, swelling and hemorrhoids, dizziness and excessive sweating may appear.

Drawing pains. The problem when the stomach pulls at the 23rd week of pregnancy has a logical explanation. Although gradual, but regular growth of the uterus, causes constant muscle tension, hence discomfort;

In addition, the weight and size of the baby increase every week, and your internal organs become cramped. If this reassures you, we note that this phenomenon is temporary and after childbirth all the unpleasant sensations will pass.

Back pain. The main cause of pain in the sacrum and back is the shift in the center of gravity due to the growing tummy and the preparation of your pelvis for childbirth;

You can reduce the pain somewhat by wearing a tummy tuck bandage. Pain can also occur after a long walk or sitting in an uncomfortable position, find time to rest even during the working day.

Headache. Blame hormonal background in headaches at the 23rd week of pregnancy is not worth it, most likely, your fatigue or stress became the cause of the migraine. More rest, fresh air and smiles, and headaches will not bother you. And do not forget, at the 23rd week of pregnancy, what happens to the mother affects the well-being of your child;
Vertigo. Your circulatory system now works for two, so sudden movements and jumping up can cause dizziness. By the way, constant weakness and dizziness may indicate a low level of hemoglobin in the blood and possible anemia;
Pain in the legs. Weight gain, and by the 23rd week of pregnancy, you can gain up to 7 kg of your original body weight, and hormonal changes in your body can trigger varicose veins;

It turns out that the hormones responsible for relaxing the uterus reduce the tone of the venous walls, so the likelihood of varicose veins increases significantly. In addition, an enlarged uterus slows down blood flow through the veins. You need to give your legs a rest, you can use special creams or ointments, do relaxing massages and baths.

Seizures. The phenomenon is frequent during pregnancy, caused by a lack of useful trace elements and excessive load. You may need to drink a vitamin complex, such as Magne B6 (useful related article: Leg cramps during pregnancy >>>);
Haemorrhoids. A problem that cannot be kept silent and left to chance, since hemorrhoids will only get worse during childbirth. There are medications that are allowed during pregnancy, mass folk remedies, for example, grated potatoes, and the daily diet can be adjusted so that going to the toilet is regular and easy. Read more about hemorrhoids during pregnancy >>>

Please note that any acute pain that does not go away, especially if there is bleeding and the stomach hurts at the 23rd week of pregnancy, is a reason to consult a specialist.

Bleeding. Allocations

The discharge at the 23rd week of pregnancy is a clear consistency and without impurities. Regarding quantity, you should have enough panty liners for a day. You should be alert:

Creative selections. Discharge similar to the consistency of cottage cheese with a clear sour smell is a signal of the development of thrush caused by Candida fungi (read the article Thrush during pregnancy >>>);
Yellow or greenish discharge. An additional color to the secretions is given by clots of pus, this indicates inflammatory processes in the genitals;
Brown highlights. At the 23rd week of pregnancy, there should not be abundant brown discharge, this color is caused by blood impurities, this is a signal of premature birth or bleeding. It is possible that after a doctor's examination or sexual intercourse, you will notice slight brown blotches, this will indicate to you cervical erosion;
Transparent, but abundant discharge is most likely the leakage of amniotic fluid, at the 23rd week of pregnancy this is a dangerous signal.

Feelings at 23 weeks

Feelings at week 23 can be divided into 2 main groups - positive and unpleasant, but they are all the norm in your position.

Movement. One of the main sensations of the 23rd week of pregnancy is the thrusts of your baby;

They are already obvious and strong, sometimes even painful;
The baby may accidentally hit you in the area of the kidneys or liver, and from the inside, even a slight push is felt differently by you;
You can watch how the stomach at the 23rd week of pregnancy changes its shape, increasing from one side to the other. These are the pranks of a mobile baby, the size of which allows you to move freely inside;
By the way, answering the question, at the 23rd week of pregnancy, how often should the child move, we can only say that the total daily time of his activity is 4 hours. Most often, the peak of activity is observed in the evening or at night, when you lie down and relax.

You can calm the naughty up a bit by stroking her tummy or singing a lullaby. Do not forget that sleeping on your stomach at the 23rd week of pregnancy is strictly prohibited, choose comfortable posture, and you have few options - left or right side, since sleeping on your back is also not desirable.

Heartburn. Of the unpleasant sensations that may bother you at this time - heartburn. The reason is pressure on the internal organs and relaxation of the walls of the stomach. You can try fractional meals or folk methods such as milk or seeds. But you don’t need to abuse soda, the benefits are zero (current article: Heartburn during pregnancy >>>);
Calls to the toilet. Frequent urges to the toilet are standard sensations at 23 weeks of gestation. You have to put up with it, visit the restroom regularly, as an option - lean forward a little while urinating to empty the bladder completely. Why this happens, find out from the article Frequent urination during pregnancy >>>;
Skin problems. You may not leave the feeling of tightness and dryness of the skin. This is normal with a growing tummy, moisturize the skin with baby oil or special cosmetics for pregnant women, it will help to avoid stretch marks. Read more in the article Stretch marks during pregnancy >>>;

But if you are the owner of an oily skin type, due to excessive sweating characteristic of pregnant women, you may experience a rash on the skin. You can wipe your face with plant-based lotions, such as calendula or chamomile, but if you prefer ready-made products, then pay attention to special cosmetics for expectant mothers.

Pigmentation. Change in the color of the areola of the nipples, vertical stripe on the stomach, freckles and spots on the face, hands - this is the usual pigmentation characteristic of pregnant women. In most cases, all these skin nuances go away on their own after childbirth, but you can slightly reduce the number of spots by normalizing the time spent in open sunlight.

You can observe increased hair growth, and if their density on the head pleases you, then on the arms and even the back by no means. You should not take drastic measures, these are the mines of hormones, that's all cosmetic procedures should be postponed to the postpartum period.

Narrow issues of pregnancy

The narrow issues that concern you at week 23 include diseases, fever, bad habits, sex.

Temperature

It's time for you to forget about norms 36 and 6 during pregnancy. If the thermometer stubbornly shows 37, do not panic, this is possible and the reason, again, is hormones. Another thing is the temperature at 23 weeks of gestation 37.5 with concomitant cough, sore throat or runny nose. There are already clear signs of a cold or a viral infection.

Cold at 23 weeks pregnant

It should be noted that the second trimester, namely the 23rd week belongs to this stage, is less dangerous in terms of infecting the baby in case of your cold or viral disease.

The fetus at 23 weeks of gestation is well protected by the placenta and even already produces immune cells itself. The danger is rather in the choice of drugs and the method of treatment. You can’t soar your legs, put cups, drink medicines based on aspirin (article

It is important not to confuse exercise contractions with signs of a threatened miscarriage. False uterine contractions normally should not be accompanied by pain. These spasms begin suddenly and end just as suddenly, without negatively affecting the well-being of the pregnant woman. If the contractions become more frequent, become painful, then you need to urgently contact an ambulance.

Enlargement of the uterus

By week 23, a woman's uterus increases in size and rises 4 cm above the navel. The female organ is already pressing on the diaphragm, so at this time, pregnant women may have breathing problems. It is difficult to take a deep breath, breathing becomes shallow and intermittent.

In addition, in some cases, the appearance of uterine tone is possible. It can be caused by various factors: lack of progesterone, severe toxicosis, Rh conflict, inflammatory processes. If there are signs of uterine hypertonicity, an urgent consultation with a doctor is required.

Allocations

At the 23rd week of pregnancy, the expectant mother, who cares about the health of her child, should regularly visit a gynecologist and control the risk of developing infectious diseases.

If there are suspicious discharges that have an unnatural color (bright yellow, green, dark brown), bad smell and an unusual consistency (with mucus and other inclusions), then you need to tell the doctor about it and take a smear.

Such symptoms indicate the mother's health problems and can threaten pregnancy.

If the mother noticed spotting, as during menstruation, then without any hesitation, it is urgent to call a doctor at home. This means that there is a threat of termination of pregnancy, it can be saved only with timely hospitalization.

In the middle of the total period of pregnancy, many women develop pronounced edema. Particularly hard on the legs and arms. To alleviate the condition, it is necessary to lie down in such a position that the legs are above the level of the body. This will help minimize swelling and relieve discomfort.
Frequent urination is common and should be tolerated. You do not need to endure, so you can only harm your health. You need to go to the toilet on the first call. To reduce the frequency of visiting the ladies' room at night, before going to bed, you need to limit fluid intake.
The end of the second trimester is a wonderful time when you no longer feel sick, as in the early stages, and you want to eat all the time. It is better not to start the issue with weight: extra pounds will not go away until childbirth and will complicate life in the last weeks of pregnancy.

Do not miss scheduled appointments with a gynecologist who monitors the growth and development of the fetus. Timely tests and completed studies will help to control the condition of you and your child, and correct it in a timely manner.

It is best to avoid crowded places during infectious disease season. At the stage of development of the internal organs of the baby, any disease picked up by the mother can seriously affect his health.
Sign up for courses for mothers and fathers, you can attend them with your husband. Read special literature, knowledge will be useful to you during childbirth and after them.

Nutrition at 23 weeks pregnant

Together with food, the nutrients necessary for the fetus for normal and comprehensive development should appear in the body of a pregnant woman. That is why everything that the expectant mother eats should be not only tasty, but also healthy. And this means - to include fats, carbohydrates, proteins, calcium, iron and other trace elements.

It is necessary to add foods rich in iron to the diet - buckwheat, liver, apples, beef. They will help keep the hemoglobin content in the blood of a pregnant woman at a normal level and reduce the risk of developing anemia. In addition, there should always be sources of calcium on the table - cottage cheese, cheeses, milk. During pregnancy, the expectant mother has a reason to have problems with her teeth. The child takes all the calcium reserves from the body, which must be replenished without fail.

Harmful food should be excluded from the menu: strong coffee and alcohol, semi-finished products, as well as salty, spicy, fried, fatty foods. Sweet and flour should be reduced to a minimum, replacing with dried fruits and nuts. It is desirable to maintain an optimal drinking regime, which consists in the use of water without gas, fruit drinks and compotes. Drinking too much is not recommended, so as not to provoke the appearance of edema.

vitamins

The lack of nutrients and minerals in the body during pregnancy is replenished with the help of vitamins. This is a widespread practice, because, unfortunately, the daily amount of nutrients that come with food is not sufficient in most cases.

A huge variety of vitamin complexes, both domestic and foreign, are presented on the pharmaceutical market. Before visiting a pharmacy, you should consult with a gynecologist. Depending on the individual characteristics of the body of the expectant mother and her state of health, he will write a prescription for the purchase of a specific drug.

Physical activity

Despite the fact that the stomach has already changed the gait of the pregnant woman, there is no former lightness and looseness, the woman should move more. This contradiction is quite justified: the higher the physical activity during pregnancy, the easier it is and the more prepared the future mother is for childbirth.

During pregnancy, you can do:

yoga - special sections for pregnant women allow you to keep your muscles in a taut state and train your breathing;
water aerobics - exercises in water that have a strengthening and relaxing effect;
fitness in gym(treadmills, exercise bikes) with minimal loads.

For those who do not like to visit crowded places for fitness, doctors recommend spending as much time as possible in the fresh air. It is necessary to walk every day and as long as possible (as far as the condition of the pregnant woman allows). Such walks will help a woman stay in good shape and not gain extra pounds, because by the middle of the pregnancy, being overweight becomes a serious problem.

Intimate life at 23 weeks pregnant

The doctor may impose a ban on intimate life if there is a threat of termination of pregnancy. Proximity in this case can aggravate the situation and make it completely irreparable. Only after the woman has undergone a course of treatment, and the risk of miscarriage is reduced to zero, the gynecologist can give permission for the resumption of sexual relations.

A contraindication for intimacy can be multiple pregnancies, past miscarriages, low placenta, and infectious diseases. If there is none of these reasons, then restrictions on intimate life are not introduced.

Required studies and analyzes

The pregnant woman has already managed to undergo two screenings, which include an ultrasound examination and a triple test (for the hormones hCG and estriol, for the alpha-fetoprotein protein). At week 23, the expectant mother must pass a standard set of studies, which she had to deal with more than once in earlier pregnancy cycles. We are talking about tests that are given immediately before the appointment of a gynecologist:

general blood analysis;
general urine analysis;
blood sugar test.

Each of the above types of research allows you to monitor the health of a pregnant woman, to identify early stage the presence or exacerbation of chronic diseases. According to a blood test, the doctor determines the level of hemoglobin: a low or high level is an alarming sign and requires medical treatment. Urinalysis can detect and prevent the development of genitourinary infections.

Directly at the appointment with the gynecologist, the expectant mother will have to take measurements of weight, blood pressure, the height of the uterine fundus, and the volume of the abdomen. In addition, the doctor will listen to the baby's heartbeat with a special tube.

ultrasound

A gynecologist may prescribe an ultrasound at 23 weeks of gestation. Such a study will be unscheduled, it is prescribed to pass strictly according to indications. That is, if the gynecologist does not like the results of the tests of the expectant mother or the woman herself complains about her health, then the ultrasound method will become the very tool that will dot the “and” and help make an accurate diagnosis.

23 obstetric weeks - this is 21 weeks from conception - the embryonic gestational age, as well as 23 weeks from the start of the last menstruation. It's time to start leading an active lifestyle, this will not only improve your well-being, but also have a positive effect on the development of the baby.

Child size

What happens to the fetus

Scientists say that this week your baby can already see the first dreams - for the first time the phase of REM sleep can be traced. The baby still sleeps a lot and wakes up about every hour only for a short time. Now the respiratory system of the child is actively developing. Although the baby's lungs are not yet expanded, he regularly exercises and makes breathing movements in preparation for the moment of birth. The blood vessels in the baby's lungs continue to develop so that the baby can breathe after birth.

The baby's eyes are already open, he distinguishes between light and darkness, reacts to them with a change in behavior. His hearing is already quite well developed, and he can distinguish your voice (albeit in a distorted form), the beating of your heart and the rumbling in your stomach.

The digestive system is ready to perform its functions, the child constantly swallows amniotic fluid, the liquid part of which is broken down into sugar and water and absorbed in the intestines, and the scales and vellus hair that have fallen with the water form meconium, which is excreted after childbirth.

Nutrients are intensively supplied by the placenta, and this greatly enhances the circulation of maternal blood. This stage of fetal development is due to the development of the endocrine and nervous systems, which contributes to its accelerated development in all directions. All glands function almost at full strength, which allows the child's body to partially abandon maternal dependence.

What does a child look like

At week 23, the baby continues to accumulate subcutaneous fat, it is rounded, takes on a more familiar look to the eye, however, while it still looks like a small wrinkled red man. Due to the accumulated pigments, the skin ceases to be transparent.

Your baby is about the size of .... a small zucchini. By the twenty-third week of pregnancy, the weight of the child is about 520 grams, height is 28-30 centimeters. Further, the longer the gestational age is, the more the weight and height of the child will vary within very large limits, and the more children will differ from each other. As a result, for childbirth, the weight of the fetus in some women can be 2500 grams, and in others 4500 grams. And all this is within the normal range. Heart rate 120-160 bpm.

Fetal development

The amount of adipose tissue increases. Despite this, so far your baby looks shriveled and red. The reason is that skin covering is formed much faster than sufficient fat deposits have time to take shape under it. It is because of this that the skin of the child is slightly saggy. Redness, in turn, is a consequence of the accumulation of pigments in the skin. They make it not so transparent.

The fetus is more active. As mentioned above, every week your baby becomes more energetic, although he pushes very gently.

During this period, respiratory movements become more frequent. If earlier they were rare, chaotic, now chest movements occur at a frequency of about 50 per minute, and after 30–40 minutes of respiratory muscle training, a period of rest begins, which can last up to several hours. Instead of air, no air enters the chest a large number of amniotic fluid, part of which is absorbed, part is pushed back.

The digestive system is well developed. The child continues to swallow small amounts of amniotic fluid. At 23 weeks, the baby can swallow it up to 500 ml. It removes it from the body in the form of urine. Since in amniotic fluid contains flakes of the epidermis, particles of a protective lubricant, fluffy hair, then the child periodically swallows them along with the waters. The liquid part of the amniotic fluid is absorbed into the blood, and a dark olive-colored substance called meconium remains in the intestines. Meconium is formed from the second half of pregnancy, but is normally excreted only after birth.

At times, swallowing amniotic fluid can cause the baby to hiccup. At this point, you may feel slight tremors in your stomach for a couple of minutes.

The central nervous system of the baby develops. At this time, with the help of devices, it is already possible to register brain activity, which is similar to that of born children and even adults. Also, at the 23rd week of pregnancy, the baby can dream.

Over the past three months, there has been an increase in the weight of the brain by more than ten times! Now it is 20-24 grams, and only in the next two weeks it will increase five times more!

The eyes are already open. Now the baby sees light and darkness and can react to them. The child already hears very well, he reacts to various sounds, increases his activity with sharp noises and calms down with gentle conversation and stroking his tummy.

20-23 weeks of pregnancy is a very important stage, when the activity of the baby's immunity is largely determined. The fact is that the fetal immune system “remembers” those foreign particles, whether they are bacteria, viruses or allergens circulating in the maternal bloodstream, and after birth becomes immune to them.

Protective immune cells are intensively formed, originating in the thymus (thymus gland - an organ that no longer exists in adults) and lymph nodes. There are not enough lymphocytes yet to protect the fetus from the infections that it faces, while maternal antibodies play the main immune role.

At the 23rd week of pregnancy, active hematopoiesis continues; in the fetus, this function is performed not only by the bone marrow and spleen, as in an adult, but also by the liver.

Good to know

If, for any reason, your baby has to be born now, his chances of surviving even with perfect care are low (about 16%). At this stage, every day spent in the stomach has great importance. A baby born at 24 weeks has a 44% chance of survival.

What happens in a woman's body

During the 23 weeks of pregnancy, your weight increased by 5-7 kg. By the beginning of the 23rd week, the level of the uterus rises to 4 cm above the navel.

At the twenty-third week, literally all women already feel movements. These are very tangible jolts, sometimes hiccups, which will be felt as rhythmic shudders in the stomach. At week 23, the fetus can still move quite freely in the uterus. However, his somersaults can cause you significant discomfort. You can clearly feel your heels and elbows.

The manifestation of the activity of the child especially increases in the evening, when the mother is tired and must go to bed. You can try to calm the child who has played out with gentle strokes in the abdomen, lulling singing of lullabies.

Most likely you have finally left the headaches. Headache is a very common companion of the first trimester of pregnancy. If this symptom has not bypassed you in your first weeks of bearing a baby, now that the rampage of hormones has subsided somewhat, the headaches should pass.

Due to the fact that the hormonal background of the female body during pregnancy undergoes great changes and rises many times, the expectant mother at the 23rd week of her interesting position may notice changes that occur with her appearance. The lips of a woman become much fuller, the nose may increase. A woman may have pregnancy pigment spots on her face, neck, chest, abdomen, which will quickly disappear after childbirth. The excess of hormones provokes hair growth - the expectant mother notices that they have become much better looking, shiny and do not fall out as before. In addition, hair can suddenly begin to grow on the shoulders, face, legs, back, abdomen. Future mother there is no need to remove this hair right now, because after childbirth, when the hormonal background normalizes, these hairs that have appeared will disappear again.

A belly growing every day can cause heartburn. The enlarged uterus begins to prop up the stomach, progesterone relaxes the septum between the esophagus and the stomach, causing acidic stomach contents to reflux into the esophagus, resulting in a burning sensation.

There may be discomfort in the uncomfortable position of the mother. For example, when resting on the back, dizziness and a feeling of lack of air appear - the uterus compresses the abdominal aorta.

The pelvic bones, in preparation for childbirth, move apart, which can also cause pain.

Colorless, odorless and clots of discharge is a natural process that is the result of hormonal changes in the body.

Many women in the position have severe lower back pain, and if nothing is done, over time, the pain will bother more and more. This is due to the ever-increasing load on your back. It's time to buy a bandage, if you haven't already, and don't forget about gymnastics for pregnant women.

Status may change due to excess weight. Against this background, headaches often appear, varicose veins veins and fatigue. To reduce the load on the legs, put pillows under them during sleep and wear anti-varicose stockings.

Often there are problems with urination, because the uterus puts a lot of pressure on the bladder.

Stomach

The belly is getting bigger. Now he is even more protruding forward.

During this period of development, the fetus needs a large amount of oxygen, for its normal supply, walk more often on the street and in the fresh air. In order for the baby to develop better, do relaxation exercises that contribute to a greater supply of oxygen. These exercises are necessary due to the active development of the brain and nervous system, which in the future will affect the intellectual development and mental state of your child.

With the growth of the uterus, the load on the bladder increases. This leads to an increase in the urge to urinate, in this regard, it is recommended to limit fluid intake, especially in the evening, before bedtime. Drink a lot during the day. Puffiness may appear, but at these times this is the norm, since the placenta needs additional fluid. With severe edema, it is important to abandon the use of salty foods, try to completely eliminate salt from consumption.

Often, women may experience cramps in the calf region, this is caused by a strong load on the legs, prolonged stay on the legs and calcium deficiency. To alleviate this condition, you need to eat right, this will have a beneficial effect on muscle mass. During this period, it is necessary to eat foods containing a sufficient amount of vitamin E, calcium and protein. If the cramps start to hurt a lot, seek help from a doctor, he will prescribe special vitamin complexes and supplements.

If by the evening your legs began to swell, then when you come home, lie down for a while with your legs raised. You can put a pillow under your knees or put your legs on the back of the sofa. Also do special exercises for the legs - this will improve the outflow of blood. For example, while standing still, rise on your toes and fall on your heels, get up from a chair on your heels, etc. It is worth consulting with a phlebologist. If necessary, he will recommend wearing compression stockings (tights or stockings), prescribe drugs that increase the tone of the veins.

Probably hemorrhoids. By this time, it may appear along with constipation. Characteristic will be pain in the rectum, prolapse of nodes, bleeding. In no case do not self-medicate! Hemorrhoids in pregnant women can only be cured by a specialist, this is a very difficult task.

Eat right, move a lot, get enough rest and enjoy this fertile time: it is slowly coming to an end.

Nutrition

When eating, remember that you have several tasks before you:

Provide yourself and your baby with a complete set of building materials, vitamins and trace elements.

Avoid constipation.

Prevent the development of hemorrhoids.

Vegetables, fruits, dairy products will help to cope immediately with all problems. Mandatory in the diet are fish, meat, cereals, especially oatmeal and buckwheat.

It will be easier to deal with extra pounds if you correctly realize that they can harm not only mom, but also the child. You will have to control your weight with daily weighing. A period of 23 weeks involves gaining additional weight in the amount of five to seven kilograms. Exceeding this norm should be an alarm signal. You need to get recommendations for adjusting weight and try to stick to them. For example, you can start spending special fasting days for pregnant women.

Physical activity

This does not mean formal exercises. Right now, when the body begins to feel better about your pregnancy, try to introduce more exercise into your daily routine. Try these tips.

Use the stairs, not the elevator, to go up two floors.

In the course of normal activities, take every opportunity to move more and sit less.

Gymnastics for the 6th month of pregnancy

dangers

If suddenly you experience regular pain in the abdomen, and the uterus comes into tone - this can be dangerous, consult your gynecologist. However, indistinct cramping irregular sensations, the so-called Braxton-Higgs contractions, can also be a sign of a normal pregnancy. These are training contractions, your body is already starting to prepare for childbirth.

The risks remain the same: the cervix sometimes cannot withstand the growing weight of the child and begins to open (isthmic-cervical insufficiency). The condition is corrected by suturing the neck or using an unloading pessary.

The child is still a foreign object for the mother's body and the reaction to it can move from the stage of early toxicosis to the stage of preeclampsia. At the same time, pressure rises, swelling increases, the kidneys cannot cope with the load. You can’t do without the help of specialists - the condition can end in the death of the mother and baby.

Heavy lifting and sudden movements should be avoided, they can lead to rupture of the membranes and placental abruption.

Bleeding may occur as an independent phenomenon or with painful sensations. Brown discharge may indicate an old placental abruption. Bright spotting will suggest a recent case of detachment. As a rule, such secretions are preceded by an increase in the tone of the uterus. It makes no sense to remind you that these symptoms require urgent medical attention.

Even at 23 weeks pregnant, you should be wary of:

uterine hypertonicity,

diabetes mellitus in pregnancy,

varicose veins.

Analyzes

A consultation with an obstetrician-gynecologist is necessary if a pregnant woman has any complaints. Perhaps you donate blood for sugar, general analysis urine, complete blood count.

Good to know

Of particular importance is attached to the analysis for determining the level of glucose. Exceeding the norm will warn of the risk of the fetus gaining excess weight. In this case, a special diet and treatment is prescribed.

Indicators of hemoglobin levels and dynamics are also important, since pregnancy is often accompanied by anemia and is subject to mandatory treatment.

At week 23, during a scheduled visit to the gynecologist, a general examination is performed, measurement of abdominal circumference, blood pressure. The expectant mother must be weighed to control weight and timely detection of edema. A mandatory requirement is to pass a urine test before going to the doctor. Only it is sometimes enough to monitor the condition of a pregnant woman and early detection of preeclampsia.

ultrasound

Week 23 refers to the screening period. If you did not have time to perform the second diagnostic ultrasound, now is the time. But, as a rule, by the 23rd week of pregnancy, the planned ultrasound is already over, although in some cases, when the baby, for example, was too active or turned his butt and did not allow his parameters to be assessed, this type of study may be re-appointed.

The reason for prescribing an ultrasound may also be dubious tests obtained a few weeks earlier, because the gestation period from 20 to 23 weeks is considered the most optimal for eliminating or treating possible defects or diseases.

Starting from the 23rd week, the growth rates for each child become individual, and the ultrasound specialist pays most of all attention to the development and activity of the internal organs. In particular, the activity of the brain is fixed, special attention is paid to the expansion of the ventricles of the brain, which may mean hydrocephalus. The heart rate is also given a significant role.

Fetometry (fetal size) with fetal ultrasound is normal

BDP (biparietal size). With ultrasound of the fetus at 23 weeks of gestation, the biparietal size is 52–64 mm.

LZ (fronto-occipital size). With ultrasound of the fetus at 23 weeks of gestation, 67–81 mm.

OG (fetal head circumference). With ultrasound of the fetus at 23 weeks of gestation, the head circumference corresponds to 190–224 mm.

Normal sizes of long bones

Femur 37–45 mm.

Humerus 34–42 mm.

Forearm bones 29–37 mm.

Lower leg bones 34–42 mm.

The purpose of ultrasound diagnostics this week is to exclude the pathology of the development of the fetus and the pathology of the placenta. The doctor without fail evaluates the position of the fetus in the uterus, its presentation. Sizes, the correspondence of these sizes to the gestational age. The internal organs are examined, the degree of their development, the relationship between them is assessed. Respiratory movements and heart rate are counted.

When examining the placenta, its size, functional maturity, the presence of pathological inclusions in it, and the measurement of blood flow are assessed. The location of the placenta relative to internal os cervical canal (CC), as well as the length of the cervix, the degree of disclosure of the CC.

An important indicator at this stage of pregnancy is the presentation of the fetus, since the head presentation is already considered the norm and a change in these indicators can become a signal for complications during pregnancy. For a complete diagnosis of the state of pregnancy and the position of the fetus, a woman can undergo an ultrasound using a vaginal probe, which is not a cause for concern.

Different Rh factor in mom and dad

If you have rhesus negative blood, and your spouse is positive, you may develop an Rh conflict during pregnancy. The first signs can be determined by ultrasound of the fetus at 23 weeks of gestation: an increase in the thickness of the placenta, ascites in the fetus (accumulation of fluid in the abdomen), hydrothorax (accumulation of fluid in the chest), expansion of the ventricles of the brain (hydrocephalus). When examining blood, an increase in antibody titers is observed. When using Doppler during ultrasound of the fetus at 23 weeks of gestation, disturbances in the uterine-fetal-placental blood flow are observed. An important prognostic criterion is the study of blood flow in the middle cerebral artery of the fetus. When the first signs of a Rh conflict are detected, the pregnant woman is carefully observed to determine the optimal timing of delivery in the interests of the survival of the child.

img alt="Nutrition at 23 weeks pregnant" class="alignleft" src="/preview/180/110/data/attachment/portal/201112/30/5116.jpg.thumb.jpg" / alt="Nutrition at the 23rd week of pregnancy - the importance of vitamins at this time.">!} Nutrition at 23 weeks pregnant should include all the necessary elements for both you and the baby! Vitamins at the 23rd week of pregnancy, calcium and much more are extremely important for you! When the 23rd week of pregnancy comes, then nutrition is no longer something new for you ... You already know everything!

Your diet during pregnancy at 23 weeks is almost the same as it was before. You just need to be more careful with the products and that's it! 23 weeks of pregnancy have been forgiven, and your tone is not the same ... You are waiting for a small miracle!

The fetus looks almost the same as at birth. Compared to the size of the body, the head appears to be very large. Boys have a well-developed scrotum, girls have ovaries containing several million eggs of puberty. The length of the fetus is about 31 cm, its weight is approximately 440 g. Remember that there are no trifles during pregnancy. All the details are important because each pregnancy is individual, just like the person as a whole. It happens that as early as the twenty-third week, childbirth can begin. It is very difficult to leave a prematurely born child. Let's hope it doesn't threaten us. We still have seventeen weeks ahead of us!

Physiological anemia- the phenomenon is normal, and yet consult a doctor, you get enough iron - otherwise there is a threat of this anemia. If hemoglobin has fallen, medical correction of anemia is needed. Anemia seriously affects the fetus. In mothers who have had anemia during pregnancy, children lag behind in development and are very often sick. The fetus looks almost the same as at birth. Compared to the size of the body, the head appears to be very large. Boys have a well-developed scrotum, girls have ovaries containing several million eggs of puberty. The length of the fruit is about 31 cm, its weight is about 440 g.

All smells and sensations intensified. Your sense of smell from the first day of pregnancy is sharpened. Despite the fact that the toxicosis has passed, you are very acutely aware of all the smells. Try to avoid crowded places, move away from smokers near you. In addition, it is time for you to limit your salt intake. Salt contributes to the retention of sodium in the body, and hence the appearance of edema. It is necessary to limit the use of smoked foods, french fries, chips, salted nuts - that is, everything that you really wanted, especially in the first weeks of pregnancy. As in previous weeks, your blood volume is increasing, mainly due to plasma. Plasma is the liquid component of blood, it is able to dissolve blood cells and reduce hemoglobin.