How Your Baby Grows During the Twenty-Third Week
Congratulations! Your baby girl now weighs a full pound, give or take a couple ounces. She is probably about 8 inches crown-to-rump, the distance from the top of her head to her buttock.
Since all of her vital organs and body systems are essentially in place now, she will begin spending the next few weeks adding to her vital fat stores, maturing her lungs, and adding new brain cells.
What the Mother Feels During the Twenty-Third Week
Your weight gain is likely around 12-15 pounds now and the top of your uterus can be found at the level of your bellybutton.
Speaking of uterus, it is possible that you will now be able to feel yours beginning to warm up for the task of childbirth ahead. These "rehearsal contractions" are called Braxton Hicks contractions and are usually light and irregular until the end of your pregnancy.
Pre-term labor contractions will be much stronger and closer together. If you experience more than 3-4 contractions in a single hour before your 36th week of pregnancy call your care provider immediately.
For most women, however, these contractions are sporadic and irregular. You may notice that sexual activity can cause a couple stronger contractions, but this is a normal response to the hormones released during love-making and the contractions will subside again.
Your caregiver may be suggesting a test to check for gestational diabetes, called the Glucose Tolerance Test. Alternatively, and in addition, your doctor or midwife will also be checking your urine at every prenatal visit to check for excess protein or sugar in the urine.
The presence of sugar in the urine is normal inn small amounts, however high levels, called glucosuria can signal other conditions. Your doctor or midwife will monitor these levels and recommend additional testing if necessary, so be sure to keep your scheduled prenatal check-ups.
Resources:
The Pregnancy Book: Month-by-Month by Dr. Sears
Your Pregnancy Week by Week by Lesley Regan
The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger
