Monday, November 9, 2009

23 Weeks and Counting!


I LOVE MANGOS ... yep ... that's right ... I'm 23 weeks along ... snugly in my 6th month of pregnancy. I can't believe how the time is flying and how my belly is expanding. My clothes are definitely becoming a challenge. Yesterday while getting dressed to go to the grocery store ... I went through 3 shirts before getting to one that had a relatively appropriate fit ... I didn't completely look crazy. Also, my little lady is visibly becoming stronger ... yep ... last night while laying on the couch, I watched her play underneath my t-shirt. It was adorable ... playtime for my little lady. I can't wait to meet her.

  • How far along?: Yep ... that's right folks, I'm 23 weeks!!!
  • Total weight gain: 13 pounds. Yuck! That was at my last visit though ... 2 weeks ago ... my next visit will be on the 19th ... we'll see where I stand then. Everyone keeps telling me how thin my face is ... how "great" I look but then that can't be true ... I can hardly fit into any of my clothes!
  • Maternity clothes?: I'm at that weird stage ... I thought I would be able to go longer with my "normal" stretchy clothing ... yeah well, I'm seriously going shopping this weekend for some new tops ... a lot of my shirts are becoming too short in the front. Nice. I finally broke down and purchased my first pair of maternity jeans last Thursday ... the old bella band is still holding up but I'm starting to need a "little more." Oh and (too much info) but my boobs are HUGE!
  • How big is baby?: about 11 inches in length! What a big girl!
  • Stretch marks?: still nothing ... keep your fingers crossed ...
  • Sleep?: Not well ... I eventually get sleep ... after complete and utter exhaustion but in general ... good sleep is a thing of the past ...
  • Best moment this week?: I sing to her while I'm in the shower ... she rolls and moves around like crazy ... I like to think that she's moving to the "music"
  • Movement?: Watching my little baby during "play time" the other night ... yep ... I could see my shirt dancing around ... AMAZING ...
  • Food cravings?: Just food in general ... LOL
  • Labor signs?: Nope ... that wouldn't be good
  • Belly button in or out?: still in ... again, lets keep our fingers crossed ...
  • What I miss: Not having to go through 3 - 4 outfits to figure out what I'm going to wear for the day
  • What I'm looking forward to: The arrival of our little lady & of course, maternity leave!
  • Milestone: During my research ... I came up with the following:

How Big is the Baby at 23 Weeks Pregnant?

Your baby is positively HUGE during pregnancy at 23 weeks, a whopping 1.1 pound (or almost at least!). That is quite an accomplishment for someone that used to weigh less than one ounce. Your baby at 23 weeks is now the size of a small baby doll you might purchase for a little girl. That's pretty impressive considering your baby could fit in the palm of your hand just a few short weeks ago. Your newborn baby is also about 11 inches long by pregnancy week 23!


Your Baby's Growth and Development

Your baby is still making remarkable changes at pregnancy 23 weeks. Her skin is still quite red and heavily wrinkled by the end of pregnancy week 23. Your baby can often hear loud noises in the womb from now and as you continue your pregnancy week by week, so don't be surprised if your baby seems to move around a bit when you are vacuuming or in an environment where loud noises are quite common.


The bones located in your baby's middle ear are starting to form by pregnancy week 23 and your baby is continuing to fill out and look more and more proportional.


If your baby were born this week there is a small chance your baby would survive, however it is best that your baby stay put for a number of weeks! Many women start to wonder what might happen if their baby is born prematurely. A baby born between 23 and 24 weeks would have a 10 to 70 percent chance of survival. It truly depends on a number of factors that have to be taken into consideration.


There are babies that are born at one pound that beat the odds and go on to live a fairly normal life, while others unfortunately die due to unexpected complications. The smallest babies may survive but grow up with some mental or motor disabilities as a result of their extreme prematurity.


Every day your baby stays in the womb increases their survival rate approximately 3 percent during weeks 23 and 26. Generally after 26 weeks the survival rate jumps to 80-90%.


Many things can affect your baby's chances of survival if she is born prematurely. If your membranes rupture prior to 24 weeks your baby has less of a chance than if they stay intact. Male infants are considered more at risk because they are less mature than female babies when born prematurely. Other factors such as diabetes or high blood pressure can place added stress on the baby during delivery, increasing the chances of complication.


Your Growth and Development

Your uterus is continuing to grow and expand at 23 weeks pregnant, and by now is about 1.5 inches above your bellybutton. You are probably feeling less and less graceful 23 weeks pregnant as your belly continues to expand.

Your baby has lots of room to move in your uterus now, so her movements are probably quite strong at this point. You probably feel lots of flipping and flopping, and may even notice your stomach moving about!


Changes in You

You are probably having wild mood swings still, but other than that things are run of the mill. Take some time to enjoy the feeling of your baby moving about your belly. This is often a fun time for both mom and baby because the baby has so much room to move around.

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