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Week 23
How Big is the Baby at 23
Weeks Pregnant?
Your baby is positively HUGE during pregnancy at
23 weeks, a whopping 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 between 8 and 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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