By this week, your baby’s “rough” physical development is largely complete. In the coming weeks, fine development will take place, and your baby will continue to grow and gain weight. Read on to learn what exactly is changing in your baby during this week of pregnancy—and what’s happening in your body, too.

How big is your baby in the 23rd week of pregnancy?

This week, your baby is about the size of a carrot, measuring around 19 centimeters. The crown-to-heel length is approximately 28 centimeters.

23rd week of pregnancy: What is changing for you

The hormone relaxin helps your cervix, as well as the joints and ligaments throughout your body, become more relaxed. This also affects the ligaments in your feet and hands, so you may find yourself stumbling or twisting an ankle more often when walking.

The amount of blood flowing through your body has now increased by 50 percent, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for your body to pump blood quickly from top to bottom. As a possible consequence, many pregnant women experience dizziness . To counteract this, try lying down from time to time and elevating your legs to support blood flow. If you don’t have the opportunity to lie down, you can also stimulate circulation while sitting by rotating your feet and marching in place to support the vein pump in your legs. Additionally, maintaining stable circulation involves eating and drinking regularly and sufficiently.

Another typical symptom that occurs in the 23rd
week of pregnancy is increased urinary frequency . No wonder,
after all, your uterus grows week by week and presses more and more
on your bladder. The urge to urinate will probably continue to increase in the near future.

The amniotic fluid volume in your uterus rises
constantly: This week, it already amounts to 500 milliliters; by the end of pregnancy,
it can be up to two liters. Your baby will drink about 400 milliliters of that
per day, and it is then expelled again. Variations in the amount of amniotic fluid can,
by the way, indicate a condition affecting you or your baby, which is why the
amniotic fluid volume in your uterus is
measured during each ultrasound examination.

23rd week of pregnancy: Development of your baby

At 23 weeks of pregnancy, the inner ear bones of your baby continue to harden, allowing your baby to perceive and differentiate sounds more and more clearly. In addition to the sounds of your body—such as your heartbeat, blood flow, and digestive noises—which your baby constantly perceives in the background and which soothe it, your baby is also becoming increasingly aware of external sounds. You can imagine this roughly as the hearing experience you have when your head is underwater. Your baby primarily perceives deep tones and voices in this way. Furthermore, the connections in the brain are now developed enough that, by the 23rd week of pregnancy, your baby can store memories for the first time and recognize familiar voices after birth.

Recently, your baby has gained a lot of weight, and this week it is not only growing but also continuing to build fat reserves. As a result, its proportions are becoming more similar to those it will have at birth. Its nostrils, which were previously closed, are opening, and the lungs and pulmonary circulation are making significant developmental progress. Your baby supports this through diligent breathing exercises, during which it inhales and exhales amniotic fluid. Its movements are becoming increasingly coordinated and precise, so your baby can already turn around in your womb. This is especially nice, as these turning exercises become more visible and palpable from the outside.

Relaxing baby bump massage

Now that your baby’s movements are becoming more visible and palpable from the outside, your partner can also connect with your little one. A pregnancy massage is especially wonderful for this. Your baby is now consciously aware of touch and may even respond with kicks or movements. However, a massage is not only a lovely way for your partner to bond with your baby even before birth—it’s also a relaxing break for you. Gentle touch can relieve tension and stress and ease discomfort, while also stimulating circulation and blood flow.

For the massage, it’s best to use a natural, nourishing oil. Our LILLYDOO for mom pregnancy care oil is made from ingredients of 100% natural origin and is specifically tailored to the needs of skin during pregnancy. It promotes elasticity, protects against drying out, and helps prevent stretch marks. If you’re curious and want to try a massage, you’ll find an
overview of various techniques, including detailed instructions, in the article “ Abdominal massage during pregnancy ".

This is now important

• Depending on how large your belly already is, your navel may now protrude outward. But don’t worry—it will naturally return to its original position after birth. If there are other women around you who are pregnant at the same time, you’ll soon notice that, just like every woman, every belly is different, with its own shape and size. Whether the navel protrudes or not is also very individual—so try not to compare yourself to others, and instead enjoy your unique belly.

• Even if it’s still a little while until the birth, you can already make preparations for the first period afterward. For example, you can complete as much as possible of the applications for child benefits and parental allowance and gather all the necessary documents. You can only submit these after the birth, along with your child’s birth certificate , to the responsible authority , but preparing the applications in advance will save you work during the postpartum period and help you enjoy those first getting-to-know-you moments with your baby to the fullest. Another advantage is that the waiting time for the first payment is shortened if you can submit the applications immediately after the birth.

• During pregnancy, your skin has to stretch significantly in a short period of time. This tension can sometimes cause intense itching, especially on the belly. That’s why you should take particularly good care of your skin now. Our LILLYDOO for mom Pregnancy Care Oil is not only ideal for massage but also for daily use. Simply pump a few doses of oil into your hand, warm it slightly, and gently massage the nourishing oil into your skin. It’s best to care for your skin right after showering, when your skin is still damp. Rosehip oil and algae extract in the pregnancy care oil promote skin elasticity and protect against drying out.

With our pregnancy calendar, we want to guide you through this exciting time
and provide you with relevant information that also comes up in exchanges with our LILLYDOO experts. However, the advice listed here can never replace personal consultation with your doctor or midwife. Therefore, always contact your medical professionals with questions and for professional care.