23rd week of pregnancy

With this week, the "rough" physical development of your baby is largely complete; in the coming weeks, fine development will take place, and it will continue to grow and gain weight. Read here what exactly is changing in your child during this pregnancy week and what is also happening to your body.

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

Your baby is about the size of a carrot this week at 19 centimeters. The crown-to-heel length is approximately 28 centimeters.

23rd week of pregnancy: What is changing for you

The hormone relaxin ensures that your cervix, as well as joints and ligaments throughout your body, become more relaxed. This also affects the ligaments in your feet and hands, so it may happen that you now stumble or twist your ankle more often when walking.

The amount of blood flowing through your body has now increased to
Increased by 50 percent, and it becomes 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 blood flow while sitting by rotating your feet and marching in place to support the vein pump in your legs. Additionally, maintaining a stable circulation involves eating and drinking regularly and sufficiently.

Another typical symptom that occurs in the 23.
occurs during pregnancy week increased urinary frequency . No wonder,
finally, your uterus grows week by week and presses more and more
onto the bladder. The urge to urinate will probably continue to increase in the near future
to increase.

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

23rd week of pregnancy: Development of your baby

At 23 weeks of pregnancy, the inner ear bones of your baby continue to harden, allowing it 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, it 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 child primarily perceives deep tones and voices in this way. Furthermore, the connections in its 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 make contact with him/her. A pregnancy massage is especially wonderful for this. Your baby is now consciously aware of the touches and may even respond with kicks or movements. However, a massage is not only a wonderful way for your partner to build a bond with your baby even before birth, but it is also a relaxing break for you. The gentle touches relieve tension and stress and alleviate pain, while stimulating circulation and blood flow.

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

This is now important

• Depending on how large your belly already is, it may be that your navel now protrudes 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 will soon notice: 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, but 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 fill out the applications for child benefits and parental allowance as much as possible and gather all the necessary documents. You can only submit these after the birth with the birth certificate of your child at the responsible authority , but if you prepare the applications in advance, you'll save yourself work during the postpartum period and be able to enjoy the first getting-to-know-you time 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 must stretch significantly in a short period of time. This tension can sometimes cause intense itching, especially on the belly. Therefore, 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 application. 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
accompany and provide you with relevant information that also arises 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 for questions and professional care.