Your Baby in week 23
Your Baby in week 23:
Even though fat is beginning to accumulate on your baby's
body, the skin still hangs loosely, giving your baby a
wrinkled appearance. Your baby's daily workout routine
includes moving the muscles in the fingers, toes,
arms, and legs regularly. As a result, you may
feel more forceful movements.
By now your baby weighs a little more than 1 pound
(454 grams). If preterm labor and delivery were to
occur this week, a baby could survive with expert
medical care, but might have mild to severe disabilities.
With increasing research and knowledge in the field of
fetal medicine, the long-term prognosis for premature
babies improves every year.
What's going on with You:
The closer you get to your delivery date, the
more trouble you may have sleeping. Anxiety,
frequent urination, heartburn, leg cramps,
and general discomfort can translate into
a short night's sleep for a pregnant woman.
But your baby's health and your own depend
on you getting adequate rest. Try a warm
bath, soothing music, a relaxing book, or
a cup of herbal tea to put you in the mood
to snooze.
Many doctors recommend that pregnant women
sleep on their sides, not their backs or
stomachs, so that blood flow to the placenta
is not restricted. If you find this uncomfortable,
try placing a pillow between your knees to relieve
the pressure of your weight while lying on your side.
next week 24
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