When you are
23 weeks pregnant, you will start to sport a slight baby bump which will probably generate a lot of questions regarding your baby, your health, and your due date. Answering these questions can make you wonder about your baby’s physical appearance. Some of the most common questions asked by women at this time are “What does my baby look like when I am 23 weeks pregnant?” and “
what is the size of my baby when I am 23 weeks pregnant?” An ultrasound scan in the first or second trimester can help to clear doubts and give the mother a clear image of her baby. Your fist ultrasound scan is a significant milestone as it is your first glimpse of your baby. A baby,
at 23 weeks of a pregnancy, is clearly visible and you will probably see him/her making a fist or clutching the umbilical cord.
A
baby at 23 weeks pregnant is slightly longer than a foot and weighs a little over a pound. Pregnant women often worry about their baby’s size and so it is natural to wonder whether your baby, at 23 weeks of your pregnancy, is the “right” size. At
23 weeks pregnant, your baby will have slightly wrinkly skin which will fill out during the coming months. This wrinkled appearance is the result of the skin developing faster than the fatty deposits below it. Your baby, at 23 weeks of pregnancy, is covered with a fine downy hair called lanugo to insulate the baby and keep it warm. Till birth, this lanugo is constantly shed and replaced as the baby does not have sufficient body fat to remain warm. It is at this time of the pregnancy that the baby’s skin gets its color pigment.
Regardless of the
size of the baby at 23 weeks of pregnancy, the vital internal organs are already in place and functioning to prepare the baby for birth. The brain, with its intricately wired nervous system and sensory center, the digestive system, and the circulatory system are already functioning in the baby. The blood vessels in the lungs develop so that they can be fully functional and ready to take over the activity of breathing. The constant movement and kicking in the womb strengthens the muscles of the fetus and the bones grow stronger and firmer every week. Women, who complain about lack of sleep thanks to the constant kicking, should also remember that as a baby grows, he/she has less space to move around in the uterus and this could be a source of discomfort.
Submitted by N on May 4, 2011 at 11:30
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