Week 23:

Fetal development in pregnancy week 23:



fetus in sixth month
At this point you’ve pretty much adjusted to the fact you’ve got a
moving little gymnast inside of you, but now they’re going to kick up
the party a notch because they can hear and react to sounds from the
outside world. Sounds from your alarm clock, a thunder roll, or that
darned car honking at you across the intersection can actually jar
their little ears enough to elicit a kick or violent bout of squirming.
Of course this also means that their little ears are picking up the
sounds of your voice and those near you. So go ahead, sing a lullaby to
your little angel—if they start kicking, it’s likely they just want you
to stop… or maybe it was a kick of approval? You decide. Your baby's
tiny taste buds are still growing and their bones are continuing to
ossify (harden), their tiny veins are visible through their translucent
yet wrinkly skin. (Think of it this way: they’ve been swimming in the
equivalent of a long hot bath for the past 23 weeks, so you can’t blame
them for being a little prune-like.)

And how's mom doing?
If no one warned you about the joys of
the pregnancy-sleep-challenge, you’ve probably already started to
discover just how difficult it can be to find adequately comfortable
sleeping positions. The good news is: some people actually invented
pillows specifically designed to give a pregnant woman if
you want to further reduce the dreaded appearance of pregnancy
“cankles” (calf-ankles) try to avoid sitting for long periods of
time—and for the hundredth time: don’t forget to stay active! a
better chance of sleeping through the night. There are a variety of
different designs, but inevitably you’ll want some sort of belly
support as well as a body pillow between your legs and under your belly
to relieve a bit of the discomfort you're sure to be experiencing right
now. If you choose to buy the (rather spendy) pregnancy pillows they've
got on the market, make sure you keep the receipt as some women still
have problems sleeping and fare better with their own unique pillow
collection and set-upAs if there's not enough to keep track of
already, are you remembering to drink lots of fluids? Plenty of good
ol’ fashioned H20 (water) can help reduce swelling in your poor ankles
and feet-- resulting from the pressure your now over-sized uterus is
putting on your pelvic veins, thereby slowing fluid circulation to the
lower half of your body. Also, if you want to further reduce the
dreaded appearance of pregnancy “cankles” (calf-ankles) try to avoid
sitting for long periods of time—and for the hundredth time: don’t
forget to stay active! Keeping your fluid intake up is also good for
your little resident swimmer as dehydration is frequently connected
with premature birthing. Yep, it’s a lot of responsibility, but you can
do it! You’re almost two-thirds of the way there already! Keep up the
good work mom!