23 Weeks Pregnant - what to expect
Now you're 23 weeks pregnant, this week is all about heartburn (again!), pins and needles, looking up baby names and bacon and broccoli pasta!
Watch our video to see what your baby looks like this week
Your baby can hear your voice, heartbeat and stomach rumbles and a loud noise might make him or her jump. That see-through skin will start to become less transparent now, as your baby starts to pack fat on.
So what's happening to your body this week?
It’s amazing how many of the ‘niggles’ of old age, such as back pain, achey feet and (oh yes) piles, turn out to be the ‘niggles’ of pregnancy, too. And you can add heartburn to that list.
The fiery feeling you may sometimes get in your throat and upper chest is stomach acid going where it shouldn’t: out of your stomach, up into your gullet (oesophagus).
It’s nothing you’ve done (or ate); it’s the hormone progesterone – whose great work relaxing your womb’s smooth muscle is also relaxing the smooth muscle of the stomach valve whose job it is to stop this kind of acid splashback.
Eating little and often, and sleeping with extra pillows can help.
Our MFMer's 23-week bump of the week
Are you keeping track of your bump with weekly pics? Check out other MFMers' belfies in our 23 week bump gallery.
Did you know? Your baby's now the length of... a ciabatta loaf
This week, your baby measures 28.9cm — the bun in your oven is definitely getting bigger — as long as a ciabatta loaf in fact!
And around the weight of... a can of baked beans
Your baby now weighs around 1lb (460g)!
4 things you might need to know this week
- Can you predict your baby's eye colour?
- Irish baby names (and how to say them)
- Is it safe to use a hot water bottle in pregnancy?
- 6 nuts you should eat in pregnancy
Tip of the week from our community
“Have you noticed that your leg hair has stopped growing? I thought I was imagining things but I Googled it and it can be a pregnancy thing. Random!” said Tiffany, a member of our MadeForMums community.
Is it normal... to keep getting pins and needles?
A sharp yes. From a general tingle to painful pricking, pins and needles are an uncomfortably common pregnancy niggle.
It's all due to the increased fluid you're carrying around plus the weight of your lovely baby, which puts pressure on your joints and nerves.
Worse at night? Yep, we know. Best thing to do is move your prickly limbs around – clench hands, wriggle legs — and avoid tight clothing. Damn, you'll need to put away those cycling shorts.
Our pregnancy recipe for week 23 - Cheesy pasta with bacon and broccoli
Why broccoli is great for your growing baby
Probably the most popular of the super-good-for-you band of leafy-green-veg brothers, broccoli is rich in (constipation-easing) fibre and antioxidants.
Its high vitamin C content will help your body form and maintain healthy blood vessels for your baby – and, if eaten with iron-rich food such as wholewheat rice or pasta, will also help your body absorb iron (needed to make extra blood for you and your baby and to move oxygen from your lungs to your baby’s).
See the full recipe and get cooking...
Baby namer - what do you think of these Disney-themed names?
If you're a fan of fairy tales, these names from Disney films could be the ones for you.
Briar Rose
Everyone hopes their baby will sleep through anything. So why not use Sleeping Beauty's name for good luck? Briar Rose was the name given to Princess Aurora by the 3 fairies to help hide her from the evil Maleficent's curse. Just don't blame us if it backfires!
Celeb baby-name-check: Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen named their first daughter Briar Rose.
Titan
Titans are giants from Greek mythology that are immortal and powerful. In Disney's Hercules, Hades unleashes them to wreak havoc on the world – until the hero comes to everyone's rescue of course.
Celeb baby-name-check: Kelly Rowland named her first son Titan.
Need more inspiration? Check out our Baby Names section for lots more ideas.
So that's plenty for this week, want to take a peek at what lies ahead - or look back at last week?
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