Week 23 highlights

I better start dancing with this week's update!




How your baby's growing:
Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound, you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.


You may notice that your ankles and feet start to swell a bit in the coming weeks or months, especially at the end of the day or during the heat of summer. Sluggish circulation in your legs — coupled with changes in your blood chemistry that may cause some water retention — may result in swelling, also known as edema. Your body will get rid of the extra fluid after you have your baby, which is why you'll pee frequently and sweat a lot for a few days after delivery.

First pic of the belly

Ok, here it is! The first pic of the belly, where it is really starting to show. I am 23 weeks in this picture.

Where did I put that...

Well, I feel like I am losing my mind some days. Most mornings, I almost throw the milk jug into the freezer or the trash, then catch myself at the last moment. I hear that pregnancy can do that to people. I found this cute comic to express how I feel some days.

Week 22 Highlights

Pregnancy Week 21-24: You went long and deep and scored! Your baby is about the
size of an over-inflated football.

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

The bump is pushing out this week, more people are starting to realize I am pregnant. I have had bad round ligament pain this week, which feels like a sore muscle all through my lower abdomen. They say this will happen on and off for the rest of my pregnanc. (Think of how much baby is growing!)

Kicking me where?

Well, today was the first time the baby kicked me in a spot I didn't like. Directly in the cervix. I was so taken aback by the sudden, quick little kick that tears came to my eyes...then they did it again! I was in a meeting, so I couldn't get up and move around; I had to pretend like nothing happened. WOW, what a crazy feeling.

Scary Dream

OK, so last night was the worst dream so far. I can't include all the details because it freaks me out just thinking about it.

I went into labor at 30 weeks, Jeff was at the hospital with me, but had to run to the restroom, so he wasn't there for the birth. The baby was taken away and we all went home for the night. The next morning, I asked my friend if the baby was ok. She said the doctors said the baby couldn't see...his eyes weren't developed yet. She also informed me that my friend Mike named the baby Timmy (Which I hated). But they wouldn't let me change the name back.

I made my friend take me to the hospital to get my baby. We had to stop at work, which was across the street from the hospital to get the baby seat. Once we arrived at the hospital, Bob Saget, (yes, the actor) who was the doctor in my dream, said my baby was blind. Bob then saw a pair of glasses on another child and it "dawned" on him that the baby might be able to see with glasses.

The whole time through the dream I was frantic, but no one else seemed concerned. VERY DISTURBING!

Week 21 highlights

By week 21, your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces, and her length from head to rump is seven inches. Ten and one-half ounces is also the size bear cubs are when they are born.

Your baby has begun her main project for the rest of your pregnancy: putting on weight. She regularly drinks amniotic fluid for hydration and nutrition, urinates in the fluid and breathes in and out (fortunately, the fluid pool refreshes itself every three hours). Her eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. Taste buds are forming on her tongue. Her eyelids are still sealed, but her eyes are active.

Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.