23 weeks pregnant: symptoms and baby development
Strong enough to see from the outside.
Second trimesterMonth 65 min read
By Solesia, from public clinical guidanceUpdated
Look down at the right moment and you may see it: a twitch under the skin of your belly, there and gone, as your baby turns over. The kicks that were yours alone are strong enough now for a hand resting on the bump to feel what you feel, and this is the week they tend to go public. Their body has reached its proportions, so what grows from here is size and padding. For you, the ribcage is spreading to make room for your lungs, the breasts may leak the first drops of milk, and your skin burns more easily in the sun than it used to.
How big is your baby at 23 weeks
About the size of a grapefruit
11.4 in long·1.25 lb
Baby development at 23 weeks
At 23 weeks your baby measures about 11.4 inches from head to heel and weighs around 1.25 pounds, roughly a grapefruit. The limbs are in proportion to the body now, and the face looks the way it will at birth, just thinner; the next weeks fill it out.
Their movements are strong enough that you can see them: a ripple across the bump, a sudden bulge where a foot pushed. They kick, stretch and turn with real force, and they are settling into stretches of sleep and waking that repeat through the day. You are beginning to learn that rhythm, and from next week it becomes something worth paying attention to.
The lungs are practicing. The air sacs are forming and the blood vessels around them are multiplying, and they make breathing movements that draw fluid in and out. Hearing is sharp enough now to notice your voice, your heartbeat and the whoosh of your blood, and to startle at a slammed door. The skin is still thin and wrinkled, waiting for the fat that comes in the next month.
Your body at 23 weeks
An ache along the sides of your ribs is expected from about now. The ribcage is widening to give the lungs room as the uterus rises, and the muscles between the ribs are being stretched. Sitting up straight, stretching your arms overhead, and a pillow that supports your side at night all help, and it eases when the baby drops lower toward the end.
Breathlessness goes with it: there is less room for the lungs to expand downward, so you breathe a little shallower and faster. This is expected and it does not mean your baby is short of air; the placenta sees to that. Slow down on hills, and sleep propped up if lying flat feels tight.
A few drops of yellowish colostrum leaking from the breasts is expected and means nothing about how feeding will go; some people leak and some never do. A breast pad handles it. Your skin, meanwhile, is quicker to burn and to darken in the sun, so sunscreen, a hat and shade are worth more than usual this summer. Backache is common as the bump grows; a warm bath and a pillow between your knees at night are the reliable fixes.
Common pregnancy symptoms at 23 weeks
- Rib ache. The ribcage is widening for the lungs. Sit tall, stretch arms overhead, and support your side in bed.
- Short of breath. Less room for the lungs. Slow down on hills; sleep propped up if flat feels tight.
- Leaking breasts. Colostrum arriving ahead of time. Breast pads, and nothing else to do.
- Skin that burns easily. Hormones make it more sun-sensitive. SPF 30, a hat, and shade in the middle of the day.
- Backache. Weight in front and loose joints. Flat shoes, a warm bath, a pillow between your knees.
- Swollen ankles. Fluid settling by evening. Feet up when sitting; walks keep it moving.
- Nosebleeds. A fuller nose lining. Pinch for ten minutes; a humidifier at night.
When to call your provider at 23 weeks
You are starting to learn your baby’s rhythm. Movements will get more regular over the next few weeks; from 24 that pattern becomes something to pay attention to.
Two things are worth a same-day call at any point in pregnancy: bleeding that is more than spotting, and pain that is severe or does not ease. From the second trimester, add fluid leaking and any change in your baby’s usual pattern of movement. You do not need to be sure something is wrong to call; that is what the number is for.
What to do at 23 weeks
- Glucose screening, booked. The test is done between 24 and 28 weeks: a sweet drink, then a blood draw an hour later. If it is not on your calendar, ask this week whether it is combined with your next visit.
- Learning the pattern. From 24 weeks your baby’s pattern of movement is worth knowing. This week, just notice when they tend to be busy and when they are quiet.
- Caffeine check. Under 200 milligrams a day is the guidance, about one 12-ounce coffee. Tea, cola and chocolate count; an honest tally is worth doing once.
- Sun protection. Pregnancy skin burns and darkens more easily, and patches on the face can linger. Broad-spectrum SPF 30 every morning, more if you are outside.
Common questions at 23 weeks
Can other people see my baby move at 23 weeks?
Often, yes. The movements are strong enough now that a kick can show as a twitch or a bulge on the bump, especially when you are lying down and relaxed. A hand resting low on the belly in the evening, when many babies are busiest, has the best chance. If your placenta is at the front, it cushions the kicks and it may take a few more weeks.
Is it normal for my breasts to leak at 23 weeks?
Yes. The breasts have been making colostrum, the thick first milk, since the middle of pregnancy, and a few drops can leak out, especially in the shower or during sex. Some people leak and some never do, and neither says anything about how feeding will go. A breast pad in your bra is all it needs.
Why do my ribs hurt in pregnancy?
The ribcage is widening to make room for the lungs as the uterus rises, and the muscles between the ribs are stretched. Sitting hunched over makes it worse, so sit tall and stretch with arms overhead. It usually eases in the last weeks when the baby settles lower. Pain that sits under the right ribs with a headache is the version to call about.
What is the glucose test in pregnancy?
A screen for gestational diabetes, done between 24 and 28 weeks. You drink a sweet solution, wait an hour, and have blood drawn to see how your body handled the sugar. A higher result leads to a longer test, not a diagnosis. It usually needs no fasting; ask whether yours does.
Written from public clinical guidance, including NHS: Week 23, ACOG: How your baby grows, ACOG: Changes in your body, ACOG: Gestational diabetes, NHS: Your baby’s movements and ACOG: Skin conditions during pregnancy. This page is general information, not medical advice, and does not replace your provider.