Week 23

Your Baby’s Development:

This week marks an important turning point in your pregnancy. Currently your baby weighs just over a pound and is about the size of a grapefruit. Over the next four weeks, your baby’s weight will double. Your baby’s organs and bones are still visible through his or her translucent skin, but this will all change over the next few weeks.

What You Should Expect:

Your baby is not the only one gaining weight this week, but you are probably putting on some pounds, too. You may have what many mothers refer to as “baby brain” or “pregnancy brain,” which is a condition marked by short-term memory problems. Blame this on the progesterone, the hormone responsible for your developing pregnancy. Fortunately, this symptom goes away shortly after delivery. During this time in your pregnancy, you may also begin to notice a line forming over your baby bump. This line, known as linea nigra, is a common skin discoloration during pregnancy and is a result of those same pregnancy hormones responsible for other skin discoloration you may notice such as red palms and feet, or darker areolas and freckles.