How Does Your Body Change During Week 23 of Pregnancy?

3 min read

Written by Gayathri Lakshminarayanan

Gayathri Lakshminarayanan

CA, B.Com

Gayathri’s passion for writing had its foundation at the very early stages of her life when she was on her college editorial board and also won several awards for writing events and book review competitions. She combines her corporate experience with her writing skills and her experience as a homemaker makes her an empathetic contributor in the parenting domain . Her shift from full-time accounting professional to a homemaker gave her career a new direction.

pregnancy week 23

By week 23 of pregnancy, your belly may show the people around you that you are pregnant. You might also start getting comments about glowing pregnancy skin. You may also notice that your appetite has increased and stretch marks have come all over your body. Your baby`s lungs are growing well by week 23 of pregnancy, and your baby might be the size of a mango. Let us learn more about how does your body change during week 23 of pregnancy. Let us get started.

How Does Your Body Change During Week 23 of Pregnancy?

Apart from the common symptoms of pregnancy, there are two specific symptoms that you might experience during week 23 of pregnancy. Let us discuss them in detail.

1. Snoring

A pregnant woman undergoes several physical and hormonal changes during pregnancy. As a result of the combination of such changes, it is widespread for women to snore during pregnancy.

The structures in the mouth and throat relax during sleep. The relaxation may block the airflow in the nasal passage and create a space constraint in the throat to facilitate comfortable breathing. Thus, the tissues in the throat vibrate while sleeping and make a sound—snore. The following are some of the common pregnancy-related reasons for snoring:

Weight Gain
Hormonal Changes
Increase in the blood flow

What to do?

You can consult your doctor if snoring creates many problems for you. You can also follow any of the following strategies.

Sleeping on your side
Elevate your upper body while sleeping
Using Nasal Strips
Maintaining a healthy weight during pregnancy
Follow proper sleep hygiene
Avoid Alcohol and Smoking

2. Tingling Sensation in Hands

Some women might feel tingling in their hands and arms during pregnancy. This condition is known as “Carpel Tunnel Syndrome” (CTS). The wrist contains a small space or “tunnel,” formed by the bones and ligaments. This is known as the Carpel Tunnel.

When women perform any activity that reduces the Carpel Tunnel’s space and increases the median nerve’s sensitivity, they may experience a tingling sensation in the hands and arms, known as Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. The CTS has a set of symptoms, including tingling, numbness, and pain in the hand and arms.

What to do?

Talk to your doctor and get their suggestions about what you can do to ease the pain. You can follow any strategies to eliminate or reduce the pain.

Avoid activities that put pressure on the median nerve.
Wear a wrist splint.
Do stretching exercises for your hands and arms.

The symptoms usually go away post-delivery.

Other Symptoms

The following are some other symptoms you may experience during week 23 of pregnancy:

1. Baby Movements/ Kicks

It is common to feel the baby’s movements and kicks during week 23 of pregnancy.

What to do?

Sit back, relax and enjoy the movement of life within you.

2. Backache

The growing uterus puts pressure on the ligaments and tissues in the back and gives you back pain.

What to do?

Try keeping yourself hydrated throughout the day. Keep moving around and only sit or stand for a short time.

3. Increased appetite

You might notice that your appetite increases, and you may develop an interest in new and odd foods during pregnancy.

What to do?

Ensure you eat healthily and avoid spicy food to avoid unnecessary weight gain.

4. Pregnancy Brain

Pregnancy brain, also known as forgetfulness, is widespread during pregnancy.

What to do?

Take the help of people around you to remind you of things to be done. You can also note everything you need to remember to help you get rid of the pregnant brain.

5. Bleeding Gums

You might also experience bleeding gums during pregnancy. The increasing levels of pregnancy hormones are the primary culprit for bleeding gums.

What to do?

Try to maintain proper dental hygiene to avoid bleeding gums.

6. Clumsiness

It is widespread for women to feel clumsy and unorganized during pregnancy.

What to do?

Keep calm and ask for the help of people around you to organize things for you.

7. Bloating/Gas

Bloating and gas are yet other common symptoms of pregnancy. The increasing pregnancy hormones are the reason for the bloating.

What to do?

Avoid eating unhealthy and spicy food.

Your little one is growing rapidly and will soon double in size in a month. Get ready for the roller coaster ride. Cope up with the increased appetite and other symptoms that could come your way along the upcoming weeks of pregnancy.

Happy Pregnancy!