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23rd Week of Pregnancy

Where Does the Weight Go?

Baby Development at 23 Weeks Pregnant

The microscopic-sized zygote divides again and again, growing at an astounding pace in your baby.

 
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Baby's Growth and Development at 23 Weeks Pregnant

Much of your baby's development during the 23rd week of pregnancy focuses on preparing for her first real breath once she is born. Here's what's happening this week:

  • Your baby weighs slightly more than a pound now, and she's about the length of an ear of corn.
  • Your baby's lungs develop rapidly this week as they prepare for birth.
    • Her lungs are producing a substance called surfactant that allows the lungs to inflate and deflate without collapsing or sticking together.
    • Blood vessels in your baby's lungs also are growing and developing in preparation for breathing.
  • Your baby is making breathing-like movements for practice, moving amniotic fluid in and out of her lungs.
  • Although your baby is getting all of the oxygen she needs from your placenta, this practice is important for developing her diaphragm muscles.
  • By your 23rd week of pregnancy, your baby actually looks like a baby. She still has little body fat and still is trying to fill out her wrinkly skin.
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