23 weeks!!

Hello 23 weeks!

The end of this week marks a huge milestone for us.  Saturday I will be 23 weeks and 5 days.  That is how far along I was when I ruptured with Matthew.  I felt great leading up to that exact moment.  So, I just have to get through this week and then I hit viability!

Tomorrow I have my weekly shot and then Wednesday is my bi-weekly ultrasound.  Hopefully she'll be friendly this time and cooperate!

Week 23

How Big is the Baby at 23 Weeks Pregnant?

Your baby is positively HUGE, a whopping 1.1 pound (or almost at least!). That is quite an accomplishment for someone that used to weigh less than one ounce. Your baby at 23 weeks is the size of a small baby doll you might purchase for a little girl.Your little one is now about 11 inches long!

Your Baby's Growth and Development

Your baby is still making remarkable changes at 23 weeks pregnant. Her skin is still quite red and heavily wrinkled. Your baby can hear loud noises in the womb from now and as you continue your pregnancy week by week, so don't be surprised if your baby seems to move around a bit when you are vacuuming or are in an environment where loud noises are quite common.

The bones located in your baby's middle ear are starting to form by pregnancy week 23, and your baby is continuing to fill out and look more and more proportional.

If your baby were born this week, there is a small chance your baby would survive outside the womb, however it is best that your baby stay put! Many women start to wonder what might happen if their baby is born prematurely. A baby born between 23 and 24 weeks would have a 10 to 70 percent chance of survival. It truly depends on a number of factors that have to be taken into consideration.

There are babies that are born at one pound that beat the odds and go on to live a fairly normal life, while others unfortunately die due to unexpected complications. The smallest babies may survive but grow up with some mental or motor disabilities as a result of their extreme prematurity.

Every day your baby stays in the womb increases their survival rate by approximately 3 percent during weeks 23 and 26.

Generally after 26 weeks the survival rate jumps to 80-90 percent.

Many things can affect your baby's chances of survival if she is born prematurely. If your membranes rupture (your water breaks) prior to 24 weeks, your baby has less of a chance than if your membranes stay intact. Other factors such as diabetes or high blood pressure can place added stress on the baby during delivery, increasing the chances of complication.