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Congratulate yourself for successfully carrying your twins for 23 weeks in the womb in the safest way possible. You are a week or so away from completing what is usually termed as the honeymoon stage of the pregnancy. And don’t worry because things will get better. This particular week is quite crucial; it is during this week, that the mother and her babies gain a majority of the weight. You will soon move to the final trimester of the pregnancy.
The Growth of the Babies at 23 Weeks
While the previous weeks might have been filled with numerous changes and interesting developments with regards to the growth of your triplets or twins, this week is usually calm on that front. The focus primarily stays on keeping their growth unabated and letting things progress at their natural pace.
The skin covering your babies around this time is still a bit shrunk and wrinkled since the fat deposits on their baby are yet to reach a quantity that can stretch the skin to a proper limit. That translucent red skin could make the babies look weird, but this will pass in the coming months.
If you tried listening to the heartbeat of your little ones but had to wait for the ultrasound scans for that to happen, then you are in for a treat. Usually, around the 23rd week, the hearts of your twins or triplets will be stronger and will pump blood even more intensely. This can make it possible for you to hear the heartbeats by merely using a stethoscope. Your doctor can guide you for the same.
By this time, your twins or triplets will grow quite rapidly. One of the last organs that develop are the lungs. However, babies do tend to make attempts at breathing as they practice it inside, making similar movements that they would mimic once they are out in the real world. With brain development reaching a significant milestone and eyes growing in strength, you might occasionally notice your babies dreaming actively inside. This also manifests in rapid eye movement under their eyelid and random body movements.
What Is the Size of the Babies?
Your babies will now mature from the size of a coconut to a wonderful mango. The growth would seem substantial when compared to how they were in the previous week. The length of the babies, when measured appropriately, would usually be somewhere around 28 centimetres, with a weight of 500 grams or so. The size of twins or triplets would increase massively in the next couple of weeks.
Common Bodily Changes
Most women usually have a calm pregnancy in the 23rd week. Any changes that occur in the body are all a remnant of the previous weeks, carrying forward or growing in intensity.
- Just the way your tummy keeps on increasing at its pace, your breasts would grow in size too. This will continue for a week or two and then they would reach their full size. This enlargement is not simply a physical aspect. There are different developments happening within them as well. The mammary glands begin to activate gradually to provide milk to the babies post delivery. Some women might begin to secrete a yellowish colour leakage from their breasts, which is pretty thick. This is the very first milk that your breasts produce; it is termed as colostrum. Usually, it occurs early after birth so that the baby can have it right away. However, if it happens earlier, it is not a problem. The only discomfort you would experience is that your bra will be soaked.
- With your pregnancy rushing, the hormones lose control all over again and tend to fluctuate randomly. As a result, you may feel low and sad for nothing in particular and then suddenly you may be happy and deliriously cheerful for the rest of the day. Every day or week might seem unique in that aspect, and it is best to keep track of what you feel by journaling your thoughts.
- Preeclampsia is a serious medical condition and can affect pregnant women at any time. One of the major signs of it is swelling that occurs rapidly and is excessively large and persists for long. In other cases, swelling normally goes away in some time. This is termed as oedema and strongly affects the legs. One of the major cause of this is reduced blood circulation since all the focus is on the uterus receiving the bulk of the supply. This kind of swelling can be handled by keeping your legs elevated and bringing down the amount of sodium you consume as part of your diet.
Symptoms of Twin Pregnancy at 23 Weeks
The signs of a twin pregnancy at 23 weeks are quite evident. You will notice that some of the previous symptoms will appear again around this time.
- When pregnant with twins or multiples at 23 weeks, a rehearsal of labour starts at random times. You may experience false contractions that resemble labour. But there is no need to fret since these are not as intense as the actual labour contractions, but the usual Braxton Hicks ones. Most of the times, their frequency tends to increase around the 23rd week of pregnancy, as many muscles of the body participate in this, checking if they are good to go when the time comes.
- As if swelling of the arms and feet was not enough, your back will begin to hurt as well. And when pregnant with twins or triplets, there will be more pressure on your back. You may have back pain throughout the week, particularly in the lower region. Your uterus will expand too, shifting the internal organs and even pressing down on any nerves that are located in and around. Furthermore, the increasing weight also makes it necessary for the vertebrae to bear the brunt of the load, putting that entire region under a stressful setting. Staying aware of it and keeping away from any activity that could increase the pressure further is your best bet to handle the situation effectively.
- Those earlier instances where you would spot blood in your mouth after brushing your teeth would reappear this week. With a rampant growth inside your uterus, the blood circulation will increase, making the gums highly sensitive. Most of the bleeding usually occurs when the gums are irritated, which is why you might spit out a little blood when you brush. However, if the dental ache of any sort accompanies the bleeding, it might lead to tooth decay or gingivitis too.
Twin Pregnancy – Belly at 23 Weeks
Your belly at 23 weeks pregnant will start showing the characteristics of a twin pregnancy belly. This means that in comparison to a singleton pregnancy at 23 weeks, your belly would measure a few weeks ahead of that time. But every pregnancy is different and the belly size can be influenced by genes, by your height and weight as well. So there is no standard measure that you need to watch out for.
Twin Pregnancy at 23 Weeks – Ultrasound
Most scans around this stage are focused on ensuring that the fat deposits on the body and the weight gain are progressing as expected. Furthermore, you might notice the nipples making their initial appearance this week. Chances of seeing your babies respond to your voice or tummy rubs are high as well.
What to Eat
Diversity is the key in this week, making sure that the diet you intake has nearly every nutritional element you can think of, in copious quantities. Iron, calcium, and numerous vitamins stay at the topmost priority as usual. Drinking water and other fluids should also be a thing to focus on.
Pregnancy Care Tips
Things might start getting a little discomforting around this week, but there’s nothing you cannot handle with a few simple tips.
Do’s
- Make use of nasal strips or humidifiers in your room to handle any instances of a stuffy nose.
- Begin investing in financing options for your children to get an early start for their future.
Dont’s
- Avoid working for long hours without a break since it can make the swelling worse.
- Don’t refrain from grabbing some quick naps in the afternoon if you struggle to sleep calmly at night.
What You Need to Shop For
You might already have most items in your possession by now, so you can hop out for a quick shopping of:
- Soft blankets or cuddly swaddles for the babies
- A journal to put down numerous thoughts about your pregnancy
As a mother, when you are 23 weeks pregnant with twins, movement of any kind inside your tummy could instantly make you feel connected with your babies. Cherish moments like these and create memories that you can recall later once your babies grow up.
