Your Baby at 23 Weeks

An average fetus at this age measures approximately 11.4 inches from head to toe and weighs roughly 1.1 pounds. Your baby will also develop a sense of movement. You may start to feel butterflies in your stomach, but it is just your baby kicking, jabbing, and getting hiccups. This is a good indication that your baby is getting stronger.



When you are 23 weeks pregnant, you can see your baby crouching with legs pulled into his chest via ultrasound. You can almost see your baby's entire body profile during this period. He will resemble a newborn baby, but much smaller.

What Do My Baby's Movements Feel Like?

As he continues to grow bigger and stronger, the skin over your womb will stretch and feel tighter. Therefore, you will easily feel his tiny jerks. At a size of a pomelo, you can surely expect baby movement at 23 weeks to become even more noticeable. Those tiny flutters and bubbles you once felt will turn into more distinctive kicks, jabs, and somersaults. In fact, kicks to your ribs could eventually hurt.




How Often Does My Baby Move?



As the days go by, you will begin to recognize a pattern of activity. It is funny how babies spring into action when you are at rest and doze off when you are too busy to notice them. Babies also tend to move before or during mealtimes.



Nevertheless, the frequency of 23 weeks pregnant baby movement may still vary from one baby to another. There are babies who are simply more active than others and thus, will tend to move more each day. 


Your baby could make 16 - 45 movements per hour towards the end of your pregnancy. Likewise, they sleep for 40 - 90 minutes, and they usually don't move when they are asleep.

Types of Baby Positions

The 23 weeks pregnant baby position you saw via an ultrasound result is not the final position of your baby. He will continue to move around inside your womb until there is no more wriggle room left due to his ever-increasing size. 

Knowing your baby's position becomes crucial, especially when your due date is fast approaching as you need to get your baby into the best position in order to prepare for a safe delivery.

Read on to learn the various types of baby positions. 



1. Anterior

The best position for your baby is head down with the back of his head facing your stomach and his chin tucked into his chest. This is called the anterior position. 

Delivery is more likely to progress smoothly with this position as your baby's head puts a rounded and even pressure on your cervix, which in turn help widen it. While you push, the smallest part of his head comes first.

2. Breech

It is called a breech if your baby is positioned with his bottom or feet first. There are three types under this category, namely complete breech, frank breech, and footling breech.

Complete breech is characterized with a baby's bottom pointing downward with both his legs folded at the knees and the feet are near his bottom. Frank breech is also characterized with a baby's bottom pointing downward. The differences are the legs and feet, both of which are straight up in front of his body. Lastly, a footling breech means that one or both feet of the baby are pointing downward. 

The risk of birth defects is extremely high with a breech position, especially in the case of a footling breech. This position is problematic since the baby's head is the last part of the body to emerge from the vagina, which makes it even more difficult to get through the birth canal. Plus, it increases the likelihood of forming a loop in the umbilical cord that could choke the baby.

A cesarean delivery is usually the best option in order to preserve the life of both the child and the mother.

3. Posterior

Contrary to the anterior position, a baby's face is positioned toward your stomach instead of your back. Your belly may also look more flattened than rounded in this type of position. This position results in prolonged delivery and severe back pain. An epidural anesthesia is often required to relieve the pain during this type of delivery.

4. Transverse lie

The position is called transverse lie if your baby is lying horizontally inside your womb. However, this position rarely occurs during delivery.





How Can I Tell My Baby's Position?



Getting an ultrasound is the best way to skip all the guesswork. However, there are practical things you can do at home that will help determine the current position of your baby.



• Listen to your baby's heartbeat

Find your baby's heartbeat using a stethoscope. You can hear your baby's heart beating starting eight weeks. Although by doing so won't tell you his exact position, you can at least have a sign indicating how your baby is lying. For instance, if the heartbeat can be heard loudest below your belly button, then your baby is most likely head down. 



• Feel your belly

Press your belly gently. Make sure you exhale each time you press down. If you can feel a hard, circular bump like a baseball, then it is probably your baby's head. If it is somewhat softer, then it could be his bottom. However, it can be a challenge to feel your baby if your abdomen is covered with a lot of fat.

• Feel your baby's movements

Your baby's kicks and wiggles are among the simplest ways to imagine how they are positioned inside your womb. If you feel your baby kicking above your belly button, then your baby is probably in a head down position. If it is the opposite, then your baby is probably head up.

Final Thoughts



It's wise to learn about your baby's movements and position towards the end of your pregnancy so you can prepare for what needs to be done if something unideal occurs. Whether or not a baby is in a complicated position, a pregnant woman usually delivers in a hospital to ensure she receives the best care.