At 23 weeks
At 23 weeks your baby is about the size of a chakotra (grapefruit), around 28.9 cm from head to heel according to the NHS. Their limbs are now in proportion, they are practising breathing, and their lungs have started making surfactant. You may notice rib pain, breathlessness or a little colostrum leaking from your breasts.
Your Baby at 23 Weeks
Your baby's limbs are now in proportion, and they are practising breathing and settling into patterns of sleeping and waking. Over the coming weeks the kicks get stronger, and you may even see your tummy move (NHS).
Fine hair called lanugo covers the body and is getting darker, while the hair on the head and the eyebrows is gaining colour. The lungs have started to produce surfactant, which helps them stay inflated once your baby breathes air, although all their oxygen still comes through the placenta (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby).
The brain and nervous system are developing quickly. Your baby can now recognise light, sound and pain, and will know the sound of your heartbeat and your voice (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby).
Your Body This Week
Your rib cage is expanding to make room for the bump, which can cause rib pain, and the baby pressing on your lungs may leave you more breathless than usual. Some women also notice colostrum, an early type of milk, leaking from their breasts (NHS).
A heavier uterus can press on your bladder, so a little urine may leak when you cough, laugh or sneeze. This usually settles after pregnancy, and daily pelvic floor exercises help. Extra blood in your body can also make you feel warm, so loose cotton clothes and plenty of fluids are worth it (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby).
When to call your midwife or doctor: Talk to your midwife if the kicking slows down, and seek medical advice for any vaginal bleeding (NHS). If any symptom worries you, NHS advice is simply to talk to your midwife or doctor.
Garbh Sanskar This Week
A small daily practice for this stage, from Mamta’s 1:1 sessions. It is tradition and gentle self-care, not medical advice, so keep every check-up and follow your doctor or midwife first.
- Mantra: Om, the sacred syllable, is the simplest place to begin: hum it softly on a natural out-breath for three or four minutes while you sit comfortably. The Garbh Sanskar mantras guide explains its meaning and source.
- Music: Your baby now knows the sound of your voice, so humming along to a calm bhajan or song you love is a gentle way to share a quiet moment. Keep the volume at an everyday level and play it in the room rather than through headphones on your bump.
- Gentle movement: Mamta teaches pelvic floor work at this stage: gently squeeze as if stopping a wee midflow, then let go, breathing normally throughout, a few times a day. Do this, like any exercise, only with your doctor's or midwife's clearance.
- Food: Traditionally, Charaka's sixth month (roughly weeks 23 to 26) centres on milk and ghee, so a glass of milk and a little ghee on your rice or roti suit the spirit of it. The classical medicated versions are for a qualified Ayurvedic doctor to decide on, so keep to plain foods at home, alongside the iron, calcium and folic acid your doctor recommends.
- Garbh samvad (a line to say to your baby): I can feel you growing, little one, and I am right here with you.
Questions About Week 23
Why am I so breathless at 23 weeks pregnant?
Your growing baby is putting pressure on your lungs, and your rib cage is expanding to make room for the bump, which can also cause rib pain. The NHS suggests putting your feet up and resting, and talking to your midwife or doctor if any symptom worries you.
Can my baby hear my voice at 23 weeks?
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says that by now your baby can recognise light, sound and pain, and will know the sound of your heartbeat and voice. Research has recorded first responses to sound from around 19 weeks, so talking, singing or reading to your bump is a lovely habit to start.
Is it normal to leak urine at 23 weeks pregnant?
Yes, your growing uterus can press on your bladder and cause small leaks when you cough, laugh or sneeze. It is usually temporary and resolves after pregnancy, and daily pelvic floor exercises help strengthen the muscles.
Practise With Mamta, Wherever You Are
Mamta guides expecting mothers through private 1:1 Garbh Sanskar sessions online, scheduled in your own time zone, from the first trimester to the last week. Start with a free conversation on WhatsApp or read how sessions work.
Sources
Mamta is not a doctor. Medical points on this page come from the sources below, checked in October 2026. Sizes are approximate and babies vary; your scan report is what matters.