At 23 weeks pregnant (23+0 to 23+6 weeks from the first day of your last period) you are about 5 months and 9 days along, in the 6th month of pregnancy. Your baby is practising breathing and settling into patterns of sleeping and waking. You may notice early milk (colostrum), rib pain, and getting out of breath more easily.
Counted from your last period, 23 weeks pregnant is about 5 months and 9 days, so you are in the 6th month. This week covers days 161 to 167 of pregnancy, with about 119 days to your due date.
According to the NHS, your baby is about 28.9 cm long from head to heel. Around now your baby is practising breathing and getting into patterns of sleeping and waking. The limbs are now in proportion. Over the next few weeks the kicks will get stronger and you will start to see your tummy move.
According to ACOG's list for weeks 21 to 24, the sucking reflex develops, fat forms under the skin, and ridges that will become fingerprints and footprints appear on the hands and feet; the skin is wrinkled and reddish.
Your breasts may start leaking colostrum, the first milk. Breast milk boosts your baby's immunity and helps them fight infections (NHS).
As your rib cage expands to make room for your bump you may get rib pain, and you may feel more breathless than usual because the growing baby presses on your lungs. The NHS suggests putting your feet up and resting.
Skin is more sensitive in pregnancy and burns more easily, even on a cloudy day. Stay in the shade when the sun is strongest, cover up, and apply a thick layer of high-factor suncream (NHS).
This could be a good week to swap some cups of tea and coffee for fruit teas or smoothies (NHS). If you feel anxious or low, tell your midwife or doctor; your mental health is part of your pregnancy care.
Second antenatal visit. In the Turkish Ministry of Health guideline the second visit falls between 18 and 24 weeks. If you have not yet had the anomaly scan or the first Tdap (whooping cough) dose, they are recommended in this window. If the first Tdap dose is missed, one dose can still be given until the end of week 32; the NHS says the vaccine can be given from week 16 to week 32.
Getting ready for the glucose test. The window for gestational diabetes screening opens next week. Approaches differ:
If you have not had the anomaly scan yet, the Turkish Ministry of Health guideline recommends it between 18 and 24 weeks. The scan checks your baby's organs and where the placenta lies (NHS, NICE).
How much does the baby weigh? In the reference table of the World Health Organization's fetal growth study across 10 countries (2017), the median (50th percentile) estimated weight at 23 weeks is about 565 g; the 10th percentile is 489 g and the 90th percentile 650 g. These are reference values, not your own baby's measurement. The study notes differences between countries, maternal characteristics and the baby's sex, so these charts may need adjusting for local use. The growth trend matters more than a single measurement. According to UpToDate, scans done to estimate the baby's weight are generally not useful before about 24 weeks.
| Symptom | Usually | Seek care if |
|---|---|---|
| Rib pain and breathlessness | Caused by your rib cage expanding and the baby pressing on your lungs; resting helps. | Breathlessness that does not settle with rest, fast breathing or chest pain is on the Turkish Ministry of Health list for urgent referral. |
| Swollen hands and feet | The NHS lists swollen hands and feet among this week's common symptoms; the Turkish guideline notes that swollen feet can be caused by gravity. | Swelling of the hands or eyelids can be an early sign of pre-eclampsia; tell your midwife or doctor so your blood pressure can be checked (Turkish Ministry of Health guideline, 2026; NHS). Get help straight away for swelling of the face, sudden, rapidly increasing swelling of the hands or legs, or swelling with a headache, vision problems or pain below the ribs. |
| No movement for a while | The RCOG says babies have sleep periods that mostly last 20 to 40 minutes and are rarely longer than 90 minutes, when they usually do not move. | Get to know your baby's rhythm; if movements you have been feeling reduce, stop or change pattern, contact your midwife or maternity unit straight away (NHS). |
Contact your midwife, doctor or maternity unit straight away if you have:
Most of these are danger signs or emergency referral criteria in the Turkish Ministry of Health Antenatal Care Management Guideline (2026); tightenings, cramps, backache and pelvic pressure are on UpToDate's list of preterm labour signs. Headache, vision problems, facial swelling, pain below the ribs and high blood pressure can be signs of pre-eclampsia (NHS, UpToDate). The NHS says to call if your baby's movements reduce, stop or change, without waiting until the next day, even at night.
Usually between 24 and 28 weeks. The Turkish Ministry of Health high-risk pregnancy guideline asks for it in every pregnancy, and ACOG says the test is usually done at 24 to 28 weeks. NICE offers it only to women at risk. If you had gestational diabetes before or are at high risk, you may also be tested early in pregnancy.
There is no set number of movements that counts as normal; what matters is getting to know your own baby's pattern (RCOG). Babies do not move while they sleep. If movements you have been feeling reduce, stop or change pattern, contact your midwife or maternity unit straight away (NHS). Not having felt any movement yet is not an emergency, but tell your doctor. Thresholds differ: the Turkish Ministry of Health guideline lists no movements after 20 weeks as a reason for referral to an obstetrician, while the NHS and RCOG ask you to contact your midwife or maternity unit if you have felt nothing by 24 weeks.
Mild breathlessness is common now because the growing baby presses on your lungs (NHS). Breathlessness at rest, fast breathing or chest pain needs urgent assessment (Turkish Ministry of Health guideline, 2026).
The NHS says the sonographer may be able to tell you, but it is sometimes hard to get a proper look, and some hospitals do not reveal the sex before birth.
In the reference table of the World Health Organization fetal growth study (2017), the median estimated weight at 23 weeks is about 565 g, with the 10th percentile at 489 g and the 90th at 650 g. These are reference values; an ultrasound weight is itself an estimate with a margin of error, so the growth trend matters more than a single measurement.
Last updated: . All sources have been confirmed with their latest versions. This content is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for a doctor's examination.