Pregnancy Week Twenty-Three
Baby’s Development
Should your baby be born this week, she would have a 16% chance of survival and would be kept in intensive care until her actual due date. If she were to be born next week, that chance would shoot up to 44%. It’s fascinating to think of how crucial every day is to your baby’s development and of all the complex work that’s going on behind your round little belly!
The lungs are continuing their development, and will be until the very end of your pregnancy. At twenty-three weeks, they are generating a substance known as surfactant, which helps to keep the air sacs in the lungs from collapsing on themselves and sticking together when they deflate.
Her hearing has been progressively improving these last weeks, but this week she becomes capable of hearing noises that are well outside the womb. The sound of cats meowing, dogs barking, phones ringing, vacuums roaring, buses honking…all of these noises pass through you and into her. It’s no shock that many babies are born completely comfortable with the sound of passing subways or can sleep through loud rock music!
Your Body and Emotions
Now that you’re almost finished your second trimester, you may be thinking about joining a prenatal education class in your area. If you are first time parents, these classes are an invaluable tool to help you get comfortable with the concept of labor and delivery as well as get you in touch with other couples in your area.
Prenatal classes are generally offered in two formats. The first, more traditional style of class is held once a week for a month or two. The second is a weekend intensive, for couples who are pressed for time or who don’t want to make a month long commitment. The classes help to familiarize you with childbirth and the first few days postpartum. Usually, a registered nurse leads the class through all the stages of labor and birth using an activity/study book, group projects and videos. This may be the first time you see actual childbirth, so be prepared!! Pain management and birth plans will be discussed and your leader may organize activities such as breathing exercises to help you develop coping skills for contractions.
Once the classes have ended, most groups will have ‘reunions’ once all the babies in the group have been born. This is an excellent way to start building a support network of others parents close to you. You may feel cut off from your child-less friends and a little alone as you adjust to your new life and knowing that there are others going through the same thing can be of great benefit to both you and your partner.
Dad’s Tips
If you and your partner are still having mad, passionate sex at this point in pregnancy – good for you! If her size and physical discomfort has started to inhibit her desire or if you’re just not that into it, don’t make the mistake of ignoring intimacy at the same time. Feeling like a couple is crucial, especially when you are faced with the birth of your child. Lucky for the two of you, there are ways to maintain your physical bond without intercourse.
Massage–She’ll love you for it. She’ll tell everyone she knows how awesome you are. You’ll be the star boyfriend/husband of the year. Not to mention, if she doesn’t fall asleep in the middle of it, you might get a massage in return.
Cuddle–A frightening word for a wonderful thing, curling up and nestling into each other is an excellent way to maintain a feeling of closeness. Rent some movies or watch TV together, wrapped up in each other like blankets.
Ten-Second Kiss–Very few couples kiss for longer than ten seconds each day, especially when sex is not involved. Try enjoying an extended kiss every day and see what it does for your connection to each other -you might be surprised.