Week 23: : I’ve Gotta Feeling

Welcome to month six, Mama! I’m sure you’re feeling all the feels right now. As your baby grows, so does the pressure on your joints and ligaments. You may begin to feel some ligament pain and hip discomfort. This joint and ligament pain typically comes and goes depending on the day’s variables: how busy you are, if you slept in a poor position, or if your baby changed position. Some days, however, there may be no specific trigger to your pain. Continuing to take time to gently exercise, stretch, and rest will help to relieve some of these discomforts. You may find it helpful to prop yourself up with pillows at night, placing one between your knees to support your hips. Another common symptom the farther along you are is heartburn. Generally, you experience heartburn in the evening when lying down as you don’t have the added help of gravity to keep everything down. Hormones cause your stomach to empty slower, and your expanding uterus displaces your stomach farther up in your abdomen. Limiting spicy and fatty foods will help alleviate these symptoms, as well as eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day.

Your baby is now 23 weeks! Your baby continues to learn and grow. This week, the sense of smell develops. The nostrils open, and fluid passes in and out. It might be strange to think your baby can smell in the womb, but this ability allows him to deepen his attachment to you. The amniotic fluid smells similar to breast milk. As your baby learns to breathe and swallow, he will become more familiar with your scent in preparation for breastfeeding.