How many months is 23 weeks pregnant?

23 weeks pregnant puts you in month 6 of pregnancy. Week 23 is the first week of that month, which runs to week 27. Providers count in weeks; months are approximate.

How big is the baby at 23 weeks?

At 23 weeks, the baby is about the size of a grapefruit, roughly 28.9 cm long and around 501 g. That is an average; healthy babies vary.

Why is 23 weeks a milestone in pregnancy?

Because 23 weeks falls in the periviable period, which runs from 20 weeks to the end of week 25. In this window, a baby born early might survive, but only with intensive care. In a US network of 19 academic hospitals, 55.8% of babies born at 23 weeks who were given active intensive care survived to go home, compared with 30% at 22 weeks. Serious health problems were common in survivors. A neonatal team can give figures for a real situation.

What should I avoid at 23 weeks pregnant?

The basics don't change: no alcohol, no smoking, and less than 200 mg of caffeine a day. Smoking cuts the oxygen your baby gets and raises the risk of stillbirth. Food safety rules still apply: skip meat and eggs that are raw or not fully cooked, milk that hasn't been pasteurised, some soft cheeses, liver, and large fish such as shark, swordfish and marlin. Ask a pharmacist before taking any medicine. Don't use a home Doppler to check on your baby; call your maternity unit if movements change.

Is cramping normal at 23 weeks pregnant?

Mild aches from a stretching uterus and an occasional Braxton Hicks tightening are common. Signs of preterm labour are different. They include tightenings every 10 minutes or more often, leaking fluid or bleeding from the vagina, and pressure low in the pelvis. A dull low backache or period-like cramps, with or without diarrhoea, can also be signs. If you notice these before 37 weeks, call your provider or go to the hospital to be checked. Don't wait to see if they pass.

What symptoms are common at 23 weeks pregnant?

Common ones include sore ribs and feeling short of breath. Some people leak small drops of colostrum, the first milk, from their breasts, and not leaking is normal too. Tiredness, heartburn, swollen ankles, leg cramps, bleeding gums and nosebleeds are also common. Call your provider the same day about sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet, a severe headache, changes in your vision, or strong pain just below your ribs. These can be signs of pre-eclampsia.

What should I know at 23 weeks pregnant with twins?

Keep every appointment, because twin pregnancies carry higher risks and are checked more closely. Twins are more likely to be born early, so learn the signs of preterm labour now. In the NHS, if all goes well, birth is usually planned at 37 weeks for twins with a placenta each, and at 36 weeks for identical twins who share a placenta. Your bump will usually measure ahead of your weeks, which is expected with twins.

23 Weeks Pregnant

At 23 weeks pregnant, your baby is around 28.9 cm from the top of the head to the heel, about as big as a grapefruit. Its arms and legs are now in proportion with its body. It is starting to store fat, practising breathing movements, and settling into cycles of sleep and waking. This week is also a milestone. A baby born at 23 weeks may survive with intensive care, and every extra week in the womb improves the odds. This page covers the tests coming up, your bump and sore ribs, and the signs of early labour. It also explains what to avoid and what the viability figures really mean.

What trimester is 23 weeks?

Week 23 is in the second trimester, which runs from week 13 to week 27 (NHS). It is week 11 of 15 in this trimester, and the third trimester starts at week 28.

Week 23 — second trimester, month 6; 17 weeks to go until your due date.
Baby's size — about a grapefruit, ~28.9 cm.

Not sure it's 23 weeks? Try our due date calculator.

How big is your baby at 23 weeks?

Size of a

grapefruit

Length, head to heel

~28.9 cm

Weight

~501 g

Up from a papaya last week to a grapefruit now.

Baby development at week 23

The lungs are developing the blood vessels they'll need to breathe air, though they are far from ready. The skin is still wrinkled and reddish as the fetus has not yet filled it out with fat. Hearing is sharp enough now that loud noises may become familiar before birth. About the size of a grapefruit.

What an ultrasound shows at 23 weeks

Most people don't have a routine scan at 23 weeks. In England, the standard scans are at 11 to 14 weeks and 18 to 21 weeks, with more for twins or some health conditions. If you do have one now, it is usually to follow up something from an earlier scan, or because you're expecting twins.

The next routine test is usually the glucose screening for gestational diabetes, done between 24 and 28 weeks. You have a sugary drink, with no need to fast, and a blood sample is taken 1 hour later. If the level is high, a longer 3-hour test follows, and about two out of three people who need that second test turn out not to have gestational diabetes. Some people at higher risk are tested earlier.

Vaccines are coming up too. In the US, the Tdap vaccine against whooping cough is advised between 27 and 36 weeks of every pregnancy, ideally early in that window, so your baby is born with some protection. In the UK, the whooping cough vaccine can be given from 16 weeks. Ask at your next checkup when yours is due.

Your body at 23 weeks

Visible belly movements from the outside
Swollen ankles and feet
Possible darkening of the skin
Bleeding gums

Your belly at 23 weeks

At 23 weeks, your bump usually measures about 23 cm, give or take 2 cm, when measured from your pubic bone up to the fundus, the top of the uterus. The fundus is now above your belly button. As the uterus grows up toward your ribs, your rib cage expands to make room. That can leave your ribs sore and make you short of breath more easily.

Sleeping on your back is still fine for now. It is worth getting used to lying on your side, though, because from 28 weeks you'll be advised to fall asleep on your side. Going to sleep on your back in the third trimester has been linked to a higher risk of stillbirth.

Tips for week 23

Keep up gentle activity to support circulation
Soft toothbrush and gentle flossing help sensitive gums
Watch for sudden severe swelling and report it to your provider

23 Weeks Pregnant: your questions

What trimester is 23 weeks?: Week 23 is in the second trimester, which runs from week 13 to week 27 (NHS). It is week 11 of 15 in this trimester, and the third trimester starts at week 28.
How many months is 23 weeks pregnant?: 23 weeks pregnant puts you in month 6 of pregnancy. Week 23 is the first week of that month, which runs to week 27. Providers count in weeks; months are approximate.
How big is the baby at 23 weeks?: At 23 weeks, the baby is about the size of a grapefruit, roughly 28.9 cm long and around 501 g. That is an average; healthy babies vary.
Why is 23 weeks a milestone in pregnancy?: Because 23 weeks falls in the periviable period, which runs from 20 weeks to the end of week 25. In this window, a baby born early might survive, but only with intensive care. In a US network of 19 academic hospitals, 55.8% of babies born at 23 weeks who were given active intensive care survived to go home, compared with 30% at 22 weeks. Serious health problems were common in survivors. A neonatal team can give figures for a real situation.
What should I avoid at 23 weeks pregnant?: The basics don't change: no alcohol, no smoking, and less than 200 mg of caffeine a day. Smoking cuts the oxygen your baby gets and raises the risk of stillbirth. Food safety rules still apply: skip meat and eggs that are raw or not fully cooked, milk that hasn't been pasteurised, some soft cheeses, liver, and large fish such as shark, swordfish and marlin. Ask a pharmacist before taking any medicine. Don't use a home Doppler to check on your baby; call your maternity unit if movements change.
Is cramping normal at 23 weeks pregnant?: Mild aches from a stretching uterus and an occasional Braxton Hicks tightening are common. Signs of preterm labour are different. They include tightenings every 10 minutes or more often, leaking fluid or bleeding from the vagina, and pressure low in the pelvis. A dull low backache or period-like cramps, with or without diarrhoea, can also be signs. If you notice these before 37 weeks, call your provider or go to the hospital to be checked. Don't wait to see if they pass.
What symptoms are common at 23 weeks pregnant?: Common ones include sore ribs and feeling short of breath. Some people leak small drops of colostrum, the first milk, from their breasts, and not leaking is normal too. Tiredness, heartburn, swollen ankles, leg cramps, bleeding gums and nosebleeds are also common. Call your provider the same day about sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet, a severe headache, changes in your vision, or strong pain just below your ribs. These can be signs of pre-eclampsia.
What should I know at 23 weeks pregnant with twins?: Keep every appointment, because twin pregnancies carry higher risks and are checked more closely. Twins are more likely to be born early, so learn the signs of preterm labour now. In the NHS, if all goes well, birth is usually planned at 37 weeks for twins with a placenta each, and at 36 weeks for identical twins who share a placenta. Your bump will usually measure ahead of your weeks, which is expected with twins.

Useful at week 23

Fetal viability — survival week by week, and what changes the odds
Coffee in pregnancy — how to stay under 200 mg of caffeine a day
Hot tubs in pregnancy — why overheating is the concern
Pregnancy weight gain calculator — where your gain should be before the third trimester
Pregnancy weeks to months — 23 weeks is the start of month 6

← All weeks: the full pregnancy week-by-week guide

Sources

Checked against the following public guidance on October 2, 2026. Advice can differ between countries; your doctor, nurse or midwife can apply it to you.