An uneventful week passed by, but now that we’re on holidays, we’ve got lots to catch up on. G is looking more gorgeous than ever, and her baby bump is growing nicely. We can feel and see our baby girl moving quite a lot now, and as her hearing has developed recently, she seems to move when she can hear loud noises. G went to a basketball game over the weekend, and our little one was very excited by all the new sounds.
At the end of week 23, our baby is as big as a grapefruit.
Symptoms: Nosebleeds (still), exhaustion (still), cramping and potential Braxton Hicks contractions.
G felt some strange tightening below and around her belly this week, and we read that this could be her body preparing for labour. Braxton Hicks contractions occur throughout pregnancy, but only become more noticeable after the halfway mark (Baby Center). They occur infrequently and don’t cause any pain, but they certainly take a little getting used to. To make sure these Braxton Hicks contractions don’t turn into preterm labour, G has to drink plenty of water and change positions frequently to stay comfortable (The Bump). If the tightening becomes more frequent and/or causes pain, we will have to consult our gynaecologist as this could mean its labour time or much worse, but fingers crossed that doesn’t happen.
Over the next week, we’re going to catch up on a lot of the administrative aspects of pregnancy, in addition to cleaning and decluttering our flat. We have an appointment with a lawyer to discuss the adoption and last name issue, in addition to our next midwife appointment. We’ll let you know how everything goes.
Motherhood Warrior 
