Week 23: Hearing Music
Your baby can hear music and may respond to it! Studies show babies can remember music they heard in the womb. This is a great time to create a lullaby playlist.
Medically reviewed by Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN
Nursing Informaticist · United States Navy Nurse Corps · Last reviewed
Your baby is the size of a...
🍊 Grapefruit!
👶 Baby Development
- ✓Baby responds to music and familiar voices
- ✓Skin is wrinkled and translucent (will fill out with fat)
- ✓Rapid eye movements (REM) begin — baby might be dreaming!
- ✓Lungs continue developing alveoli
- ✓Blood vessels in lungs are developing
- ✓Pancreas is developing to produce insulin
💊 Common Symptoms
- •Swollen ankles and feet (edema)
- •Carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms possible
- •Bleeding gums when brushing
- •Increased snoring at night
- •Feeling clumsy or off-balance
- •Strong baby movements — visible through skin
🩺Clinical Context — From a Nurse's View
Twenty-three weeks is a significant milestone — neonatal survival jumps notably from 22 to 23 weeks (roughly 30-50% with active resuscitation in good NICUs, varying by center and gestational age dating accuracy). This is also the gestational age where many institutions shift from 'palliative comfort care' to 'attempt full resuscitation' as the default. If you're at any risk of preterm delivery — short cervix, prior preterm birth, multiples, or any of the preterm labor signs — you may be offered antenatal steroids (betamethasone) to accelerate fetal lung maturation. They take 24-48 hours to work and are one of the highest-impact interventions in obstetrics. Carpal tunnel symptoms (numbness, tingling, weakness in the thumb, index, middle, and half the ring finger) are common from third-trimester fluid retention compressing the median nerve at the wrist. Wrist splints at night help; surgery is essentially never needed in pregnancy because it resolves postpartum.
Written by Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN — Emergency Department nurse, US Navy Nurse Corps officer.
🚨 When to Call (or Go to the ER)
- !Regular contractions more than 4-6 per hour — call
- !Vaginal fluid leak — call (PROM workup)
- !Vaginal bleeding — call
- !Severe headache, vision changes, RUQ pain, swelling — call (preeclampsia)
- !Decreased movement — call
✅ Normal — Even If It Feels Worrying
- ✓Carpal tunnel-type numbness in hands
- ✓Snoring at night (nasal congestion + weight)
- ✓Increased clumsiness and balance changes
- ✓Visible kicks through skin
✅ To-Do This Week
- Create a playlist for your baby — they can hear it!
- Start reading books out loud to baby
- Research breastfeeding vs. formula options
- Begin packing a hospital bag list
- Consider taking a breastfeeding class
- Set up baby's sleeping area (bassinet, crib)
🩺 Questions for Your Doctor
- ?Is the baby's hearing developing normally?
- ?Should I worry about carpal tunnel symptoms?
- ?Is the baby at a healthy weight for this stage?
- ?What are the signs of preterm labor I should watch for?
- ?Is snoring during pregnancy concerning?
- ?How is my amniotic fluid level?
📚 References
- [1]ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 234: Prediction and Prevention of Spontaneous Preterm Birth. Obstet Gynecol. 2021;138(2):e65-e90.
- [2]ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 222: Gestational Hypertension and Preeclampsia. Obstet Gynecol. 2020;135(6):e237-e260.
Editorial review: Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN. Last reviewed: see footer.
Your baby is the size of a...