What to expect from this month's prenatal checkup?

• The fundal height - your doctor will measure from your pubic bone to the top of your uterus to get an estimate of baby's length

• Your weight - your doctor wants to check you are progressing fine in weight gain

• Your blood pressure - your doctor wants to keep track of any warning signs of pregnancy-related hypertension or preeclampsia

• Your urine - your doctor wants to make sure your sugar and protein are within safe levels

• Fetal heart rate - your doctor wants to keep tabs on baby's general well being. Baby's heartbeat beats faster than yours at 120-160 beats per minute on average. It is very normal for baby's heart to beat more rapidly than an adult's.

• Iron level - your doctor will look out for signs of iron deficiency through blood tests from now on. Pregnancy may cause your hemoglobin level to drop although once upon a time you had healthy hematocrit readings (red blood cells concentration) and hemoglobin levels.

• RH antibody screen and HIV screen are also checked.

More On Week 23 During Pregnancy

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