The Playbook

23 Weeks Pregnant: Preterm Labor Signs and How You're Doing

By the Guide to Fatherhood editorial team. Last reviewed . 2 min read.

Checked against guidance from organizations like the AAP, CDC, ACOG and NHS (linked below). This is general information, not medical advice. Read our medical disclaimer.

Trimester2
Sizea grapefruit
Length / weightabout 11.4 in (28.9 cm), about 1.1 lb (500 g)

The baby is gaining weight steadily and can hear sounds from outside the womb, like your voice, music and the dog barking. Lungs are developing the branches needed for breathing.

Your to-do list this week

  • Learn the signs of preterm labor (below) and save her provider's number in your phone under a name you'll find at 2 a.m.
  • Check in on yourself. How's your sleep, your drinking, your temper? Tell someone if you're struggling.
  • Book a massage or a pedicure for her, or learn to do a decent foot rub.
  • Start a playlist for the baby (and for labor). Music you'll both want to hear again.
A conversation to have this week

"How are YOU doing?" Then answer the same question honestly when she asks you. Expecting dads get anxious and low too, and talking about it is a strength.

The baby this week

About the size of a grapefruit and over a pound, the baby is gaining weight steadily. The baby can hear outside sounds now, so voices, music, and household noise get through, muffled. The lungs are developing the branches and cells that will one day breathe air (Mayo Clinic).

How she may be feeling

Uncomfortable at night, achy in the back, and maybe noticing occasional painless tightening of her belly (Braxton Hicks). Those practice contractions are normal, especially after activity or when she’s dehydrated. Regular or painful contractions are not; see below.

Learn the signs of preterm labor

Preterm labor is labor that begins before 37 weeks. Most pregnancies don’t experience it, but every partner should know the signs. According to ACOG, call her provider right away if she has:

  • A change in vaginal discharge: watery, mucus-like, or bloody.
  • Pressure in the pelvis or lower belly.
  • A constant, low, dull backache.
  • Mild abdominal cramps, with or without diarrhea.
  • Regular or frequent contractions or tightening, even if not painful.
  • Her water breaking.

You won’t need this most of the time. It still belongs in your head.

The check-in nobody asks you

Expecting dads often feel they’re not allowed to struggle, because they’re not the one who’s pregnant. But research published in JAMA found roughly 1 in 10 fathers showed signs of depression during pregnancy or the first year after birth. In men it often looks like irritability, withdrawal, working constantly, or drinking more, not just sadness.

Take an honest inventory this week. If you’re not okay, tell your partner, a friend, or your doctor. You can also call or text 988 any time. Looking after yourself is part of looking after them.

Frequently asked questions

What are the signs of preterm labor?

According to ACOG: changes in vaginal discharge (watery, mucus-like, or bloody), pelvic or lower abdominal pressure, a constant low, dull backache, mild cramps, regular or frequent contractions or tightening, or the water breaking. If you notice any before 37 weeks, call her provider right away.

Sources

  1. Preterm Labor and Birth, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
  2. Fetal development: The 2nd trimester, Mayo Clinic
  3. Prenatal and Postpartum Depression in Fathers and Its Association With Maternal Depression, JAMA

We link to the original source for every medical and safety claim. Guidance changes; if a source has been updated since our last review, the source wins. How we research.