Woo hoo! You’re 24 weeks pregnant!

That’s just a few weeks away from the end of the second trimester. If you’re at risk for preterm birth, you might start to feel more relieved as time goes on in this pregnancy.

If babies are born at this stage, they would be considered extremely premature. However, the survival rate increases dramatically from 24 weeks. It can be very frightening to think about having a premature baby.

Modern medicine, however, is extremely good at helping premature babies develop and thrive.

See our article outlining the Premature Survival Rates Week By Week.

24 weeks pregnant in months

How many months are 24 weeks pregnant?

You are six months pregnant but time’s flying by. Before you know it, you’ll be in month seven.

24 weeks pregnant belly

At 24 weeks of pregnancy, your belly button is starting to pop out. You might even start to feel some back pain and aching in your lower abdomen. Your skin can feel kind of itchy and stretch in places as well.

As your growing uterus stretches and the baby gets bigger, the joints and ligaments in the lower part of your uterus must stretch too. One of the many discomforts of pregnancy is round ligament pain. Once it starts, it can continue until the baby is born.

To get relief from round ligament pain you can:

Try gentle stretching.
Use heat packs on the area
Hop into a warm bath with Epsom salts (it’s great to relieve aching muscles and leg cramps)
Use pelvic floor exercises to strengthen the area and your core muscles. Pregnancy yoga is excellent for this.
Exercise regularly
Watch your posture, to keep your pelvis aligned
Use a maternity support belt as your belly increases in size
Have regular massages or body therapy
Slow down, particularly when you are getting out of bed or up from a chair.

24 weeks pregnancy symptoms

When you’re 24 weeks pregnant, you might experience leg cramps, dizziness, itchiness, and some indigestion.

Progesterone, one of the pregnancy hormones, is often the culprit when it comes to indigestion and constipation. It slows down the transit of food through your digestive tract. Try to drink 8-12 glasses of fluid each day. You can add freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices.

Exercise is also useful, as it promotes circulation and can relieve those sluggish bowels.

It’s important not to ignore constipation, as it can lead to haemorrhoids and anal fissures.

Find out more about safe remedies in Constipation During Pregnancy – 11 Tips For Relief.

You’re getting bigger, so you might experience skin changes. Your belly and breasts are stretching more which means you might see some stretch marks appear.

You’ll also notice a dark line appearing down the middle of your belly. This is called linea nigra and you might wonder how long it will last.

You can read more in Linea Nigra – When Does It Appear and Go Away?.

At the same time, brown patches (chloasma) might become visible on your face. There’s a range of skincare products or moisturizers that can help you with itchiness and pigmentation.

Check with your pharmacist for safe products to use.

Dizziness isn’t unusual during the second trimester, but if you also have headaches, nausea, or blurred vision, see your healthcare provider for advice.

Carpal tunnel syndrome week 24

When you’re 24 weeks pregnant, you might also experience symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. The usual symptoms are pins and needles and numbing in the wrists and fingers.

It often occurs because of water retention, which puts pressure on the carpal nerve pathway. It can be quite annoying, but don’t worry; it will disappear when the baby is born.

Let your doctor or midwife know about it, as you might need physiotherapy, or even a splint if your symptoms get worse.

24 weeks pregnant ultrasound

When you’re 24 weeks pregnant, you’ve probably already had the major growth ultrasound.

This is usually done between weeks 18 and 20.

No extra ultrasounds are necessary for low-risk women.

If you do require an ultrasound from 24 weeks of pregnancy or onwards, it’s usually because your doctor would like to check any problems you might be having.

These include:

A medical condition that could affect your baby (e.g. high blood pressure)
Your baby has been less active than normal
A previous scan showing an abnormality or issue to be monitored.

Speak with your healthcare provider if you have any concerns.

24 weeks pregnant gestational diabetes test

This week, you might be offered a form for a glucose screening test, to check for gestational diabetes (GDM). This is usually done in the second trimester between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.

The glucose tolerance test (GTT) is offered to all pregnant women. It is done to check whether or not your body is producing enough insulin to cope with the sugar.

If the test suggests your body doing this effectively, you might need to have a follow-up test. As with everything in your pregnancy, you can decline this glucose screening test, and test your blood sugar each day instead.

The glucose tolerance test is not without controversy. You can read more in Is Routine Testing For Gestational Diabetes Necessary? to decide whether or not a glucose test is right for you.

Many doctors believe all pregnant women should be screened for GDM and treated. Others feel the screening is unnecessary and can do more harm than good.

Why is that?

Because women who are diagnosed with GDM are more at risk of interventions during labor, particularly because it’s common to induce labor before 40 weeks.

This is despite induction of labor at 39 weeks for women with controlled GDM no longer being evidence based practice. You can read more information in Gestational Diabetes and Induction Of Labor – Facts You Should Know.

Diagnosed with gestational diabetes

It’s important to research everything before you make a decision. As you will see, there is more involved than might first appear. If you’re diagnosed with gestational diabetes, your care provider is likely to restrict your birth options.

For example, you could be denied access to a low-risk birth setting (e.g. a birth center), laboring in a bath, or laboring without constant monitoring. Your care provider might suggest induction of labor if you haven’t gone into labor by a certain time.

Induction increases the risk of other interventions, including a c-section. For more information, read Henci Goer’s research on gestational diabetes, which is well referenced. The best way to avoid a diagnosis of gestational diabetes is to have a healthy lifestyle and good quality sleep.

Be sure to read Gestational Diabetes | Diet and Symptoms for more information.

What should I be eating at 24 weeks pregnant?

A healthy well-balanced diet is vital to make sure you’re providing your body and your baby with all the essential nutrients.

Now that you’re probably past the morning sickness stage, you can enjoy a wide range of foods. It’s important, though, to watch your weight gain. Stick to nutrient-dense foods that support your pregnant body and growing baby.

You can reduce your risk of developing gestational diabetes and other pregnancy complications by avoiding highly processed foods. These can cause blood sugar levels to spike, as well as lead to inflammation in the body.

Avoid sugary foods and drinks, processed foods, and grains (e.g. cereals, bread, and pasta), which are very high in carbohydrates. Instead, fill up on lots of leafy greens, high-quality protein, nuts and seeds, and legumes.

Choose foods that will fuel your body to provide the best building blocks for your baby. Exercise during pregnancy is really important, but it doesn’t need to be excessive.

Try to get out for a walk every day. A 30-minute walk each day is ideal, but if you feel super unfit, set yourself small goals and build up.

Just 10 minutes of exercise each day will have benefits for the short term and could increase your chances of shorter labor in the longer term.

24 weeks pregnant baby

As you reach pregnancy week 24, there’s plenty of fetal development happening.

Your baby’s bones are growing and getting harder and stronger. Baby fat is building up, which is why you seem to experience sudden weight gain and rapid growth of your uterus.

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Your baby’s brain, lungs, and other vital organs are also developing quickly. Cells that make surfactant are forming. Surfactant is a substance that allows the air sacs in the lungs to expand; this is essential for healthy breathing.

You might be able to feel your baby hiccupping soon; it feels like regular bumps in your belly. The baby is growing taste buds now, and showing increasing sensitivity. Reflexes are more refined and your baby’s eyes are starting to respond to light. Most little ones spend around 95% of their time sleeping in utero.

You might start to notice your baby has definite sleep-wake patterns.

What clothes will I need for my new baby?

Are you thinking about what clothing your baby will need once she is born? Talk to your friends about the clothes they preferred for a newborn.

Many mothers love the flexibility of ‘onesies’, especially those that button up all the way down the leg, which makes for easy changes. Creating your own clothing checklist is a good place to start.

The season your baby is born in will have an impact on the type and amount of clothing she will need. Your baby will probably need two outfits per day for a while. Before you bring her home, it’s a good idea to have some clothes ready – already washed in fragrance-free laundry detergent.

Not sure how much baby clothing you need?

Check out BellyBelly’s article Baby Clothes – What Clothes Do You Need For Your Baby? for more tips.

Are babies fully developed at 24 weeks?

By now, babies’ organs are all now fully formed. At this stage, they look like newborns but the eyes are quite prominent as there’s not as much fat on the face yet.

Their wrinkly skin is still thin and see-through. Each day, though, they’re gaining weight and getting chubbier.

Your baby’s eyelashes, eyebrows, and head of hair are growing. Regardless of whether your baby ends up being blonde or a brunette, her hair is white right now because she hasn’t yet developed pigment.

The baby’s lungs are starting to produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs to inflate. It also prevents the lungs from collapsing and sticking when they deflate.

Your baby’s lungs will signal when she’s ready for life outside the womb.

Can I hurt my baby by sleeping on my right side?

You can sleep on either side but, if possible, try sleeping on the left as much as possible. This is ideal for you and your baby, as it allows for maximum flow of blood and nutrients to the placenta.

This position also puts less pressure on the major veins and enhances kidney function, which means better elimination of waste products and less swelling in your feet, ankles, and hands.

If you have trouble sleeping, try a pregnancy pillow. It can help alleviate any discomfort, especially if you’re used to sleeping on your back.

It can also get you used to sleep on your side and will be very helpful later in pregnancy if you have back pain.

24 weeks baby movement

Most women can feel the baby’s movements from around 20 weeks.

Each baby has a pattern of movement, which is different for all fetuses. Some might move more in the evening, some in the morning; some kick all the time, and others not so much.

Your 24-week fetus already has an individual pattern she has developed.

The key thing is, if your pattern changes or you feel reduced movements, you need to contact your doctor for an assessment.

There is some outdated information out there. You might hear, for example, that if you have a cold drink, the baby will move, or that your baby’s movements slow down in the third trimester.

These are myths and can be dangerous to follow. Your baby has sleep periods but her normal patterns of movement shouldn’t change.

If you’re concerned, always seek the advice of your care provider.

What position is a baby in at 24 weeks?

Your baby has plenty of room to swim around and can flip to any position she likes. It is always an advantage, though, to have the baby’s head down at go time.

Obviously, at this pregnancy week, you still have plenty of time to make sure your baby is in a good position for birth.

Right now you’re probably not too uncomfortable, so make sure you do some daily exercise and avoid sitting down for long periods.

Slouching or leaning backward when sitting isn’t ideal.

Week 24 it’s a good time to start prenatal yoga to help your muscles and body alignment.

You can find more information in Optimal Fetal Positioning – How To Make Birth Easier.