24th week of pregnancy
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With the 24th week of pregnancy, the 6th month also comes to an end. But this week marks another important milestone. From the 24th week of pregnancy onwards, your baby is considered viable and would be kept alive with intensive medical care if it were born prematurely now. Still, it is hopefully staying in your belly for a while longer, because it feels perfectly comfortable there and continues to develop daily. Read here what is happening this week and what is important now.
How big is your baby in the 24th week of pregnancy?
Your baby is about 20 centimeters long this week, comparable to an artichoke. The crown-to-heel length is approximately 29 centimeters.
24th week of pregnancy: What's changing for you
Your belly is growing and you feel the additional weight
maybe slowly as a burden. Your uterus has already expanded to the point that it reaches your navel by the 24th week. You may also notice the first stretch marks on your belly, buttocks, or breasts. The typical stretch marks occur when the skin has to stretch significantly and the subcutaneous connective tissue tears as a result. This reveals the underlying bluish-red vessels. Whether you develop stretch marks is mostly genetically determined – nevertheless, there are some things you can do to prevent them. What these are and which factors also promote the development of stretch marks, you will learn in the article “ 5 Tips to Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy ".
Between this and the 27th week of pregnancy, the takes place, which also includes the oral glucose tolerance test for gestational diabetes.
Pregnancy Diabetes
During pregnancy, your insulin requirement is higher than usual. Not every body can meet this increased demand, so it accounts for 2 to 14 percent
all pregnant women in the second trimester to the so-called Gestational Diabetes comes. Since the sugar regulation disorder is not identifiable by specific symptoms, a special test is conducted from the 24th week of pregnancy as part of the prenatal check-up to determine the Pregnancy diabetes to recognize early. How the test works and what further treatment looks like in the case of diabetes is explained by LILLYDOO gynecologist Christian in the video:
24th week of pregnancy: What's changing in your baby
At 24 weeks of pregnancy, your baby's eyes are fully formed and they are starting to open slowly – but it will take about a month for them to be completely open. His iris is not fully pigmented yet, so he does not have an eye color at this stage. Also, the eye color your child is born with is not necessarily their final color. It is only at the end of the first year of life that it has fully developed.
So far, your baby's skin is still very thin and translucent, so the underlying blood vessels and organs are visible. It is also wrinkled because the underlying fat layer that cushions it is still quite thin. It will take another two months for enough fat to develop under the skin so that it becomes firm and opaque. Nevertheless, the skin in the 24th week of pregnancy is already becoming more resilient, as the protective tougher cell layer is now forming. The skin of your child is thickest right on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Blood vessels and alveoli are now forming in the lungs. However, it will still take some time for them to fully develop. Additionally, white blood cells are being produced, which play an important role in your baby's immune system.
You now feel its movements daily, and not just very gently anymore: Depending on how your baby is positioned, its kicks can sometimes hit your stomach, ribs, or bladder and can be quite painful.
This is now important
You already know that you want to push your baby through the world in a stroller ? Then it's worth informing yourself now about the different models. If you wish for a brand-new stroller, you can even order one now, as the delivery time often takes a while.
Even if your belly is growing and may already be becoming a bit uncomfortable: make sure to stay active – it’s good for you and your baby and helps prevent many pregnancy-related complaints. Whether you continue with your usual exercise routine or go for a walk as often as possible, the choice is entirely yours. If gentle movement indoors is more to your liking, you will find various yoga practice videos to follow along on our YouTube channel.
The hormone progesterone relaxes your muscles during pregnancy. Your intestinal muscles also become less active, so constipation and bloating are nothing unusual this week.
Tips and home remedies for digestive issues can be found in the article “ Bloating and Constipation During Pregnancy “.
Tip from LILLYDOO gynecologist Christian
Perhaps you will notice more often now that your belly becomes hard or cramp. This initially feels unfamiliar but is completely normal and not a cause for concern. From the second trimester onwards, your uterine muscle is already training in preparation for childbirth. The occur irregularly and no more than three times per hour, usually only sporadically during the day and last only a few seconds. However, it is also possible that you do not consciously notice the practice contractions because they are so gentle. If the contractions occur more frequently or are accompanied by discharge or bleeding, you should contact your doctor or midwife for safety.
With our pregnancy calendar, we want to accompany you through this exciting time and provide you with relevant information, which also in exchange with our
LILLYDOO experts are being created. Nevertheless, the ones listed here can still
Never replace personal consultation with your doctor or midwife with advice. Always contact your healthcare professional for questions and professional care.