Welcome to the 24th week of your pregnancy journey! And for the 24th-week highlight, your baby is now considered to be viable, meaning your baby can now survive if he was early born and given the proper support. Still, an early birth is not something anyone wants, but it is comforting to know that your baby is now able to thrive!
This week, your baby is gaining more weight than ever, mainly due to the accumulating baby fat in addition to his growing organs, bones, and muscles.
Your baby’s hearing has developed to the extent where your baby can recognize a song and actually feel comforted and soothed to hear it once he is born.
Your little bean is now sporting some white hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows. Which will all be taking a different color soon!
Changes Happening in Your Body by Your 24th Week
By your 24th week of pregnancy, you probably will start feeling hungrier than usual, but you actually do not need to eat more than usual until the end of your second trimester and until the beginning of your third trimester which starts around the 28th week onwards.
You are more likely to be putting on some weight by now, but you do not need to worry if your bump is not as big as other women during their second trimester, remember, it differs from one woman to another depending on her size, weight and body type.
At this point, you might be noticing some new changes such as your belly button, your innie now probably an outie! But no need to worry about that as it is completely normal for almost every pregnant woman on earth to encounter these changes.
Things go back to normal soon after the delivery, however, some parts of your body such as your navel might look a bit stretched after birth, but you can own those stretches proudly as a badge of honor that you get to wear after all those exhausting weeks.
Experiencing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
At this point, you are probably experiencing some numbness in your fingers and wrists, even though people might mistake it for excitement about the baby, but it really is carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when the common swelling during pregnancy causes your body fluids to accumulate in your lower extremities all day long. These fluids are redistributed to the rest of your body later, When you lay down putting pressure on that nerve which runs through your wrist which results in pain or a dull ache in your wrist, hands, or even fingers.
You can avoid this syndrome by following some simple tips, you can start by avoiding sleeping on your hands and you can rest your hands on a pillow at night for more support and comfort.
Also, typing, playing the piano, or any similar repetitive motion can cause this numbness to get worse. So, if you are doing similar activities for a long period of time, make sure to take a long hand and fingers stretching breaks.
If you are experiencing too much pain, you can go ahead and try a wrist brace, many women have shared their experiences with carpal tunnel syndrome and recommended to use a wrist brace as it was their “comfort ticket”. Luckily, all of these symptoms disappear after delivery.
Symptoms of the 24th Week of Pregnancy
Your pregnancy is progressing week by week, you might be developing some strange symptoms which might not be as common as other symptoms, you might even be experiencing some pain around your ribs, breasts, and stomach, basically could be anywhere or even everywhere!
This is mainly due to your pregnancy hormones loosing up your muscles and ligaments. This week’s pregnancy symptoms might include:
- Headaches
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Random pain around muscles
- Dizziness
- Tiredness
- Sore breasts
- Leg cramps
- Stretch marks
- Thicker hair
- Swollen gums
- Urine infection
- Bloating or constipation
- Spotty skin
- Feeling too warm
- Greasier skin
- Piles
- Vaginal infection
- Thicker hair
Your Baby’s 24th Week Development
Your baby has been doing a lot of growth over the past few weeks, he is now about 30cm long from head to toe and weighs around 600g. Your baby now looks like an actual human baby, just a bit too small and skinny at this point, do not worry, your baby will keep growing nicely till he is at the proper weight and size by the time for delivery.
The good news is, if anything goes wrong you give birth by now, your baby will have a fighting chance and will probably survive. Your baby’s lungs and vital organs could be able to adapt to life outside the womb.
This Week’s Tips
Beware of Dry Skin
Taking too many showers might cause your skin to become a bit dry as too much water can strip your skin from its moisture and might result in itchy and dry skin. Try taking warm baths and then apply a non-scented moisturizer on your skin to prevent dryness.
Consider Hiring a Doula
Have you heard about women hiring doulas to help them through birth and early baby care? A doula’s job is to cheer you during delivery, make you feel better, and more soothed unlike a doctor or a midwife. Women who hire a doula to help them out are less likely to need a c-section.
Do a Glucose Screening
Your doctor will probably ask you to do a glucose screening between your 24 and 28 weeks as your blood sugar levels might show that you have gestational diabetes, which is a temporary condition that has to be treated soon.