24 Weeks - Pregnancy

Baby

Finally, your little one begins to fill out this week. She has gained about 6 ounces during the past seven days in muscle, bone mass, and organs. She now weighs about 1.3 pounds and is almost a foot long, as her wrinkly skin begins to smooth.

This week, her taste buds are developing, so that she can often taste what you taste. Her sweat glands are also developing, and her lungs are developing so that the air sacs will inflate easily after she is born. This week, your baby is officially considered viable. That’s right. If your baby is born this week, she has a chance at survival, although obviously not ideal.

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Your uterus is now 1 ½ - 2 ½ inches above your belly button and is the size of a basketball. In fact, people may say that you look like you swallowed a basketball. Now you know why. You are feeling the baby kick more, since he is getting stronger and he still has plenty of room in there to play some soccer. Your abdomen is aching and itchy as the ligaments continue to stretch. Common physical symptoms include constipation, heart burn, bloating, indigestion, headaches, dizziness, nasal congestion, bleeding gums, increased appetite, leg cramps, swelling, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, itchy stomach, protruding naval, backache, skin changes, fuller breasts, carpal tunnel, tingly hands and feet, and clumsiness. These are the things nobody every told you about before you got pregnant, right?

You may start getting bored and impatient with this pregnancy thing, as that seems to be what defines you right now. Anxiety about the baby and about how life will be with baby is also common as reality sets in. Calm your anxiety by focusing on the nursery, taking a hospital or birth center tour, and registering for a birth class.

You may also be getting anxious about weight gain now, but keep in mind that you should gain 25-35 pounds throughout your pregnancy. Much of the weight gained during pregnancy goes to your baby and his support system, including the placenta, amniotic fluid, and the extra blood coursing through your veins.

If you do decide to breastfeed, the extra weight melts right off for a lot of women. If not, regular exercise and good eating habits will bring you back down within nine months after delivery. There are things you can do now to minimize your weight gain – mainly eating healthy foods, drinking plenty of water, and exercising regularly.

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PLEASE NOTE

This should be used as a general guideline and is for general information and educational purposes only. Please remember that all pregnancies develop at different rates. If you have questions about your baby's development, please contact your doctor or midwife.