24 Weeks Pregnant: Baby Development, Symptoms and Tips
Short Answer: At 24 week pregnancy, your baby is about 30 cm from head to heel, roughly the size of an ear of corn or a large papaya, and weighs around 600 grams. The lungs are making surfactant, the face is fully formed, the hearing is sharper and your baby has reached the point many hospitals call viability, meaning a good chance of survival with intensive care. The top of your womb is about 3 to 4 cm above your navel. This is the week to prepare for the glucose test (24 to 28 weeks), check your hemoglobin and blood pressure, learn the warning signs of preterm labour, pre-eclampsia and cholestasis, and plan where you would go in an emergency. Call a doctor for heavy bleeding, severe pain, fever, fluid leaking, regular tightenings, intense itching or a severe headache with blurred vision.
Pregnancy weeks are counted from the first day of your last period, not from conception. Twenty-four weeks pregnant means about twenty-two weeks since conception. You are at the start of your sixth month, with about 16 weeks to go. For the week before, read our guide to 23 weeks pregnant, for the next, 25 weeks pregnant, and to follow the whole journey see our pregnancy guidelines week by week.
Week 24 at a glance
| Detail | At 24 weeks |
|---|---|
| Trimester | Second |
| Months | About 5.5 to 6 |
| Baby’s length | About 30 cm (11.8 inches), head to heel |
| Baby’s weight | About 600 grams |
| Heart rate | About 120 to 160 beats per minute |
| Weeks to go | About 16 |
| Size comparison | An ear of corn or a large papaya |
| Height of womb | About 24 cm from the pubic bone |
Your baby at 24 weeks
Growth. Your baby is putting on weight steadily, and weight keeps rising faster than length. By week 28 your baby will weigh around 1 kg.
Face and eyes. The face is fully formed, with eyebrows, eyelashes and lips in place. The eyes are formed and the eyelids are closed, though they will start to open in the coming weeks. Your baby can sense light through your belly and may turn toward or away from a bright torch. The eye colour is not final, because the pigment develops after birth.
Lungs. The lungs have branching airways and growing air sacs. The cells that make surfactant, the substance that stops the air sacs from collapsing, are starting to work. Your baby also practises breathing movements by moving the chest and swallowing and breathing in fluid. The lungs are not ready to work without help until about 34 to 36 weeks.
Skin. The skin is still thin, wrinkled and see-through, with a reddish tint. Fat is building up beneath it. Vernix protects it, and fine lanugo hair covers the body. Fingerprints and toe prints are unique to your baby. Hair on the head is growing, and it may have colour already.
Hearing. Your baby hears your heartbeat, your voice, your stomach and loud outside sounds, all muffled by fluid and tissue. Your baby can react to sudden noises with a jump. Babies are thought to recognise their mother’s voice after birth, so talking and singing are worth the effort.
Balance and movement. The inner ear is working, so your baby senses position and motion. Kicks, rolls, punches, stretches and hiccups are strong now, and you may see your belly move. Sleep and wake cycles are clearer, and many babies are busiest in the evening.
Brain. The brain is growing fast, and the folds on its surface are forming. Connections between nerve cells keep multiplying.
Digestion and urine. Your baby swallows amniotic fluid and passes urine, which adds to the fluid. The first stool, meconium, builds up in the bowel and is usually passed after birth.
Genitals. In girls, the uterus and ovaries are in place. In boys, the testes are moving down toward the scrotum.
What viability means
Viability is the point at which a baby has a reasonable chance of surviving outside the womb with intensive care. Many hospitals and guidelines treat 24 weeks as that point. Survival at this age is far from certain. In hospitals with good newborn intensive care, a baby born at 24 weeks has a fair chance of surviving, and chances rise quickly with each week after. Many survivors have problems such as breathing difficulties, brain bleeds, eye problems or later developmental difficulties.
In places where newborn intensive care is limited, as in many parts of Bangladesh, the chances are lower. That is why preventing preterm birth and getting to a well-equipped hospital quickly matter so much. Ask your doctor which hospital near you has a newborn intensive care unit, and plan how you would reach it at any hour.
If you are at risk of delivering before 34 weeks, doctors can give you antenatal corticosteroid injections to speed up your baby’s lung development. They work best if given between one and seven days before birth, so go to the hospital early if you have signs of preterm labour.
Your body at 24 weeks
Womb. The top of your womb is about 3 to 4 cm above your navel, and a tape measure from the pubic bone reads about 24 cm. Your doctor may measure this at each visit as a quick check of growth. A difference of up to 2 cm either way is normal.
Bump. Your bump is round and visible now. Your navel may flatten or pop out and returns to normal after the birth.
Weight. A person of normal weight usually gains about 0.4 to 0.5 kg a week. By now most people have gained about 6 to 8 kg in total, though it varies.
Blood and heart. Your blood volume has risen by up to 40 percent, and your heart works harder. You may feel warmer, sweat more and have a faster pulse. Blood pressure often dips in the second trimester and can start to rise afterward, so every visit includes a blood pressure check.
Skin and hair. A glow is common, but so are acne, dry skin and dark patches on the face (melasma). A dark line down the belly (linea nigra) is common. Stretch marks can appear on the belly, breasts, hips and thighs. Genetics matters more than any cream. Hair looks thicker, and nails may grow faster or split.
Breasts. They are larger and heavier. A few drops of thick yellow fluid, called colostrum, may leak. Wear a supportive, wire-free cotton bra.
Breathing. The womb pushes up on the diaphragm, so you may feel breathless on stairs. Rest and good posture help.
Eyes. Dry or slightly blurred vision is common from hormones. Sudden vision changes, flashing lights or spots need a doctor, because they can be a sign of pre-eclampsia.
Mind. Vivid dreams, forgetfulness and mood swings are common. Many people feel more connected to the baby now.
Common symptoms and what helps
| Symptom | Why it happens | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Backache | Growing womb, loosening joints, posture | Flat supportive shoes, good posture, side-sleeping with a pillow, gentle stretches |
| Round ligament pain, a sharp pull in the lower belly or groin | Ligaments stretch as the womb grows | Move slowly, rest, warm bath |
| Braxton Hicks tightenings | Practice contractions | Drink water, rest, change position |
| Leg cramps, mostly at night | Circulation and mineral changes | Calf stretches before bed, drink water, ask about calcium |
| Swollen feet and ankles | Fluid retention | Raise your feet, avoid long standing, drink water |
| Heartburn | Relaxed valve at the top of the stomach | Smaller meals, avoid spicy and oily food, stay upright after eating |
| Constipation, piles | Slow gut, iron tablets, pressure | Fibre, water, daily movement, do not strain |
| Dizziness | Blood pressure changes, low blood sugar | Eat regularly, stand up slowly |
| Stuffy nose, nosebleeds | More blood flow to the nose lining | Saline spray, a humidifier, lean forward and pinch the nose for a bleed |
| Bleeding gums | More blood flow to the gums | Soft brush, gentle flossing, dental check |
| Headaches | Hormones, tiredness, dehydration | Rest, fluids, ask your doctor before taking medicine |
| Tingling hands | Fluid squeezing a nerve at the wrist | Shake and raise your hands, wrist splint at night |
| Hip and pelvic pain | Loosening joints, sleeping position | Pillow between knees, change position often |
| Mild breathlessness | Growing womb, hormones | Rest, good posture |
| Itchy, stretching belly skin | Skin stretching | Moisturiser, loose cotton clothes |
| Increased vaginal discharge | Hormones | Cotton underwear, no douching |
Do not take any medicine, including painkillers and herbal products, without asking a doctor or pharmacist. Paracetamol at the recommended dose is generally considered safe. Avoid ibuprofen, aspirin and diclofenac unless your doctor prescribes them.
The glucose test and gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that starts in pregnancy. It usually causes no symptoms, so a test is the only way to find it. South Asian women have a higher risk than many other groups, so do not skip it. The usual window is 24 to 28 weeks. Doctors test earlier if you have risk factors, such as a family history of diabetes, a past large baby, obesity, polycystic ovaries or gestational diabetes in an earlier pregnancy.
The test. Many clinics use a 75 gram oral glucose tolerance test. You fast overnight, give a blood sample, drink a measured sugar solution and give more blood after one and two hours. You usually stay at the clinic for about two hours or more. Some clinics use other methods, so ask exactly how to prepare.
Diagnosis. Commonly used criteria diagnose gestational diabetes if any one of these is met or exceeded: a fasting blood sugar of 5.1 mmol/L (92 mg/dL), a one-hour value of 10.0 mmol/L (180 mg/dL) or a two-hour value of 8.5 mmol/L (153 mg/dL). Your doctor will explain your result.
Preparing:
- Eat normally in the days before, and do not cut carbohydrates
- Fast for the number of hours your clinic tells you, usually 8 to 10, and drink only water
- Do not smoke or exercise hard before the test
- Ask whether to take your usual medicines
- Take a book and a snack for afterwards
If you have gestational diabetes. It is manageable, and most people control it with food choices, daily walking and checking blood sugar at home. Some need tablets or insulin. Good control lowers the risk of a very large baby, birth injuries, a low blood sugar in the newborn and high blood pressure. Ask for a dietitian. Your sugar usually returns to normal after the birth, but you have a higher chance of type 2 diabetes later, so get a blood sugar test six to twelve weeks after delivery and then every year.
Itching: when it is serious
Mild itching of the stretching belly skin is common and harmless. Moisturiser and loose cotton clothes help.
Intense itching, especially on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet, that is worse at night and with no rash, can be a sign of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, a liver condition in which bile acids build up in the blood. It is more common in South Asian women and usually starts after 28 weeks, though it can start earlier. It does not harm you much, but it raises the risk of preterm birth and stillbirth, so it needs a check.
What to do: call your doctor the same day. A blood test measures liver function and bile acids. If it is confirmed, you will be monitored closely, offered medicine and usually advised to deliver around 37 weeks, sometimes earlier. Dark urine, pale stools and yellow skin or eyes also need an urgent check.
When to call a doctor
| Usually normal | Call a doctor soon |
|---|---|
| Short, sharp pulls in the lower belly | Severe or constant abdominal pain |
| Mild, irregular tightenings that stop with rest | Regular tightenings that come more often and do not stop |
| Milky white discharge | Watery fluid leaking, or foul, itchy or coloured discharge |
| Occasional headache | Severe headache with blurred vision, flashing lights or upper belly pain |
| Itchy stretching belly skin | Intense itching of palms and soles, or yellow skin |
| Tiredness, mood swings | Fainting, chest pain or sudden breathlessness |
| Mild swelling of feet late in the day | Sudden swelling of the face and hands, or one swollen, painful calf |
| Light spotting after sex | Bleeding that soaks a pad in an hour, or with clots |
| Occasional nosebleed | Any fever, burning urination or back pain |
Pre-eclampsia. A serious blood pressure condition that can develop after 20 weeks. Signs include a severe headache that will not go away, blurred vision or flashing lights, sudden swelling of the face and hands, pain under the ribs on the right side, vomiting and rapid weight gain. It needs urgent care.
Preterm labour. Call straight away if you have regular tightenings, more than four in an hour, a steady low backache, pelvic pressure, a change in vaginal discharge, bleeding or fluid leaking before 37 weeks. Lie on your left side and drink water, and go to hospital if the signs continue for an hour, or at once for bleeding or fluid leaking. Call 999 if you need help getting there.
Fever. In Bangladesh a fever can also mean dengue, so do not treat it at home. See a doctor straight away.
If you feel sad, anxious or hopeless for more than two weeks, tell your doctor. If you ever have thoughts of harming yourself, seek help right away.
Food and supplements
Iron. Keep taking iron-folic acid tablets as prescribed. Take iron away from tea, coffee and milk, and with something sour such as lemon. Ask for a hemoglobin test this trimester. The World Health Organization defines anaemia in pregnancy as hemoglobin below 11 g/dL in the first and third trimesters and below 10.5 g/dL in the second.
Calcium. Calcium supplements are advised from about 20 weeks where diets are low in calcium. They help your baby’s bones and teeth and lower the risk of high blood pressure in pregnancy. Take calcium at a different time from iron.
Iodine. Use iodised salt in your cooking. Iodine supports your baby’s brain development.
Eat more of:
- Protein: eggs, well-cooked fish, chicken, lentils (dal), beans and milk
- Iron-rich foods: leafy greens (shak), lean meat and lentils, with lemon or guava for vitamin C
- Calcium-rich foods: milk, yogurt, and small fish such as mola eaten with the bones
- Fruit and vegetables: a variety of colours every day
- Whole grains and fibre: brown rice, whole wheat roti and oats
- Healthy fats: well-cooked oily fish, nuts and seeds
- Water: about 8 to 10 glasses across the day, more in hot weather
Limit: caffeine to about 200 mg a day, which is one or two cups of tea or a single small coffee. Limit sweets, sugary drinks, juice and fried snacks. Large portions of white rice and bread push blood sugar up, so pair carbohydrates with protein and vegetables. Choose fruit over juice.
Avoid: alcohol, all tobacco (including zarda and jorda), raw or undercooked meat, fish and eggs, unpasteurized milk and cheese, unwashed produce, large predatory fish such as shark and swordfish, high-dose vitamin A supplements, unripe papaya and herbal tonics your doctor has not approved.
Weight gain. Total gain over the whole pregnancy depends on your weight before pregnancy, and Asian-specific BMI ranges may apply, so ask your doctor.
| Weight before pregnancy | Recommended total gain |
|---|---|
| Underweight | 12.5 to 18 kg |
| Normal weight | 11.5 to 16 kg |
| Overweight | 7 to 11.5 kg |
| Obese | 5 to 9 kg |
Sleep, exercise and posture
Sleep. Sleep on your side, ideally the left, with a pillow between your knees and another under your belly. Doctors advise against sleeping flat on your back from about 20 weeks. If you wake on your back, simply turn over. A long body pillow helps. Keep a regular bedtime and avoid screens at night. Hot, humid nights and power cuts can disturb sleep, so use a fan, wear loose cotton clothes and keep water by your bed.
Exercise. The standard advice for healthy pregnancies is about 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as 30 minutes of brisk walking on most days. Walking after meals helps blood sugar. Swimming, prenatal yoga, stationary cycling and pelvic floor exercises are good choices. You should be able to talk while you exercise. Avoid hot yoga, lying flat on your back during exercise, contact sports, heavy lifting and anything with a risk of falls. Stop and call your doctor if you have pain, bleeding, dizziness or trouble breathing.
Pelvic floor. Squeeze and lift the muscles you use to stop urine flow, hold for a few seconds and release. Do a few sets a day. Strong pelvic floor muscles help with bladder control during and after pregnancy.
Posture. As your belly grows, your centre of gravity shifts forward. Stand tall, keep your shoulders back, avoid high heels and use a chair that supports your lower back. Lift by bending your knees. A support belt can ease back pain, so ask your doctor.
Work, money and planning
- Maternity leave. Under Bangladesh’s labour law, working mothers in the private sector are entitled to 16 weeks of paid maternity leave, eight before and eight after the birth. Government employees receive six months. Check your own contract and plan when to tell your employer.
- Place of birth. Choose a hospital or clinic with a qualified doctor or midwife, a way to handle emergencies, a blood supply and a newborn care unit. Ask what the delivery package covers and what an emergency would cost.
- Mode of delivery. Many births in Bangladesh are by C-section, and some are not medically needed. Ask your doctor when a C-section is recommended and what a vaginal birth involves.
- Transport. Plan how you would reach the hospital at any hour, and keep emergency numbers in your phone.
- Money. Start a simple budget for prenatal care, delivery and baby costs.
- Classes. Ask about classes on labour, breathing, newborn care and breastfeeding.
- Dental care. Dental treatment is safe in pregnancy, and gum disease is linked to early birth.
- Partners. Come to appointments if you can, share chores, feel the baby move and listen. Talk about names, birth plans and parenting.
- Dengue and heat. Remove standing water around your home, use a mosquito net and drink plenty of water.
If you feel unsafe at home, tell your doctor or a trusted person. In Bangladesh you can call the national helpline 109 for support with violence against women and children. It is free.
Checklist for this week
- Book or prepare for the glucose test, and ask how to prepare
- Ask for a hemoglobin and blood pressure check
- Take iron-folic acid and calcium as prescribed, at different times, and use iodised salt
- Learn the signs of preterm labour, pre-eclampsia and cholestasis
- Choose the hospital you would go to in an emergency, and plan transport
- Ask about the tetanus-diphtheria, flu and whooping cough vaccines, and anti-D if you are Rh negative
- Check your home for standing water and use mosquito protection
- Sleep on your side and keep up daily walks and pelvic floor exercises
- Book a dental check
- Save your doctor’s number and the nearest hospital’s emergency number
FAQ
How big is the baby at 24 weeks?
About 30 cm from head to heel and 600 grams, roughly the size of an ear of corn or a large papaya. Sizes vary a little between babies.
Is 24 weeks viable?
Many hospitals treat 24 weeks as the point of viability, meaning a baby has a reasonable chance of surviving with intensive care. Survival is not certain, and it depends on the quality of newborn care available.
What is the glucose test?
A test for gestational diabetes, usually at 24 to 28 weeks. You fast, give a blood sample, drink a sugar solution and give more blood samples. South Asian women have a higher risk, so do not skip it.
Can I feel the baby move at 24 weeks?
Yes. Movements are strong and regular. If you have not felt movement by now, tell your doctor.
Is it normal for my belly to itch?
Mild itching of stretching skin is common. Intense itching on the palms and soles, especially at night, can be a liver condition called cholestasis and needs a blood test the same day.
Should I count kicks at 24 weeks?
Not yet. From about 28 weeks doctors advise paying close attention to movement. If you notice a clear drop in movement at any time after you have felt it regularly, call your doctor the same day.
Is it normal to have swollen feet at 24 weeks?
Mild swelling late in the day is common, especially in hot weather. Sudden swelling of the face and hands, or swelling of one leg, needs a doctor.
Is it safe to exercise at 24 weeks?
Yes for most healthy pregnancies. Walking, swimming, gentle yoga and pelvic floor exercises are good. Avoid contact sports, heavy lifting, hot yoga and lying flat on your back during exercise.
Note: This article gives general information and does not replace advice from your doctor or midwife. Every pregnancy is different. Call your doctor or go to a hospital if you have bleeding, severe pain, fever, fainting or any symptom that worries you.
