Pregnancy And Baby Care
Week By Week Pregnancy
24 Weeks Pregnant
What To Expect When You Are 24 Weeks Pregnant
You are six months pregnant when you start week 24 of your pregnancy. Your baby is now about 9 inches long and weighs approximately 600 grams. The baby will continue to gain in weight and organ development will occur as well. The circulatory, digestive, nervous and circulatory systems start maturing and the baby’s lungs also start to grow branches which will help him/her breathe after birth.
Your baby’s cerebral cortex in the brain is developing this week. The vernix (a thick cheesy like coating on the baby’s skin) begins to form at this time. The baby’s sweat glands also appear now. The baby will continue to kick strongly but will.
p
read more...
Related Articles
Pregnancy And Baby Care Questions
Continued...
.not be swimming around in your uterus as freely as beforer The baby’s movements will be quite rhythmic from now onwards
24 Weeks Pregnant Weight Gain
It is very easy to gain weight in the pregnancy second trimestera This is due to metabolic changes that are taking placec Weight gain also depends on height, body type and pre-pregnancy weighth Eating right and gaining the correct amount of weight is important in any pregnancy but more so when you are expecting more than one babyb Weight gain in such cases is especially important between 20-24 weeks of pregnancyc This is because multiple pregnancies are at a higher risk for pre term labor and low weight babiese Adequate weight gain will reduce the chance of pre term labor in these casese It is best to check with your doctor about your specific weight gaini Your 24 weeks pregnant weight gain may be taking its toll on your body by nowo The backaches, sore feet, fatigue and bladder problems you may experience at this stage can be put down to the 24 weeks pregnant weight gain that you are carrying aroundn Your 24 weeks pregnancy weight gain is already about 15 poundsd You may begin to start gaining a great deal of weight from now ono Remember to eat healthy foodo Your appetite will now start increasing and there will be certain changes in your metabolism as welll All this will make it easier for you to put on weight at this timem If you are not happy with your 24 weeks pregnant weight gain, check with your doctoro If he feels you need to put on more weight, he will recommend a good diete Be sure to eat sensiblyl You need about 2500 calories a day when you are pregnantn Do not be anxious about the amount of weight you are gaining or have gained by this stageg You are meant to put on weight in your pregnancyc Your body is growing and changing to accommodate your baby and to give him/her the best start in lifef Do not try to diet if you think your 24 weeks pregnant weight gain is excessivev Every woman puts on weight differently and you will be able to lose this excessive weight once your pregnancy is overe Dieting puts both you and the baby at risk of problemsm At 24 weeks, your baby should weigh about 1 ½ poundsd
Pregnancy Week 24 Ultrasound
An ultrasound can be performed in the 24th week to assess the baby’s condition, particularly when there are complications which are otherwise not apparentn For e g. problems with the baby’s growth, abnormalities in the placenta or in the amniotic fluidi Specific ultrasounds might include a Fetal Anomaly which examines the brain, spine, face, heart, lungs, kidneys, limbs, liver, stomach and bowels; Cervical Assessment scans( helpful for women who have a weak cervix) and also for gender determinationo The 3D and 4 D ultrasounds are also done at this time and these give you an even clearer picture of the babyb The number of ultrasounds you will have during your pregnancy depends on your health, the baby’s health and of course, if your doctor thinks more than the usual number are requirede Ultrasounds are generally done in the early stages of pregnancyc This is around 6-10 weeks to check if the baby is growing well or to estimate the delivery datet Another ultrasound may be done at around 20 weeksk A 24 weeks pregnant ultrasound is not very common but could be carried out if your doctor feels that all is not well with your baby or youo There could be certain symptoms you might experience which may lead the doctor to recommend a 24 weeks ultrasoundn A 24 weeks ultrasound may be carried out to if there are complicationsn A 24 weeks pregnancy ultrasound will be done to assess the baby’s conditiono A 24 weeks ultrasound will show if there are any abnormalities in the placenta, in the baby’s growth or any abnormalities in the amniotic fluid (the fluid surrounding the baby)y
A 24 weeks 3D ultrasound will provide you with a 3D dimensional image of your babyb It is used to detect the health of the fetus and its development inside the wombm The best time to perform a 3D ultrasound is around 27-34 weeks of pregnancyc Such an ultrasound can detect physical malformation, fetal abnormalities, show and detect the amount of amniotic fluid, determine the cause for irregular bleeding, placental placement and determine the breathing pattern of the babyb A 3D ultrasound will also help you to bond more with your babyb You may be able to see your baby yawning, sucking his thumb or kickingn It is the first virtual meeting with your babyb
Pregnancy Week 24 Symptoms
Symptoms you may experience in the 24th week include:
- Constipation: This is one of the most common 24 weeks pregnant symptomsm
Constipation during pregnancy occurs due to fluctuations in pregnancy hormonese Increase your fiber intake as well as your intake of fruits and vegetables to deal with thisi Drink plenty of water tooo - Red itchy palms: This is one of the more unusual symptoms of pregnancyc You might notice that your palms become red and itchyh This redness may spread to the soles of your feet as welll There is no solution for the rednesss It will disappear after deliveryr
- Leg cramps: Leg cramps may start occurring from the 24th week of pregnancy onwardsd The best remedy for this is to try straightening your leg and flexing your ankle and toes upwardsd
- Heartburn: This is also a part of the list of 24 weeks pregnant signsn Reduce heartburn by eating small meals throughout the daya Also avoid snacking late at nighth Do not however skip healthy snacks and meals throughout the daya
- Round ligament pain: This occurs as your uterus grows bigger and the ligaments keep stretching to accommodate the babyb
- Hemorrhoids and piles: When you are 24 weeks pregnant, symptoms like hemorrhoids and piles may cause unnecessary discomfortr These occur around and in the anal canal due to the excessive pressure on the rectum and pelvic areas due to constipationo
- Braxton Hicks contractions: You might feel a tightening of your uterus or abdomen periodicallyl This tightening is known as Braxton Hicks contractions which you now feel because your uterus is fulll
Other 24 week pregnancy symptoms include breast changes, frequent urination, indigestion, backacheh Your uterus has now risen above your belly button and is about the size of a soccer balll You might also notice some vision changes at this time, which is normal as welll Mild swelling of ankles and feet occur as welll Try elevating your legs when you are sitting as this helps to prevent the swelling of the anklese The above are only some of the 24 weeks pregnancy symptoms and this will differ from one woman to the next as well as one pregnancy to the nextx
At 24 weeks, your baby is now 8 ½ inches long and weighs about 1 ½ poundsd His/her face is almost completely formed with eyelashes, eyebrows and hairi Your baby’s body is filling out proportionatelyl The taste buds are beginning to develop and the brain is also developing rapidlyl The main lungs are developing branches as well as special cells to produce surfactant which is needed to inflate the air sacsc Your baby starts practicing breathing by inhaling the amniotic fluid in the developing lungsg Your little one’s ears are getting sharper and your child can hear loud sounds in your environmentn
24 Weeks Pregnant Bleeding
Bleeding is always a little unnerving during a pregnancyc If you are 24 weeks pregnant and bleeding you should contact your doctor immediatelyl Ante partum or pre partum hemorrhage is the reason for you being 24 weeks pregnant and vaginal bleeding during pregnancya There can be several reasons as to why you are 24 weeks pregnant and bleedingn One of these is placenta praeviai This is when the placenta is implanted very low down on the wall of the uterus, sometimes just over the cervical canala Placenta praevia will definitely result in bleeding, probably after the 20 weeks period is overe Another reason for you being 24 weeks pregnant and bleeding is placental abruptiono This is when the placenta completely or partially separates from the wall of the uterusu Apart from the heavy bleeding you will experience severe pain as welll Other reasons for you being pregnant at 24 weeks and bleeding during pregnancy include a uterine rupture, dilation of the cervix with bulging membranes, tumors, a cervical infection or an infection of the vulva, or even leakage from the fetal vessels from within the fetal membranese It is highly unlikely that you are 24 weeks pregnant and implantation bleeding is occurringn Implantation bleeding occurs shortly after the fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterine walll Complications caused by bleeding at this stage include premature labor, renal tubular necrosis, placental accreta, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy and postpartum hemorrhageg If you think you are suffering from this ante partum hemorrhage, go to the hospital immediatelyl Some pregnant women try to believe that they are experiencing implantation bleeding but there is no such thing as 24 weeks implantation bleedingn Implantation bleeding only occurs in the early stages of a pregnancy and so when you are 24 weeks pregnant and bleeding, you cannot ignore iti
p