Week 24

Your baby

• Your baby pulls faces, frowns and opens and closes that tiny mouth
• There may even be some thumb-sucking going on
• Have you felt your baby hiccup?
• Your baby would stand a chance of surviving if born now, but would need special care. (If your baby was born prematurely contact BLISS for information, advice and support: www.bliss.org.uk)

Putting on weight

You will have been slowly putting on weight, but the most dramatic weight gain usually takes place during the next six weeks. At one time, pregnant women were weighed at every antenatal check up, but now there is not so much emphasis on this and attitudes to weight gain are much more relaxed. You may gain around 2 stone in total during your pregnancy although, interestingly, only around a third of this is directly concerned with the baby. The rest of the gain is mainly from the weight of increased blood supply, body fat, retained fluid and bigger breasts.

Feeling hot and bothered?

Your heart and lungs have to work extra hard, and this often means that pregnant women feel hotter than normal. Your ribs will also move upwards, and the lower ribs outwards, to make room for your expanding womb but this will constrict your lungs which may make you feel a little breathless at times. Try to take things slowly – and rest if you need to.

You may finally have to give up the high heels (if you haven’t done so already) and rest with your feet up when possible.

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