24 weeks pregnant: Baby’s development, symptoms and top tips

By week 24, your baby is 30 – 31cm in size, so about as big as a cucumber. They weigh between 600 and 700 grams, a big increase on last week. Despite this, your baby still has plenty of space to move around to their heart’s content. You’ll be able to feel their movements day and night all around your belly.

Your baby is doing a full-on work out in your womb, developing those growing muscles. From their strong kicking legs to their punchy fists, all the way through to their facial muscles, they are doing everything they know how to do and learning more along the way.

Putting on weight

You may feel like you're already enormous, but for most women, the really dramatic weight gain usually takes place in the next six weeks of pregnancy. At one time, pregnant women were weighed at every antenatal checkup, but thankfully attitudes to weight gain are much more relaxed now. If you’d like to track your expected weight gain, use our weight chart, which is based on your pre-pregnancy BMI.

You'll likely gain around 2 stone in total during your pregnancy, but interestingly, only around a third of this is directly related to the baby. The rest is mainly due to your increased blood supply, body fat, retained water and your growing breasts.

Nausea and heartburn

The most common symptoms in week 24 are heartburn and nausea. You’re likely to feel nauseous if you eat too much heavy food at once, as your stomach is now smaller and can only fully digest smaller amounts of food. It’s a good idea to eat smaller meals more regularly (the ‘little and often’ approach) and to reduce your consumption of foods that are harder to digest – so less meat and more vegetables.

You can ease heartburn (caused by acid reflux from your stomach to your throat) by sitting up straight while eating and by drinking a glass of water with every course to make the stomach acid less aggressive.

Belly button changes

As your bump grows, it can change the way your belly button looks. Your abdomen is swollen and stretched, making your belly button appear wider and/or longer, and for some people their ‘innie’ can become an ‘outie’. This is usually temporary, and nothing to worry about. If you have pain around your belly button, talk to your midwife or doctor – it could be a sign of a hernia.

Lower abdominal pain

If you’re feeling some achiness in your lower abdomen, this can usually be put down to the weight and pressure caused by your expanding uterus. However, if it’s severe, feels like rhythmic cramps, or is accompanied by bleeding, go to your maternity unit to be checked up.

Migraines

For some people, migraines are part and parcel of pregnancy – a side effect on a long list of side effects. You might be able to pinpoint the cause of the migraine – for example, something you ate, or being dehydrated, or certain visual stimulus. Try keeping a diary to see if anything stands out.

If you’re experiencing severe headaches, report this to your health professional as it can rarely be a symptom of pre-eclampsia.

Leg cramps and swollen feet

Swelling in your feet, ankles, fingers and hands is a normal part of pregnancy, when we tend to retain more fluid than normal. This can be uncomfortable, butisn’t usually anything to worry about. If swelling is severe, or comes on suddenly, call your midwife. Again, this is a symptom of pre-eclampsia.

If you’re suffering with leg cramps, try rubbing the affected area (or get your partner to do it for you!). Leg cramps are thought to be caused by a lack of magnesium in your diet, so up your quantities of leafy veg, pulses, nuts and seeds, and make sure you’re drinking plenty of water.

Are your eyes changing?

Hormonal changes can sometimes reduce the formation of tears – ironic, because they also make you feel like crying! If you’re getting dry eyes, or blurry vision, visit your optician for a check-up. They might be able to recommend eye drops to help you out.

If you have been flagged at any point in your pregnancy as being at risk of gestational diabetes, you will be offered a glucose screening between weeks 24 and 28 of your pregnancy.

In order to carry out the test, you have to fast for 8 – 10 hours, have a blood test, then drink a glucose drink, rest for 2 hours, and have another blood test. This tells doctors how your body is dealing with the glucose.

Gestational diabetes can pose a risk to you and the baby, so if there are any risk factors it’s best to have the test and find out, so that you can manage your condition for the remainder of your pregnancy. Risk factors include having a family history of diabetes, having a high BMI, being over the age of 40, or being of south Asian, Black, African-Caribbean or Middle Eastern origin.

Get your protein from fish

Fish is easier to digest than meat, and so can be easier on your stomach if you’re suffering with indigestion and heartburn. Fish also provides important omega 3 fatty acids, which aid brain development.

Get your partner involved

You may be carrying the baby, but you’re both going to be parenting them – so make sure your partner isn’t feeling left out. Try not to make big plans or purchases without them. It’s nice to choose nursery colours together, for example, or to go shopping for buggies as a family.

Keep the lines of communication open, so you can always tell them how you’re feeling and vice versa. Pregnancy can be a really anxious time for you both, and keeping your fears to yourself can create barriers between you. If you find it hard to talk sitting face to face, try going for a walk together or make the most of car journeys to catch up. People often find it easier to talk when they’re side by side.

Emotional and mental wellbeing

If you are concerned about your own or your partner’s emotional and mental wellbeing, look for support. There are a variety of helplines designed to support parents-to-be. If it’s more practical assistance you need, the Citizens Advice Bureau will be able to talk you through the financial assistance you’re entitled to, and can help direct you to other services that help people with financial worries.

Soothing itchy palms

Itchy palms is another of those weird pregnancy symptoms that seem to arise without cause. Though it’s uncomfortable, it shouldn’t be anything to worry about. Try switching to a gentler soap and dishwashing liquid, and use hand cream to soothe the itch.

If it persists and if other parts of your body are also itchy, it could be a sign of a liver condition called intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), which needs medical attention.

Questions for the doctor or midwife

If this is your first pregnancy, you’ll have another midwife appointment next week. Be prepared by making a list of things you want to talk about, such as the birth plan, or any odd symptoms you’re experiencing.

What should I be feeling at 24 weeks pregnant?

By 24 weeks, you should be feeling movement. If you haven’t felt anything yet, talk to your midwife. They can listen to the baby’s heartbeat and make sure everything’s going ok in there.

These movements might still feel like flutters, but more likely they have progressed to little pokes and prods, going every which way – down, up, side to side and back to front!

Why is 24 weeks pregnant important?

At 24 weeks, your baby is considered ‘viable’, which means that if they were born there is a chance of survival with specialist care. Thankfully, preterm births are relatively rare. All being well, it will be another 3 months before you meet.

Where is the position of baby at 24 weeks pregnant?

Your baby is still swimming around in the amniotic fluid, and won’t have started making their way towards the birth canal yet. They might have a preferred sleeping position. See if you can work out where they are by feeling your belly.

How do you sleep at 24 weeks pregnant?

If you are struggling to get comfy, you’re not alone. Many women find it difficult to sleep with a bump. Try sleeping on your side with a pillow under your bump and another between your knees. This will ease the strain on your abdomen and lower back.

From 28 weeks, side sleeping is the recommended position to reduce the risk of stillbirth. However, you might already feel like your bump is too big to comfortably sleep on your back, in which case, side sleeping will be your best bet.

What is my baby doing at 24 weeks in the womb?

Your baby is busy learning, moving, sleeping and listening. They’re practicing their moves, as well as important skills like breathing, swallowing and sucking, getting ready for life on the outside.

Got questions? At the HiPPBabyClub, we bring you real-world advice and support from HiPP parents, midwives, nutritionists and more. Join our Baby Club to find out more.