What happens at 24 weeks of gestation? A woman in this period feels excellent. After all, all the signs and consequences of toxicosis, as well as fatigue, excessive irritability and increased emotionality no longer excite her. The kid is actively moving in his stomach, constantly reminds himself and of his needs.
The article will discuss what happens to the baby at 24 weeks of pregnancy, what changes occur in the woman’s body. Expectant mothers will learn about what can and cannot be done during this period, what tests they need to pass, what complications may develop at this time, and also a lot of other useful information.
Fetal development
The child is actively developing and continues to gain weight. He is still very small, but he has already formed all the features of a tiny little man. In addition, he loves communication and attention, he really likes to hear my mother's voice. It is from this period that he needs to tell tales and sing songs.
But the main task of the fetus at the 24th week of pregnancy is weight gain. He also sleeps most of the time. If the baby is born at this time, then he has every chance to survive.
So what does the baby look like? Fetal development at 24 weeks of gestation:
- he has developed muscles of legs and arms, he knows how to roll over, push, unclench and compress his fists;
- he is still very thin, because the fat layer is still very poorly developed;
- sweat and sebaceous glands are already starting to form on his skin;
- the baby can hiccup and cough;
- he has a well-developed facial expression, he squints his eyes, opens his mouth, puffs his lips and cheeks;
- hairs grow on the head;
- all internal organs were formed and settled in their places in a small organism.
It is believed that at the 24th week of pregnancy, the child develops a nervous system and character traits are laid. Of course, the features of temperament are genetic heredity, but the character is formed throughout life, and this important process begins in this period.
A huge impact on the baby has an emotional state of the mother. Scientists distinguish three ways of interaction between mother and baby: psychological, hormonal, behavioral.
Our ancestors also noticed that if a pregnant woman is nervous, then the baby begins to behave more actively. So, strong emotional upheavals can remain in the memory of the baby forever. For example, if during pregnancy a mother loves a fruit very much, its taste and smell will always be associated with joy and pleasure in the baby.
What happens to mom at 24 weeks of gestation?
This time is the calmest and most excellent for the entire period of pregnancy. She has a lot of energy, the baby is growing and actively moving, all the fears of the future mother are behind. During this period, she is no longer subject to mood swings and psychologically begins to prepare for a meeting with the baby. The woman’s appearance is improving, her skin is cleansed, a healthy glow appears. The only drawback is the appearance of age spots.
The mother's location of internal organs changes. A growing uterus presses on the bladder and moves the intestines away. Swelling begins to develop.
How many months is this?
24 weeks of pregnancy (if you keep a report from the first day of the last menstruation, that is, the obstetric period) is six months. That is, the second trimester ends - this is the most measured and favorable period. Until the most joyful event - meeting with the baby, there is still a lot of time that needs to be devoted to preparing for the long-awaited event.
24 weeks of pregnancy - how many obstetric weeks are these? If the countdown is from the moment of conception, then this is 26 obstetric weeks, that is, it is 6 months and two weeks.
Stirring
At the 24th week of the development of pregnancy in the mother’s stomach, the baby is already cramped, but he continues to perform his acrobatic stunts. Its activity does not decrease, but the baby's movements become more distinct. He waves his arms and legs, turns over, tumbles. Now, not only mom, but also dad can feel the baby’s movements, ate he will press his hand to the pregnant belly.
The baby sleeps a lot, but he already has his own sleep and wakefulness regimen. Scientists claim that he dreams.
Feel
The sensations at 24 weeks of pregnancy are pleasant enough for a woman. She begins to feel more and more like a held mom, she is full of joy. However, right now the weight gain is beginning to affect and feel. So, in addition to pleasant sensations, problems with the bladder, bowel movement, and digestion can occur. In addition, there are periodic headaches, a woman increasingly feels fatigue and heaviness in her legs.
Uterus
At the 24th week of pregnancy, the baby is actively growing, and with it the uterus also increases. The bottom of the uterus at this time is determined already at the level of the navel, the cervical canal is filled with a cork, which will depart only before delivery.
The uterus at the 24th week of pregnancy can contract painlessly and irregularly - these are the so-called false contractions or they are also called "training". These contractions and relaxation of the uterus are usually not accompanied by pain. But if it begins to contract regularly, and this process is accompanied by pain, it is urgent to call an ambulance, as these are symptoms of premature birth.
Belly at 24 weeks
With the growth of the uterus, the woman’s stomach increases. At the 24th week of pregnancy, he noticeably grew, rounded and raised a little. The skin on the stomach stretches, blood vessels begin to appear. It becomes sensitive and very dry.
Often, light stripes called stretch marks or striae appear on the stomach, hips and chest. It is very difficult to fight them, so it is much easier to prevent their appearance. To do this, there are various gels and creams, as well as cosmetic oils, which can be bought in a specialized store or pharmacy. It is better to use cosmetics after a shower - 2 times a day.
Pain
What happens at 24 weeks of gestation? To this period, colossal changes have already occurred in the pregnant woman’s body associated with the growth and development of the baby. The body has already adapted to the bearing of the child, and now he devotes all his strength to preserving the life of the baby. With these processes, a woman often experiences some discomfort.
The most frequent pains at 24 weeks of pregnancy in the back and lower back. This is due to the growth of the abdomen, softening of the ligaments and the displacement of the center of gravity. You can avoid these pains if you strengthen your back muscles before pregnancy and perform gymnastics during an interesting position.
If your lower back is very sore, you need to choose comfortable shoes, and of course, abandon heels. Proper shoes can reduce the likelihood of fatigue and heaviness in the legs. The load on the legs will increase, while cramps are frequent, sometimes accompanied by painful sensations. In addition to giving up heels, it is necessary to periodically give the legs rest - lie on a flat surface and lay them on a hill. You can put a roller under them.
Abdominal pain at this time, as a rule, is absent. Only sometimes does a sharp stabbing pain in the side occur - this is a uterine distension, but this unpleasant sensation quickly disappears. But the occurrence of pain, similar to contractions, aching and prolonged - requires immediate medical advice.
Weight
The optimal weight for this period is considered with an increase of up to 7.5-8 kilograms. Especially should be monitored by those women who before pregnancy had a predisposition to be overweight.
So every week, an increase of 350-500 grams is optimal; it is advisable to weigh yourself daily. Weight should be monitored carefully, as excess weight gained can worsen the condition of the mother and provoke complications during childbirth.
Food
But to monitor the weight will help a special diet. It is necessary to eat healthy and maximally natural foods. Dishes should be cooked by boiling, baking, stewing. But smoked, half-baked, fried from the diet should be excluded.
There is a relative ban on sugar, white flour products, and confectionery. They are sources of fast carbohydrates, which cause a sharp jump in sugar in the blood of a pregnant woman and can lead to the development of diabetes in pregnant women. There are restrictions on salt, as it retains fluid in the body and leads to additional edema.
During pregnancy, there is a risk of developing anemia, so nutrition should be such as to satisfy the body's needs for iron. You should eat buckwheat porridge, beef liver and beef, pomegranates, green apples, lettuce, persimmons. In addition, there are products that help to absorb iron: cherries, currants, sweet peppers, seaweed.
Vegetables and fruits should be constantly present in the diet of the pregnant woman. They contain large amounts of fiber, which affects the functioning of the intestines.
Factors Affecting Your Baby
The placenta protects the baby from the effects of harmful factors, but some of them can still affect the baby. For example, maternal hormones freely penetrate the baby’s blood and affect the formation of his character. In addition, during pregnancy it is strictly prohibited:
- Smoking, as nicotine is addictive in the baby. Under its influence, a vasospasm occurs, and the baby does not receive enough oxygen, which causes a delay in its development.
- Alcohol consumption. It should be noted that there are no safe doses; it negatively affects the development of the child.
- Drug use. Their components penetrate the placenta, disrupting the development of individual organs of the fetus, and can lead to its death.
- Use of chemical harmful substances. For example, paints, detergents and so on.
- Ionizing radiation, since strong exposure can cause the death of the child.
- Many drugs - they cross the placenta and affect the child, disrupting its development.
Analyzes and ultrasound
You can find out what happens to the baby at 24 weeks of gestation by ultrasound. For this period, a second scheduled examination is prescribed. The parameters of the fetus and the development of its organs are evaluated.
As for the analyzes, as a rule, they do not give up at this time, only according to indications. For example, in case of deterioration of health or the possibility of the development of any disease. As a rule, only a urine and blood test is done.
Possible complications that may arise
At the 24th week of pregnancy, vitamin D deficiency can cause a baby to develop rickets immediately after birth. An insufficient amount of calcium in the body will lead to leaching of it from blood vessels and bones, which will provoke the appearance of hemorrhoids and varicose veins, and in old age, it can affect bone disease - osteoporosis.
Overweight is dangerous, as it can lead to postpartum obesity or diabetes.
Long-term depressive states no less dangerous at this time - they have a very negative effect on the psyche of the child. Some scientists believe that such an emotional state of the mother can cause the development of attention deficit in the baby or even autism.
Physical activity at week 24
At this stage of pregnancy, it is important not to be lazy. It is advisable to walk more, you can swim in the pool, do fitness, yoga, gymnastics. Useful fitball exercises, they help prepare a woman’s body for childbirth and relieve stress on the spine. But it should be borne in mind that there are sports that are not recommended for practicing. These include cycling, running, jumping and other active activities.
At the 24th week of pregnancy, you can already sign up for preparatory courses for pregnant women, where they teach how to behave properly during childbirth and help prepare for them.
Premature birth
From this week, it is important to monitor the appearance of signs of premature birth. The most common symptoms are:
- dull lower back pain;
- bloody issues;
- uterine contractions;
- pressing pains on the pelvis;
- cramps.
If these symptoms are persistent, you should immediately consult a doctor. If abundant discharge of water has occurred, urgent need to call emergency care.
Good to know
The child at 24 weeks of gestation is fully formed, and the face of the baby is no exception. If you managed to see him on an ultrasound, then you can safely say who he looks like. In addition, by the end of the week, the child’s eyes, including the retina, will be finally formed.