Welcome to Week 24 of Your Pregnancy!
Your Baby in Week 24 of Pregnancy
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During week 24 of pregnancy, your baby will begin the phase of rapid weight gain. Up to this point, the growth has been in structure and not bulk. Since all of the structures are in place, they will begin to fill out and strengthen. This week alone, your baby will gain 6 ounces of muscle and bone mass. That’s almost 25% of their total body weight! Can you imagine gaining 25% of your body’s total weight in just one week? Don’t worry, your baby won’t gain weight with such haste every week!
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Your baby is acutely aware of light and dark by week 24 of pregnancy. Unbelievable as it may seem, the uterus does let light in and your baby will know it. They will blink reflexively when light suddenly enters the uterus (such as when you walk from indoors to outdoors or turn on a light in a dark room). They will also recognize darkness, but it doesn’t mean they will sleep when it’s dark! Your little boy or girl will still have periods of sleep during the day and periods of activity at night. Much like they will after birth!
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Your baby’s hands begin to get more detailed during week 24 of pregnancy. Little creases begin to show on the palms of their hands.
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In week 24 of pregnancy your baby will work on developing their sweat glands. The sweat glands are located on various parts of the body. Obviously, the glands will produce sweat when the body is active and needs to cool off. Your baby’s sweat glands will still be quite immature after birth. It’s best to keep them out of direct sunlight and out of really hot situations if you can, at least until they are a few months old.
- Your baby’s lungs are experiencing rapid growth during week 24 of pregnancy. The branches of the respiratory “tree” develop and grow more complex this week. The trees are bronchial passageways and are very complex throughout the lung. The trees will help get air through and around inside the lungs and help you breathe.
Your Body in Week 24 of Pregnancy
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The changes are stacking up for your body in week 24 of pregnancy as well as this month. You may notice a dark line from your navel to your pubic bone. This is called “linea negra”. It is dark skin that appears in a straight line, with no apparent cause. In time, after delivery the line will fade away. It may appear in a subsequent pregnancy, but then again, it may not. It is a harmless skin condition and there is nothing to worry about.
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Now that you are more than halfway through your pregnancy at 24 weeks of pregnancy, it’s a good time to practice Kegel exercises. If you have never heard the term before, here’s a mini-lesson. Kegel exercises will strengthen the muscles in the vaginal area. When the muscles are strong, they will deliver a baby with much more ease and may even heal quicker afterwards.
If you don’t know where your muscles are or how to begin to practice, try this. It’s a little off-color, but it’s the only way to help you find the proper muscles. Next time you are urinating, try stopping before you are done. The muscles that contract to stop the urine flow are the same ones you need to exercise for your Kegels.
To actually do Kegel exercises, practice contracting those muscles in sets of 10-20 throughout the day. You can do them while driving, sitting at your desk, or while in the shower. No one needs to even know what you are doing. Getting and keeping them strong will keep you in better shape for a speedy delivery and recovery.
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Have you seen a stretch mark yet by week 24 of pregnancy? You may see one soon if you haven’t already. Don’t worry or be angry if one does appear. View it as a fact of life and proof that you are creating a wonderful little baby inside of you. The stretch marks will fade in time and they are well worth the miracle of life you are creating.
Here are some tips to help prevent and lessen the severity of stretch marks:
- Drink lots of water to help the skin stay as elastic as possible. Once again, water is the miracle liquid!
- Use a moisturizer with plenty of vitamin E daily. You may even want to use it twice a day if it is during the really dry, winter months.
- Exercise will not only help your skin remain elastic, but it may also burn off any extra calories you are consuming. Be sure to speak with your doctor before participating in any exercise activity.
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