24 Weeks Pregnant

Your baby’s development

The inner ear is complete.

What’s so great about the inner ear? It controls balance, and in your twenty fourth week of pregnancy, its development is complete. This means your baby might be able to tell whether he is upside down or right-side up inside your amniotic sac.

What’s so great about the inner ear? It controls balance, and in your 24th week, its development is complete. This means your baby might be able to tell whether he is upside down or right-side up inside your amniotic sac.

Here’s what’s also shaping up:

Your baby is about 20 cm long, close to the length of a banana, and weighs about 700 grams.
Right now, your baby is probably gaining about 170 grams each week.
You’ll notice your baby becoming more active, which is important for stimulating muscle growth, keeping joints flexible, and strengthening bones.
His face is almost completely formed, right down to his tiny eyelashes.

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Your nutrition and health

Keeping it healthy when eating out.

Pregnancy can be a busy—and social—time, which makes going out to eat extra convenient. Keep “hidden” restaurant calories, unhealthy fats, and sugars off your plate when you go out to eat. These tips can help:

Don’t arrive ravenous. The best way to ensure you don’t overeat is to eat a piece of fruit, vegetables, crackers, or a handful of nuts before you go.
Ask your server how things are made and make special requests as needed. Ask to substitute fried options for grilled or steamed.
Smaller is better. Restaurant portions are often larger than recommended serving sizes. Plan to share a meal.

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Things to think about now

Glucose screening and urinary health.

At your next doctor visit, you’ll probably take a glucose screening test to check for gestational diabetes – a type of diabetes that some women experience during pregnancy and that goes away after the baby is born.

Doctor will check your blood glucose level.
If results are abnormal, your doctor might schedule you for a glucose tolerance test. Similar to the glucose screening, it’s taken after you fast and requires four blood samples over several hours.

Keeping track of your urinary health

Your growing uterus and hormone-relaxed muscles may cause your urine flow to remain slow. Keep an eye out for a possible urinary infection. Call your doctor if you: