24 weeks pregnant

Symptoms of pregnancy at 24 weeks

As your body changes, there are many observable changes externally, other than the ever-swelling bump and breasts.

• Your innie becomes an outie
• Stretch marks forming
• Linea nigra forming

As well as external changes, there’s a lot happening on the inside. This can result in lots of different symptoms. Common ones include:

Constipation: Your body is digesting food slower, so you can absorb more nutrients. While this is great for baby, it’s not ideal for the mum- drink lots of water and make sure you’re eating high fibre foods.

Round ligament pain: This is something you will likely feel throughout your pregnancy. Your uterus and baby are getting bigger, the ligaments that support this growing bump are stretching, and it hurts. Lower abdominal pain is normal – some day’s it’s hardly a problem, other days can be pretty sore.

Blurred vision: Another side effect of pregnancy is blurred vision. Those extra hormones can reduce tear production, which causes eye irritation and fluid build-up in the eye. Once your baby has arrived, your vision will return to normal.

Leg cramps: This is a particularly painful and frustrating ailment. Leg cramps, especially in the calves at 2am, is common. Other than ensuring you’re hydrated, there’s not much more you can do.

Carpal tunnel syndrome at 24 weeks pregnant

Your body is experiencing about twice the normal levels of blood flow. This is great for your skin, hair, nails, and baby. But it also means extra swelling. You might notice it in your ankles (which are currently cankles), you might have a stuffy nose, but you also could be experiencing it in your wrists. This swelling can cause carpal tunnel syndrome, which can feel like tingling and numbness in your fingers and wrists. To avoid this, try to sleep with your wrists raised, and avoid repetitive movements on your hands and wrists. See your doctor if pain continues, they may recommend a wrist brace.

24 week pregnancy exercise

Try to keep up the exercise, whatever that looks like for you. You may now have a large enough bump that low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming, or yoga are best. If you were doing certain workouts before pregnancy, then you are fine to continue if they feel ok. Just be wary of any exercise where this is a risk of falls- horse riding, skiing or gymnastics, and any excessive twisting around the midsection.

As your bump gets bigger, it can also affect your sex life. While some women find that the hormones have made the thought of sex repulsive, some women have an increased sex drive. If this is the case, you may need to try new positions, such as lying on your side, being on top, or you might prefer to find other ways for you and your partner to be close such as cuddling or massage.

Maternity leave in NZ

You may be finding the demands of work challenging, if possible, make arrangements to get out of work early and rest. Have you discussed leave arrangements with your boss? Visit www.ird.govt.nz for information on entitlement to maternity/paternity leave.

Your baby at 24 weeks pregnant

Your baby weighs about 540g and is 30cm long, but is about the size of a pomegranate. There’s a lot more weight gain happening now, and your baby is becoming stronger and sturdier by the day. At 24 weeks, if the baby was born now, there is a 60-70% chance of survival.

His or her features and head are beginning to take on a definite look—whether it’s like mom or dad is anyone’s guess! Their taste buds are beginning to form and little creases are appearing on their palms. Hair has developed, but it’s white, as no pigment has been acquired. Sweat glands are forming and the hands are more dexterous. Your baby's muscles are now well developed and you will feel baby using them. His or her skin is transparent still, so you could see the bones, blood vessels and organs if they were born now.

24 weeks pregnant is how many months?

You are in month six of your pregnancy. Three months left to go.

Symptoms to watch out for at 24 weeks

If your palms and feet are red and itchy, it’s time for a visit to your healthcare provider. While an itchy belly is normal due to the stretched skin, itching or a rash on palms and feet may be a symptom of cholestasis. This is a worrying symptom during pregnancy as it can be harmful to you and the baby.