24-Weeks-Pregnant

If you catch sight of yourself in the mirror this week, you may be seeing a more rounded version of your usual self. Familiar of course, but still different. At 24 weeks pregnant, your bottom, thighs, belly, and upper arms seem more filled out and less defined than they were. There's just a bit of softness happening overall and it's not all on the outside.

You could find yourself feeling more emotional than usual, with situations or stories really affecting you. Watching the news can bring on a fresh outbreak of tears, not to mention walking past a new baby in a stroller. Started staring at other pregnant women yet? Comparing your shape and size, wondering if this is her first baby or not or just wondering about her story. Pregnancy is like an exclusive club. All this interest in others could strike you as being very strange, particularly if you normally just focus on your own life and experiences.

I must not snack - oh why not!

If you've always prided yourself on being very disciplined about your eating and exercise habits, being 24 weeks pregnant may come as a rude shock. You're hungry, tired and feeling as if you really couldn’t be bothered keeping up your usual routines. Guess what? You don’t have to. Give yourself a break and ease into what should be a reasonably relaxing time. Pregnancy is not a performance-based state, nor can it be graded into high, average or low achievement. Trying to intellectualize your symptoms or why you’re feeling as you do will just sap valuable energy from what should be an easy time. So keep a supply of healthy treats in the pantry and reach for them if you're feeling low. Look for other ways to boost yourself too. Lovely shower products, new underwear, some jewelry or a new book can all brighten your mood if you’re feeling down.

Your physical changes this week

You could be finding yourself experiencing dry and irritated eyes this week. It may be worse if you wear glasses or contact lenses. Lubricating eye drops or artificial tears will help. Remember to wear your sunglasses when you're out in the sun. Any with an EPF (Eye Protection Factor) of 9-10 are fine and will block almost all UV radiation. Stretch marks could start forming on your tummy, thighs, breasts or hips around this time. They occur when the collagen fibers in the middle layer of skin (the dermis) stretch and tear to accommodate an enlarging shape and body size. Unfortunately, there are no creams which penetrate the outer layer of skin to the underlying dermis, no matter what's printed on the label. If you want to, massage your tummy with some emollient cream or one with Vitamin E included. The best time to do this is after showering, when your skin is still warm, damp and the pores more open. You may be noticing small pimple like spots on your areolas. These are called Montgomery's Tubercles and they will secrete an oily lubricant which will help to nourish your nipples and keep them supple. Try not to be too vigorous with the soap when you shower and don’t think you need to use pimple cream to help them clear up. Don’t be alarmed if you feel like you need to swallow all the time. Excess saliva is a common condition at 24 weeks of pregnancy and although it can be messy and irritating, it doesn’t mean anything is wrong. Try chewing gum, sucking on mints and carrying around a bunch of tissues to absorb the excess if you need to. Headaches may continue this week which could be impacting your work or general concentration. Look for triggers which bring them on. For many women this is chocolate, caffeine, being out in the bright light, not drinking enough water or having a low blood sugar level from not eating frequently enough. If lying down and resting doesn’t help, check with your pregnancy care provider or pharmacist about what medications are safe for you to take.

Your emotional changes this week

Feeling connected with your baby yet? You may find yourself rubbing your tummy subconsciously, dreaming of how your baby will look and even smiling silently to yourself when you think about it. Many pregnant couples make up a nickname for their baby while it is still in the uterus. Be careful though! Names started in all innocence, can stick for years and you could find yourself having to explain yourself in time to come.

Your baby's changes this week

Your little baby weighs around a pound and a half this week and from the top of his head to his heels is almost 9 inches. He's forming footprints and fingerprints, unique markers which will reflect baby’s DNA as unique, different from anyone else’s. He is gaining around 6 ounces/week now, around the same amount he will gain in the first few months after birth. Fat, muscle and growing bones account for most of the weight gain. Baby’s eyelashes and eyebrows are growing this week but they still need to compete for space on that hairy little face. Don’t worry. All that excess hair will be reabsorbed by the time you reach your due date, just leaving hair where it should be. Baby has some control now over his senses. His sight, taste, touch, hearing and smell are all maturing so that by birth, he will be able to respond to feeding stimulus. Babies who are born at 24 weeks need specialist care and support to survive. However, improved neonatal care has meant the long-term health effects on premature babies are much less than they once were.

Hints for the week

Ask your maternity care provider if they recommend you have a glucose screening or glucose challenge test to screen for gestational diabetes. This is generally done somewhere between 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. For one common screening test, you will drink a very sweet fluid, which tastes like orange soda and then have a blood sample collected an hour later. If your body is able to produce enough insulin to cope with the surge of sugar then you’re fine. If not, a more involved level of screening will be necessary. If you normally have your hair dyed, think about leaving it au natural while you’re pregnant. Although there's no hard, scientific evidence which links hair dyes to risk in pregnancy, it is better to err on the safe side. Likewise put off having a perm or chemical treatment on your scalp, at least until after the baby is born. Keep some cranberry juice in the fridge. This powerhouse of Vitamin C also has the added benefit of potentially preventing urinary tract infections. Because it is so acidic it helps to fight off the bacteria which cause UTI's and it has the added bonus of tasting really good. Put a foot stool under your desk at work and in front of your favorite lounge chair. Keeping your legs and feet down won’t help with ankle swelling. Get into the habit of elevating your legs whenever you can to avoid blood pooling and congestion. Week 25 is next!