Week 24 of Pregnancy

First trimester weeks

Congrats! During the first trimester, you’re getting used to the idea of being pregnant.

Second trimester weeks

As you enter this second trimester, your body will settle down to pregnancy.

Third trimester weeks

You've reached the third and final trimester and will be heavily pregnant by now.

Week 24 of Pregnancy

Your baby's body systems are becoming more and more efficient.

A baby getting prepared for independent life needs all the help you can give her. Keep up your good habits by nourishing the two of you with healthy food, and make sure your own body is in peak physical condition to support your pregnancy. Some minor discomforts, such as feeling too hot, leg cramps, and hemorrhoids may be plaguing you. These annoying problems are only temporary and will disappear once your baby is born.

23 Weeks, 1 Day

118 days to go...

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Your baby today

There is no light in the uterus, but 3D ultrasound is designed to produce highlights and shadows to give the same effect as if you shone a flashlight into the uterus. Now your baby may be holding her hands flexed into a fist.

From this point onward, your baby is considered "viable" and would receive life-saving treatment were she born early.

Week 24 is considered the age of viability for your baby, and therefore an important pregnancy milestone. Like many women, you may feel relieved to get past this point.

If you went into labor and delivered your baby before this week, she would be unlikely to survive and you would be considered to have had a miscarriage. After 24 weeks, the doctors will to do everything they can to save the baby, although babies delivered this early have an increased risk of long-term disability. The more advanced you are in your pregnancy before you deliver, the less likely it is that your baby will face the problems associated with being born prematurely.

Incredible scientific and technological advancements have meant a huge increase in the survival of premature babies.

As A Matter Of Fact

The world's youngest surviving premature baby was born in Florida in October, 2006 at just 21 weeks and six days.

The baby weighed only 10 oz (283 g) and measured 9.5 in (24 cm). Her feet were the size of an adult's fingernail. It was the first time a baby born before 23 weeks had survived.

Neonatal intensive care units

Babies who are born prematurely, or newborns who are sick, will receive specialized round-the-clock care in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) (see Neonatal Intensive Care Babies). The earlier the baby is born, the more chance there is of complications, such as infections, occurring. If your baby is born several weeks prematurely, she may need to be cared for in a level 3 NICU-this may not be in the hospital where your baby was born. Your baby may be put in an incubator with monitors attached and receive oxygen through a special ventilator. Some of the equipment looks very frightening, but remember it is there to help your baby stay warm and nourished and improve her health.

The staff will readily explain what is going on, and they will be eager for you to be involved as closely as possible in your baby's care and encourage bonding.