24 week of pregnancy from conception
The second trimester is almost over, and with it – the calmest time for the expectant mother. 24 weeks of pregnancy from conception brings us closer to the long-awaited third trimester with its excitement and preparation for childbirth

What happens to the baby at 24 weeks?

The second trimester of pregnancy is coming to an end, and the baby in the womb begins to open its eyes. While they are not yet fully formed for life outside the mother’s belly, they will soon be ready to look at the world.

The child at this stage still looks thin, but there is no need to worry, the main subcutaneous fat will appear in the baby in the third trimester. With the advent of fat, the skin of the crumbs will smooth out wrinkles and become not as reddish as in the womb. Although the baby sleeps most of the day, it may seem to the mother that he is moving all the time. This happens because the fetus begins to move when the mother is resting, and falls asleep when she is busy with something.

In the inner world of the baby at the 24th week of pregnancy from conception, work continues. He has a fully formed digestive system, brain and all the senses. Only the respiratory system is still in the process of development, in the lungs there are more cells that produce surfactant – a substance due to which bubbles straighten out – alveoli.

The endocrine system is actively working in the baby – the adrenal glands, pancreas and thyroid glands. The pituitary gland produces growth hormone.

If you are expecting a son, then know that at week 24, his testicles move from the abdominal cavity, where they formed, into the scrotum. This process will take more than one week.

Fetal ultrasound

In some cases, the doctor may prescribe a fetal ultrasound to the mother at 24 weeks of gestation. Most often, research is needed for women who carry several babies at once.

Sometimes it is recommended for additional control of the condition of the expectant mother. Ultrasound of the fetus at 24 weeks of gestation helps to assess the volume of amniotic fluid and the length of the cervix, if there is suspicion of isthmic-cervical insufficiency.

In addition, such a study allows you to establish the state of the placenta, for example, with the threat of its detachment. Ultrasound diagnostics is also prescribed if there are suspicions of the presence of formations in the uterine cavity, for example, cysts.

Photo life

This week, the baby already weighs under 850-900 grams, and its length is about 32-33 cm. It is the size of a small melon.

Naturally, with such dimensions of the baby, it will be almost impossible for the mother to hide her position. Photos of the abdomen at 24 weeks of pregnancy confirm this – most girls can already boast of a noticeably rounded waist.

What happens to mom at 24 weeks

With the completion of the second trimester, the uterus rises higher and higher in the abdominal cavity. Its bottom is already 6 cm above the level of the navel. Naturally, the rest of the organs have to make room, hence the certain inconveniences that the expectant mother faces.

She may experience difficulty with digestion, notice false urges to empty the bowels, shortness of breath. The pain in the back and lower back intensifies, the bladder asserts itself more and more insistently. In addition, swelling and spasms in the legs may appear.

Hormonal changes in a woman’s body provoke failures in the synthesis of two components of the skin – collagen and elastin. With their deficiency, the skin begins to thin, which manifests itself in stretch marks. Try to take a contrast shower more often and drink enough water, and also remember to moisturize the skin with special creams that are allowed for expectant mothers.

A woman’s kidneys experience a great load during this period. If she has had problems with them before, then they can worsen. With symptoms such as painful urination, lower back pain, fever, it is best to consult a doctor.

Sleep also causes problems, and more specifically, finding a comfortable position. Sleeping on your left side all the time, as doctors advise, is quite difficult. The only way out is to come up with pillow designs that will not allow you to lie on your back. Between 3 and 7% of women experience preeclampsia during pregnancy. Her symptoms:

  • sweaty palms,
  • strong weight gain
  • blurry vision,
  • black “flies” before the eyes,
  • sudden onset of headaches or abdominal pain.

If you diagnose this disease in time, you can save the health of yourself and your baby. Otherwise, eclampsia may develop, and this is already a serious threat to mother and child. With eclampsia, sudden convulsions and fainting are observed.

What sensations can you experience in 24 week

– During this period, we especially monitor our blood pressure, the appearance of edema. We try to regularly go to the doctor and take tests, – explains obstetrician-gynecologist Alla Mesheryakova.

At the 24th week of pregnancy, you can already wear a bandage that distributes the load on the spine. Compression stockings for the prevention of varicose veins will not interfere either.

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Also during these periods, the bones of the baby are actively growing, the rudiments of milk teeth appear, so it is important to monitor proper nutrition.

– With a lack of calcium, we add it in the form of trace elements, we drink vitamin D. We spend as much time as possible in the fresh air. Moderate physical activity: walking, swimming, is only good, says the doctor.

At 24 weeks pregnant from conception, some women begin to feel Braxton Hicks rehearsal contractions. These are mild uterine contractions that occur in almost all pregnant women. They are necessary for the body as a training before childbirth. You should only worry if the contractions become painful and regular.

Monthly

There can be many reasons for the appearance of bloody discharge from the genital tract. This is the low location of the placenta, and the onset of placental abruption, and the decidual polyp of the cervix. Blood on linen can appear due to damage to the mucous membranes, as well as due to infections. All this can create a threat of termination of pregnancy.

If you immediately seek medical help, you can save the pregnancy and save the baby. Although at this time there is already a chance to leave a baby who was born ahead of time.

Stomach ache

Abdominal pain at 24 weeks of gestation can be triggered by various factors. Sometimes the digestive system delivers discomfort (heartburn, constipation), sometimes the excretory system (kidneys, bladder), often appendicitis or other chronic ailments worsen in pregnant women.

In some cases, abdominal pain indicates a threat to the baby. This can manifest placental abruption, uterine hypertonicity or preeclampsia. If the pain is regular and looks like contractions, all the more you need to call an ambulance.

Brown discharge

Any unusual discharge during pregnancy should be a reason to call your doctor. If the discharge is light and curdled – the expectant mother most likely picked up an infection, if pinkish – perhaps placental abruption occurs, if brownish, then the blood in the body is clotting and you need to look for the cause of this.

When brownish discharge appears, and any discharge mixed with blood, a pregnant woman is usually sent to a hospital. An ultrasound is performed there, according to the results of which one can judge whether the detachment has begun or not. In addition, in a hospital, a woman is likely to be given hemostatic drugs.

Popular questions and answers

Is it possible to give birth with myopia naturally and what are the risks in general with such a diagnosis?

Myopia is not yet an indication for cesarean section, even the degree of myopia is not important, the main thing here is the condition of the fundus. The conclusion about how best to give birth, in each individual case, can only be made by an oculist. Natural childbirth may be contraindicated if you have progressive or complicated myopia; retinal detachment; previously operated retinal detachment; increased intraocular pressure, hemorrhages in the fundus, as well as extensive areas of peripheral dystrophies and much more.

Due to eye diseases, only 10-30 of all caesarean sections are performed. The main indication, of course, is retinal detachment or its threat.

With myopia in a pregnant woman, intraocular pressure and blood circulation decrease. The cells experience a lack of oxygen, and then, as a result, acute obstruction of the arteries, retinal hemorrhage, edema and detachment may develop. Therefore, expectant mothers who have vision problems should definitely be observed by an ophthalmologist.

The doctors said that the child has an arrhythmia in the womb, should I be worried?

Normal indicators for a baby in the womb of the mother are 120-160 heartbeats per minute. If the rhythm does not fit within these boundaries, the doctor diagnoses the arrhythmia. Is it necessary to panic? No way. It is silly to say right away that the child has problems with the cardiovascular system, because he is still 6 months old, his internal development has not yet been completed. A broken rhythm often occurs in short periods of time, and then such failures pass. However, it happens that an uneven heartbeat lasts longer than expected, then specialists will take up the matter.

Is it possible to give birth naturally with a scar on the uterus?

Of course, but girls with a scar on the uterus need to observe the interval between births: 24 + 9 months, this will allow the scar to become stronger.

To determine how it is better to give birth in your case, the doctor will be able according to the ultrasound. With signs of insolvency of the scar, an MRI or hysteroscopy is performed. If the scar is uniform, homogeneous in its structure, then there is every chance for natural childbirth. Even with a scar thickness of less than 2 mm, you can give birth to a full-term baby.

Is it possible to have sex?

A pregnant woman can have sex regardless of the trimester. It is allowed for all the fair sex, if the pregnancy is proceeding normally and there are no risks. However, before locking yourself in the bedroom, it’s best to check with your doctor if you’re allowed to have sex.

– If, according to ultrasound, a woman retains a low attachment of the placenta or a multiple pregnancy, there can be no talk of any sex.

What to do if the temperature rises?

During pregnancy, it is not so easy to escape from a cold, especially since the immunity of expectant mothers is lowered. About 80% of pregnant women experience ARVI, which means fever.

With a cold, the body temperature is usually + 37,5 degrees, drowsiness, sore throat, runny nose and other “charms” are added to it. However, even if you are sure that this is a common ARVI, it will be useful to consult a therapist. It is not the cold itself that is dangerous, but its complications.

Treatment of acute respiratory viral infections in most cases comes down to alleviating the symptoms of the disease in a pregnant woman: taking paracetamol-based antipyretics if you feel unwell, removing mucus from the nose (saline solutions help), drinking plenty and often and moistening the air. “It is best for a pregnant woman with SARS to take a sick leave and endure the disease at home,” doctors advise.

Within two weeks after suffering a cold, dopplerometry control can be done to make sure everything is in order.

What to do if it pulls the lower abdomen?

Drawing pains in the lower abdomen during pregnancy are found in many women. For the most part, these are just uncomfortable sensations that occur after a hard day or some kind of stress. Such pains go away if you lie down and relax a little.

Sometimes rehearsal fights manifest themselves this way. However, the woman herself is not always able to determine the nature of the pulling pain, and the discomfort may not be so harmless. Pain also manifests itself as uterine hypertonicity, preeclampsia, and disturbances in the integrity of the placenta.

How to eat right?

The first thing to limit is sweets. Endorphins are, of course, good, but it is better to draw them from other sources – walking with friends, watching your favorite movies and other things.

Second, you need protein. It can be obtained from meat, including poultry, milk and dairy products, legumes, nuts.

The third important point is the fatty acids that are found in fish and seafood, we also include them in the diet of the day.

We try to limit pasta, potatoes, cereals. As a side dish, it is better to prefer vegetables.

If possible, you need to enrich the table with natural products so that you do not have to lean on vitamin complexes. It is especially worth leaning on food rich in iron, such as liver, buckwheat, green apples. This will save the expectant mother from anemia.

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