24 weeks pregnant

Your baby this week

Viability milestone — babies born this week have a real chance of survival with NICU help.

• Important milestone: babies born at 24 weeks now have a real chance of survival with specialized NICU care — and the odds improve with every extra week.
• Lungs are developing surfactant — a substance that keeps the air sacs from collapsing.
• Baby's face is fully formed with eyelashes, eyebrows, and a head of hair.

Your body this week

Glucose screening test is around this week to check for gestational diabetes.

• Glucose screening test (glucose challenge or 1-hour glucose tolerance test) is typically done between 24–28 weeks. It checks for gestational diabetes.
• You may experience occasional contractions — these are typically Braxton Hicks.
• Your gait may change — the 'pregnant waddle' is real because of relaxin loosening pelvic joints.

Common symptoms

• Continued Braxton Hicks
• Bigger feet (relaxin)
• Itchy skin
• Sciatica (pinched nerve)
• Faintness

Things to do this week

• ✓Schedule glucose screening
• ✓Avoid sugary foods 2 hours before glucose test
• ✓Wear roomy shoes — feet may have permanently grown

For partners this week

Glucose test week

• Offer to come to the glucose test — there's a wait between the drink and the blood draw, so bring a game or a show.
• Help plan meals ahead of the test if the provider has given instructions.

Typical visits around this week

Based on a typical schedule in Ontario. Your doctor or midwife sets the actual timing.

• Routine check-ups (about every 4 weeks)

  Weeks 12–28

  Check-ups are often about every 4 weeks until around 28 weeks. Your provider usually checks your blood pressure, weight and urine, listens to the baby's heartbeat and measures your growing belly. Some people need more visits.

  Questions to ask →Questions to ask ↑

  • Is my blood pressure and weight gain on track?
  • Is this symptom I've been having normal?
  • What should I be doing about exercise, work or travel right now?
  • What's coming up before my next visit?

• Gestational diabetes screening

  Weeks 24–28

  A blood sugar test offered to everyone between 24 and 28 weeks. It usually starts with a sweet drink and a blood test an hour later; if that result is high, a longer fasting test follows. Some people are tested earlier.

  Questions to ask →Questions to ask ↑

  • Do I need to fast or change what I eat beforehand?
  • How long should I plan to be at the lab?
  • When will I hear about my results?
  • What happens if I need the second test?

Coming up

• Rh immune globulin (if you're Rh negative)

  Weeks 27–29 · if it applies to you

  Your Rh blood type is checked in early bloodwork. If you're Rh negative, you'll usually be offered an Rh immune globulin injection at about 28 weeks, and sometimes at other times too (for example after bleeding or after birth). Your provider will explain whether you need it.

  Questions to ask →Questions to ask ↑

  • What is my blood type and Rh factor?
  • Do I need the Rh immune globulin shot, and when?
  • Should I call you if I have any bleeding before then?
  • Will I need it again after the baby is born?

• Tdap (whooping cough) vaccine

  Weeks 27–32

  Recommended in every pregnancy, whatever your vaccine history, ideally between 27 and 32 weeks. It helps protect the baby from whooping cough in the first months of life. If it's missed, it can still be given later in pregnancy.

  Questions to ask →Questions to ask ↑

  • Can I get the Tdap vaccine at this visit, or where should I go?
  • I had it in a past pregnancy — do I need it again?
  • Can I get other vaccines at the same time?

• Routine check-ups (about every 2 weeks)

  Weeks 28–36

  From about 28 weeks, check-ups usually come every 2 to 3 weeks. Your provider keeps an eye on your blood pressure, the baby's growth and heartbeat, and will talk about feeling the baby move.

  Questions to ask →Questions to ask ↑

  • How should I keep track of the baby's movements?
  • Which symptoms mean I should call right away?
  • When should we register at the hospital or plan our birth place?
  • Are prenatal classes available near us?

A flu shot and a COVID-19 vaccine are recommended at any stage of pregnancy. The flu shot is given during flu season, so the timing depends on when you're pregnant.

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Further reading from health authorities

• Pregnancy — Government of Canada (Public Health Agency of Canada)
• Your pregnancy — Pregnancy Info, from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC)
• Week-by-week guide to pregnancy — NHS (UK)
• Pregnancy — American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)