Pregnancy - week by week: Week 24 - 25

Pregnancy - week by week: Week 24 - 25

Week 24

The average baby will gain about 6 ounces in weight this week as the body begins to fill out. This weight is mainly in muscle, bone mass and the growing organs and tissue. Between weeks 24 and 28, your healthcare provider may order a glucose tolerance test to determine if you have gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that starts during pregnancy. If you have diabetes, your body isn't able to use the sugar (glucose) in your blood as well as it should, so the level of sugar in your blood becomes higher than normal. Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnant women. It usually begins in the fifth or sixth month of pregnancy (between the 24th and 28th weeks). Most often, gestational diabetes goes away after the baby is born. Your uterus is now 1 1/2 to 2 inches above the navel.

Week 25

The structures of the spine - 33 rings, 150 joints and 1000 ligaments - begin now to form. The blood vessels of the lungs are developing and the nostrils begin to open up. This is for sure a very busy week for baby. You may be feeling like a "Soccer Mom" now that your uterus has grown to the size of a normal soccer ball. Your growing uterus puts more pressure on your back and pelvis. This may cause sharp, periodic shooting pains in your lower back and legs. If you have to experience this, rest for a few moments, change your overall position, take a warm bath or shower, or apply ice to the sore area.

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Now is also the the time to make yourself familiar with the signs of premature labor.
 
Preterm Labor Warning Signs:

Menstrual-like cramps (constant or occasional)
Low, dull backache (constant or occasional)
Pelvic pressure (feels like the baby is pushing down)
Abdominal cramping (with or without diarrhea)
Increase or change in mucous vaginal discharge
Uterine contractions every 10 minutes or more often (may be painless)

Be sure to talk to your OBG what you should do in the event you experience these warning signs before the 37th week of pregnancy. Ask for the emergency phone numbers he/she wants you to call. Make sure you carry a cell phone with you when you leave home or the office.