pregnancy week 24
24 weeks pregnant.
A major milestone — the baby reaches the 'viability threshold'. With intensive medical care, many babies born this week can survive.
Updated 29 July 2026 · Sources: NHS and ACOG
Your baby this week
Filling out as fat develops under the wrinkly skin. Face is more defined, and tiny ears stick out from the head a bit.
- Viability milestone
- Glucose screening week
- Eyes nearly formed
- Brain develops rapidly
What may be changing in your body
Your provider may schedule the glucose screening this week. Bump is sizeable — you may feel waddly or off-balance.
Glucose screening effects
Around now you may have the screening test for gestational diabetes, which involves a sweet drink and blood tests. Some people feel briefly nauseous or light-headed afterwards — bring a snack for once it is done.
Lower back and hip ache
The hormone relaxin loosens pelvic joints while your bump pulls posture forward. A support belt, warm baths, and side sleeping with a pillow between the knees all help.
Mild ankle and foot swelling
Gradual swelling that improves with rest and elevation is expected. Sudden swelling of the face, hands, or feet — especially with headache or vision changes — needs a same-day call to your midwife or doctor, as these can be signs of pre-eclampsia.
Dry, irritated eyes
Hormonal changes can reduce tear film, making eyes feel gritty, particularly for contact lens wearers. Lubricating drops are generally fine, but check with a pharmacist.
Linea nigra
A dark vertical line may appear down the centre of your belly due to pigment changes. It is harmless and fades in the months after birth.
Numb or tingling hands
Fluid retention can compress the nerve at the wrist, causing carpal tunnel symptoms, often overnight. Shaking out your hands and keeping wrists neutral in sleep helps; mention persistent numbness to your midwife.
Your week 24 checklist
- Attend your glucose screening test if scheduled — it usually happens between weeks 24 and 28.
- Learn the signs of pre-eclampsia: severe headache, vision changes, sudden swelling, pain under the ribs.
- Draft a first version of your birth preferences to discuss at an upcoming appointment.
- Research infant feeding support in your area, whatever way you plan to feed.
A useful partner move this week
Come along to the glucose screening if you can — the wait between blood draws is long and dull, and company plus a post-test snack makes it far easier. This is also a good week to start the birth-preferences conversation: ask what matters most to her about labour rather than assuming.
What comes next
From here on, every week added makes a survival difference. Next month brings rapid brain growth and lung maturation.
Common questions
What happens during the glucose tolerance test?
You will usually be asked to fast overnight, give a blood sample, drink a measured sugary drink, then have another blood sample taken after one to two hours. The test checks how your body processes sugar and screens for gestational diabetes, which affects a meaningful minority of pregnancies. Results come back within days, and if they are raised your care team will explain diet changes and monitoring — most people manage it well.
Does gestational diabetes go away after birth?
For most people, blood sugar returns to normal soon after delivery, and your team will confirm this with a follow-up test some weeks postpartum. Having had gestational diabetes does increase your longer-term risk of type 2 diabetes, so ongoing annual checks are usually advised. Managing it well during pregnancy protects both you and your baby.
How much ankle swelling is normal at 24 weeks?
Gradual swelling in the feet and ankles that builds over the day and improves overnight or with elevation is a normal effect of extra fluid and pressure from the uterus. What is not normal is sudden swelling, swelling in your face or hands, or swelling paired with severe headache, vision changes, or pain below the ribs. Those can be signs of pre-eclampsia, so call your midwife or doctor the same day if they appear.
How many months is 24 weeks pregnant?
Pregnancy months do not divide evenly into weeks, so clinicians date pregnancy in weeks. At 24 weeks, you are in trimester two.