What's happening with your baby at 24 weeks
At 24 weeks, your baby is about the length and weight of an ear of corn — roughly 30 cm from head to heel and around 600 grams — with a fully formed face, developing lungs, and skin that's starting to fill out with fat underneath it.
The lungs are producing surfactant, a substance that helps tiny air sacs stay open, though they're still far from ready to work outside the womb on their own. Blood vessels in the lungs are also developing rapidly this week.
Baby's skin is still thin, wrinkled, and somewhat translucent, but it's gradually becoming less see-through as fat builds up underneath. Hearing is well developed by now, and baby may startle or react to loud, sudden sounds.
Is 24 weeks considered viable?
Doctors often use around 24 weeks as an approximate threshold where a baby born extremely early has some chance of survival with intensive neonatal care, though outcomes vary enormously and this is a marker for extreme prematurity — not a target or expectation for your pregnancy.
A baby's chances generally improve with each additional week in the womb, and outcomes at this stage depend on many factors, including birth weight, sex, and the specific care available. Babies born this early typically need a lengthy stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and face a real risk of long-term health complications.
The vast majority of pregnancies continue well past this point and reach full term. This milestone tends to come up because it's medically significant, not because it's a common outcome — try not to let it become something to worry over unless you have symptoms of preterm labor.
Common symptoms at 24 weeks
At 24 weeks, common symptoms include occasional Braxton Hicks tightening, growing back and pelvic pressure, mild swelling in your feet and ankles, and skin changes like stretch marks or itching as your bump keeps expanding.
Braxton Hicks contractions — brief, irregular tightening across your belly — can start showing up now. They're usually painless and settle down with rest or a change in position, unlike true labor contractions, which get closer together and stronger over time.
You might also notice leg cramps, especially at night, mild hemorrhoids or constipation, and a growing appetite. Some people notice their belly button starting to flatten or pop out as the uterus pushes upward and outward.
What to do this week
This week is when many providers schedule the glucose screening test, a routine check for gestational diabetes that's typically done sometime between 24 and 28 weeks by drinking a sugary solution and having your blood drawn an hour later.
You usually don't need to fast beforehand for this initial one-hour test. If your result comes back higher than expected, your provider will likely follow up with a longer three-hour test to confirm — an elevated first result doesn't mean you have gestational diabetes, just that further checking is needed.
It's also a reasonable week to keep an eye on your movement patterns, note anything unusual, and keep up with prenatal vitamins, hydration, and rest as your bump continues to grow.
When to call your provider
Call your provider the same day if you notice regular contractions before 37 weeks, a change in vaginal discharge or fluid leaking, pelvic pressure that feels different from usual, vaginal bleeding, a severe headache, vision changes, or a noticeable drop in baby's movement.
Regular tightening that doesn't ease up with rest, fluids, or a change of position can be a sign of preterm labor and is worth calling about rather than waiting out.
Sudden swelling in your face or hands, along with a severe headache or vision changes, can be signs of preeclampsia and should also prompt a same-day call.