Pregnancy week 24, is going to bring about many changes. Your baby is increasing in length and becoming more proportionate than before. Your little one is now 11.8" long and weighs around 1.3 pounds. Sweat glands are appearing newly. The thick, cheese-like coating called the vernix that protects your baby's skin is still forming. By the time your little one is born, vernix will remain only in the creases and folds of the skin. However a premature baby will have vernix covering the skin.
During pregnancy week 24, all the organs mature such as the digestive, circulatory, reproductive and central nervous systems. The cerebral cortex of the brain is also developing, and this continues as the pregnancy carries on. The most important periods for brain development for brain formation are in the third trimester. So eating well is important to enhance brain development. The lungs have started to form bronchi, bronchioles and alveoli, and will also produce a surfactant which will keep the lungs from sticking to each other, and which will help your baby breathe after delivery.
After pregnancy week 24, the amount of amniotic fluid around your little baby will keep increasing until delivery, when there will be about 2 pints or 4 glasses of amniotic fluid. The contents of the amniotic fluid changes. At the beginning of pregnancy it is very like blood plasma. Later, a large portion of it is made of the baby's urine; the fetal's blood cells; lanugo and vernix.
Your baby keeps drinking amniotic fluid and keeps excreting it. This actually protects you from a condition called oligohydramnios, which is a rare condition affecting 8 percent of pregnancies. This could also happen if membranes burst or as a result of some birth defects.
The fundus in pregnancy week 24 will be about 2" above the belly button. Many people you meet want to greet your belly rather than you. They don't mean any harm, as they are so happy for the soul who is going to come into this world. If you are overly sensitive you can tell them that when they do that you feel ticklish.
As your uterus is becoming a bit cramped, your baby has slowed down the swimming movements, but the kick is still strong. Movements will become more rhythmic from now on. You will find that in a two-hour period your little one will kick about 10 times, which is normal for a healthy fetus.
You can choose a name for your baby at this time. Keep a few names in mind, and see how things go. Finally the name may not even be from your list. Listen to good music and talk to your baby, as your little one's hearing is good. Enjoy your private time bonding with your little one.
Go for some pregnancy courses that help you learn to breathe when you are in delivery. It will make your delivery a much better experience than normal, and will reduce the pain somewhat. Get your partner to go with you, as you can choose for your partner to be with you, and support you during the delivery of your little one.
