24 Weeks - an ear of corn??

Hmmm, an ear of corn?

Baby Stribs - 24 Weeks

How your baby's growing: Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. (They are actually one pound, 6 ounces, as of my last ultrasound - I mean, of course they are overacheivers!) Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

How your life's changing: In the past few weeks, the top of your uterus has risen above your belly button and is now about the size of a soccer ball (or, in my case, an giant beach ball).

Most women have a glucose screening test (also called a glucose challenge test or GCT) between now and 28 weeks (Woohoo! My first test was negative!!). This test checks for gestational diabetes, a pregnancy-related high-blood-sugar condition. Untreated diabetes increases your risk of having a difficult vaginal delivery or needing a cesarean section because it causes your baby to grow too large, especially in his upper body. It also raises your baby's odds for other complications like low blood sugar right after birth. A positive result on your GCT doesn't mean you have gestational diabetes, but it does mean that you'll need to take the glucose tolerance test (GTT) to find out for sure.

Finally, if you don't already know how to spot the signs of preterm labor, now's the time to learn. Contact your caregiver immediately if you notice any of the signs. (I don't know what labor feels like, for crying out loud!! How will I know??)