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Sign InWeek 24 — Viability Milestone
Overall Pregnancy
Your Baby is About
corn cob
At about 30cm and 600 grams — roughly the size of a corn cob — your baby's eyelids are now opening for the first time. They can respond to light, and taste buds have formed. Your baby's skin is still reddish and somewhat translucent, but fat accumulation is starting to change that. The lungs are developing rapidly with more surfactant production daily.
Week 24 is the standard viability milestone — from this point, most hospitals will provide full neonatal care if a baby is born early. Your provider may discuss kick counting now — tracking your baby's movements daily as a way to monitor wellbeing. The glucose screening test for gestational diabetes is typically done this week or in the next few weeks.
Your baby's lungs are entering what doctors call the terminal saccular stage — the phase where the tiny air sacs that do the actual work of gas exchange are forming at rapid pace. By 40 weeks, your baby will have around 150 million alveoli. Right now they have a fraction of that — but they're being added by the millions every week.
If you haven't already, take a tour of your birth hospital or birthing centre. Knowing where to park, where to enter in labour, what the rooms look like, and what the vibe is makes the whole thing feel much less daunting. Ask about their policies on birth partners, water births, and epidurals so you know what to expect.
Magnesium and B vitamins both support healthy sleep — something that's increasingly disrupted in the third trimester. Nuts, seeds, whole grains, and leafy greens are good combined sources.
Come on the hospital tour — understanding the layout and process reduces anxiety for both of you when labour actually starts.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for guidance specific to your situation. Read full disclaimer