24 Weeks = Viability Week!

This is a huge week for baby and me! We are officially 24 weeks which many women refer to as "Viability Week". According to Wikipedia (I know not the most reliable source) Fetal Viability of babies born at 23 weeks is only 20-35% while babies born at 24 weeks jump to 50-70%. While this is definitely reassuring, it also means significant neonatal care and no guarantee of survival without long term medical care.
I am in no way hoping for this little guy to come early, but it does give me some sense of relief that if he were to come early, anywhere from this point on there's a good chance he'd make it!

My Glucose Challenge Screening Test is coming up this week and I'm hoping for negative results. A negative result means that my body properly processes sugar. I'm not really looking forward to it though as I've heard the drink is disgusting! I think (although what the heck do I know) that because I'm relatively healthy and we don't have a family history of diabetes, that I should be okay. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Going forward for blog purposes (and because I'm interested!) I'm going to try to keep up with the Pregnancy Calendar on the "What to Expect" website. It will be fun to compare what types of things I "should be" experiencing vs. what I'm actually going through!  

Week 24 Pregnancy Symptoms

Constipation: Haven't been experiencing this issue. However, I have been making sure to have plenty of fiber in my diet and drinking plenty of water. I find that both help quite a bit.

Occasional headaches: Prior to pregnancy I had chronic migraines which required a daily medication, but since becoming pregnant these have subsided (YAY!) and I haven't really experience too many headaches. Again, I feel that a balanced diet, exercise regimen and lots of water are contributing factors.
Lower abdominal achiness: Oh brother! This is a big one for me right now. And I wouldn't call it "achiness" by any means. It's all out pain! Luckily I've spoken with my OB and she has assured me everything is fine with the nugget and I'm just experiencing severe Round Ligament and SPD pain. Relaxation and a heating pad seem to help.

Backaches: Can't say these have been a problem as of yet. Every once in a while if I sit or stand for too long I'll get some minor pain but changing positions frequently definitely decreases this issue.

Leg cramps: I've been getting calf cramps in the late evening/early morning. I need to be careful in how I stretch because if I do it incorrectly or too quickly the cramps then become Charlie Horse pain! Again, making sure I'm drinking plenty of water, including potassium in my diet and continuing to exercise has kept these at bay for the most part.

Vision changes: No vision changes here. Although I would say toward the end of the day my eyes get that "tired, heavy" feeling.

Mild swelling of ankles and feet: Haven't noticed too much in this department yet - but I've been really cognizant of keeping my feet elevated whenever I can whether it's at work or home on the couch


Baby at 24 Weeks
Size: About 11 inches long and weighs one and a half pounds - the size of a cantaloupe! He is now gaining roughly 6oz per week!

Developments: Hearing is much sharper now and loud noises, including a dog barking (Yay Berklee) and mommy and daddy's voices can be heard (although muffled)!

Features: The face is almost fully formed, complete with eyelashes, eyebrows and hair - although since there is still no pigment yet, baby is still sporting white hair!