What To Expect When You’re 24 Weeks Pregnant

Sodium Intake – The amount of sodium you put in your body plays a big role in whether or not you experience swelling.

Sodium is often found in salt, but it’s hidden in a lot of other foods, as well.

You do need a certain amount of sodium when you’re pregnant, which is about one teaspoon (2,400 mg). But, overdoing it can welcome edema (swelling).

Preeclampsia – Affecting about 5-8% of all pregnancies, preeclampsia is usually spotted early on with symptoms like high blood pressure, protein in the urine, and extreme water retention.

Your doctor will check these things at every visit to keep a close watch. This is one reason why you have to pee in a cup each appointment.

Severe preeclampsia can mean liver failure for mom and less food and oxygen for baby.

You can see now why your doctor is very vigilant about watching for this condition.

Gestational Diabetes – This type of diabetes is reserved for pregnancy as it causes an expecting mom’s blood sugar to become too high.

Much like pregnancy itself, gestational diabetes isn’t permanent. But it does increase the likelihood of developing diabetes in the future.

Although it’s not 100% predictable, there are a few indicators that point to you struggling with this during your pregnancy.

Some of those include your age, health, previous pregnancy conditions, and even ethnicity. You can help to ward off gestational diabetes by embracing a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Lumpy Breasts – The changes that your breasts have undergone might make you feel like you have an entirely new body.

Many of these changes have happened or are happening in your breasts. As your breasts prepare to nurture a new baby, milk ducts are becoming more enlarged because they’re actually producing a milky substance called colostrum.

It’s not uncommon for a milk duct to get blocked and feel like a lump in your breast. In fact, your breasts might become lumpy altogether.

Applying heat and massage tends to help the duct release the blockage.

Baby Movements – By now, you’ve probably felt your baby move. These movements can range from a feeling like a tiny flutter to a huge swooshing motion in your belly.

You’ll become accustomed to how much your baby moves and how often. You’ll probably learn your baby’s sleep patterns, as well.

In fact, it’s important to pay attention to these movements and even to keep track of them as they are an indication of your baby’s well-being.

While each baby is different, should you notice a change in movement, call your doctor immediately.

Bleeding Gums – During pregnancy, you become more prone to gum disease and tooth decay. In addition to this, your blood volume has increased so much that it’s normal to experience sensitive gums.

This can lead to spitting blood after you brush your teeth. Remember to brush gently and brush often to help out this condition.