Pregnancy Week 24
Belly Cramps?
Welcome to month 7! Your baby bump is getting bigger and bigger – as is the tendency to develop certain symptoms. One of the most common of these is heartburn. Some women experience heartburn early on in pregnancy, whereas others only suffer when their bump becomes very big. However, one thing is true for everyone: Heartburn doesn't feel good. Read our tips on how to ease heartburn and other information worth knowing now that you are 25 weeks pregnant!
The fetus is around 12-14 inches long (crown - heel) and it weighs approx. 1.5 lbs.
Your baby is training to prepare for life outside of the womb by sucking and gripping. The baby is now regularly opening its eyes and can distinguish between light and dark.
The senses have generally improved. The baby has developed a sense of balance, meaning that your little one is now able to turn and "sit up".
Your baby is now about the size of a cauliflower.
Now that your little one is able to perceive more, it will react even more strongly to noise and light. Loud noises may, for example, make the baby’s movements stronger and increase the baby's pulse.
The skin continues to become a little less translucent and a little rosier and plumper – this is due to the fat reserves that the baby continues to build up.
Huge stomach? Cute little bump? In week 25 of pregnancy, baby bumps can look very different. To some extent, it will depend on the woman's build, their weight before they became pregnant, the weight they have gained during pregnancy, the amount of amniotic fluid, and the size of the baby.
If everything is OK when you see your doctor for a check-up, you don't need to worry about any comments you get about the size of your bump. If you have any specific concerns, it's always best to ask your doctor instead of comparing yourself to other pregnant women around you. No two bodies or pregnancies are the same!
Heartburn in pregnancy – what can you do?
Heartburn can occur very early on in pregnancy. The point at which you start to suffer from it depends on various factors: One reason may be the increasing size of the uterus, but it can also be due to hormonal changes, which can occur very early in pregnancy. The band of muscle that closes the stomach and esophagus becomes "softer" or more permeable as a result of the presence of progesterone, so you may experience gastric acid reflux. In addition to the classic sour taste in the mouth and the sensation of burning that gives the condition its name, a sore throat and hoarseness after waking up in the morning can also be a sign of heartburn (the sore throat is sometimes mistaken for a cold).
In this instance, prevention is the best way of getting on top of the problem without medication.
Things that help to counteract heartburn during pregnancy:
Home remedies for heartburn:
Photo Credit: Unsplash
