At 24 weeks pregnant you are about 5 1/2 months along, in your 6th month and the second trimester, with about 16 weeks to go until your estimated due date.
At 24 weeks pregnant your provider starts measuring your bump (UPMC), and glucose screening for gestational diabetes falls in the window between weeks 24 and 28.
This guide covers months, development, size, symptoms, tests, sleep and when to call. Every clinical detail was read in October 2026 on the primary sources named in the text.
Key Takeaways
24 weeks pregnant is about 5 1/2 months (your 6th month), with about 16 weeks to go.
Mayo Clinic lists about 8 1/4 inches crown to rump and more than 1 1/3 pounds. The Office on Women’s Health says about 12 inches and 1 1/2 pounds.
Mayo Clinic says the lungs start making surfactant around week 23.
Glucose screening for gestational diabetes usually happens between weeks 24 and 28 (CDC, UPMC).
Regular tightenings, pelvic pressure, leaking fluid, bleeding or a baby who is moving less are reasons to call right away.
Table of Contents
24 Weeks Pregnant at a Glance
Quick Answer
24 weeks pregnant is about 5 1/2 months, so you are in your 6th month, with about 16 weeks to go. You are in the second trimester. Mayo Clinic lists the baby at about 8 1/4 inches crown to rump and more than 1 1/3 pounds. Glucose screening usually happens between weeks 24 and 28 (CDC, UPMC).
24 weeks pregnant
What to know
Trimester
Second, on both definitions below.
Month
About 5 1/2 months (your 6th month), counting 4 weeks and a few days per month. Months are a convention, not a medical unit.
Weeks to go
About 16 (40 minus 24, counted from your last menstrual period).
Baby’s size
About 8 1/4 inches (210 mm) crown to rump and more than 1 1/3 pounds (630 g), per Mayo Clinic. The Office on Women’s Health says about 12 inches and about 1 1/2 pounds.
Common symptoms
Back aches, leg cramps, heartburn, swelling, skin changes, Braxton Hicks.
This week’s care focus
Glucose screening and the signs of preterm labor.
24 weeks pregnant: quick facts with sources.
How the weeks are counted. The Office on Women’s Health says pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, counting from the first day of your last normal period (LMP), not from conception. Mayo Clinic describes week 24 as 22 weeks after conception. If an early ultrasound changed your due date, go by the adjusted dates.
Which trimester is 24 weeks? Sources draw the lines differently, but week 24 is second trimester on both:
Source
Second trimester
Where week 24 falls
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), as reported by UPMC
Starts at 14 weeks 0 days and ends after 27 weeks 6 days
About 4 weeks left in it
Office on Women’s Health
Week 13 to week 28
About 5 weeks left in it
Trimester definitions differ by source, so both are printed.
24 weeks pregnant is how many months? Twenty-four weeks is 168 days, about 5 1/2 calendar months, so you are in your 6th month. Calendars with strict four-week months call it 6 months. Months are a convention; your provider counts in weeks.
Your Baby’s Development at 24 Weeks
These are the changes the references date to week 24 and the weeks around it.
Source and timing
What it says is happening
Mayo Clinic, week 23 (21 weeks after conception)
Rapid eye movements start, and ridges that will become fingerprints and footprints form. The lungs start making surfactant, which lets the air sacs inflate and keeps them from collapsing.
Mayo Clinic, week 24 (22 weeks after conception)
The skin is wrinkled and see-through, with a pink or red tint from blood moving through the blood vessels.
Office on Women’s Health, week 24
Bone marrow begins to make blood cells. Taste buds form on the tongue. Footprints and fingerprints have formed. Real hair begins to grow. The lungs are formed, but do not work. The hand and startle reflex develop. The baby sleeps and wakes regularly and stores fat.
Mayo Clinic, week 25
The baby might move in response to familiar sounds, such as your voice.
Mayo Clinic, week 26
Eyebrows and eyelashes have formed.
Fetal development around week 24, by source.
Hearing. Mayo Clinic says hearing may begin around week 18.
A gentle note on viability. UPMC says the second trimester is when fetuses reach “viability,” and that many preterm babies born at 24 weeks survive outside the womb with neonatal intensive care. Mayo Clinic says that from about week 23, some babies born preterm may be able to survive outside the uterus.
How Big Is Your Baby at 24 Weeks?
Two primary sources give a week 24 figure, and they measure differently.
Source
Week
Length
Weight
Mayo Clinic
20
About 6 1/3 inches (160 mm), crown to rump
About 11 ounces (320 g)
Mayo Clinic
24
About 8 1/4 inches (210 mm), crown to rump
More than 1 1/3 pounds (630 g)
Mayo Clinic
26
About 9 inches (230 mm), crown to rump
Nearly 2 pounds (820 g)
Office on Women’s Health
20
About 6 inches
About 9 ounces
Office on Women’s Health
24
About 12 inches
About 1 1/2 pounds
Baby size near 24 weeks. Sources differ, so both are printed.
Mayo Clinic measures crown to rump, so the legs are not counted. The Office on Women’s Health does not say how it measures. We have not converted either set.
Healthy babies vary. We found no week 24 fruit comparison on a primary source, so we print none.
A 24 week ultrasound? UPMC places the detailed anatomy scan at 20 weeks. Mayo Clinic says your team may suggest other ultrasounds or screening tests.
24 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms
The Office on Women’s Health says most women find the second trimester easier than the first. You may have many or few of these.
Symptom
What the sources say
What may help
Back and hip aches
UPMC lists sore hips and back, from hormones, weight gain and loosening ligaments.
Supportive low-heeled shoes; a foot on a stool when standing (Mayo Clinic).
Leg cramps
Mayo Clinic lists them among second trimester changes.
Stretch your calves before bed, stay active and drink fluids (Mayo Clinic).
Heartburn
The growing uterus pushes stomach acid up (UPMC).
A smaller dinner, and no big meals close to bed (MedlinePlus).
Swelling
The Office on Women’s Health lists swelling of the ankles, fingers and face.
Mention it at visits. Extreme swelling of hands or face is urgent (CDC). See preeclampsia.
Skin changes
Stretch marks, a dark line down the belly (linea nigra), darker facial patches (melasma), itching (Office on Women’s Health, Mayo Clinic).
Sunscreen outdoors (Mayo Clinic).
Braxton Hicks
A slight tightness that comes and goes, often after activity (Mayo Clinic).
Fluids, and empty your bladder often (Mayo Clinic).
Common symptoms at 24 weeks pregnant.
Mayo Clinic also lists a stuffy nose, bleeding gums and dizziness. The Office on Women’s Health lists numb or tingling hands (carpal tunnel syndrome).
Braxton Hicks or preterm labor? Mayo Clinic says to contact your healthcare team if the contractions become regular and keep getting stronger, because that could be a sign of preterm labor. Our guide to what contractions feel like compares the types.
Baby on the way? Get ahead on sleep.
Our free two-minute quiz builds a gentle, personalized sleep plan you can use from the first weeks at home.
Mayo Clinic says your belly grows as your uterus gets bigger, and your breasts keep growing too. Bumps vary a lot. Our pregnant belly by month guide shows the usual progression.
Fundal height. UPMC says measuring starts around week 24: the distance from your pubic bone to the top of your uterus.
Appetite: UPMC says you need about 340 more calories a day in the second trimester.
Discharge: Mayo Clinic says a sticky, clear or white discharge is typical; call if it smells strong, looks odd, or comes with pain or itching.
Feeling your baby move. UPMC says most people start to feel movement around 20 weeks, though some feel it as early as 16 weeks. If you have not felt movement yet, tell your provider. The CDC lists a baby who has stopped moving or is moving less than before as an urgent warning sign.
Prenatal Care, Tests and Appointments Around Week 24
UPMC says visits are usually every four weeks. Mayo Clinic says your team checks your weight and blood pressure, measures your uterus and may listen to the heartbeat.
What
When
Details
Source
Glucose screening
Between weeks 24 and 28
You drink a sugary solution and have blood drawn one hour later. A high result leads to a second test.
UPMC, CDC
Flu and COVID-19 vaccines
During respiratory virus season
Your provider will offer any vaccines you need.
UPMC
Tests and checks around 24 weeks, as read in October 2026.
Gestational diabetes basics. The CDC says gestational diabetes can develop during pregnancy in women who do not already have diabetes, and that you will probably be tested between 24 and 28 weeks, or earlier if you are at higher risk. It often has no symptoms. CDC risk factors include gestational diabetes before, a previous baby over 9 pounds, being overweight, a family history of type 2 diabetes and PCOS.
If the test is high. If you are diagnosed, the CDC says management means checking blood sugar, being active and eating well, with medicine if needed. The CDC also says about half of women with gestational diabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes, so ask about follow-up checks after birth.
Vaccines. Guidance changes, so confirm yours with your provider. Our 27 weeks pregnant guide covers the next vaccine window.
What to Do This Week: A Simple Checklist
Book your glucose screening: the window is weeks 24 to 28 (CDC, UPMC).
Sign up for a childbirth class: it is on UPMC’s second trimester to-do list.
Start thinking about your birth preferences: UPMC suggests considering a birth plan.
Talk to your employer about parental leave: also on UPMC’s list.
Buy the big essentials early: UPMC names a car seat, a crib and clothes. See our third trimester guide.
Learn the warning signs: read the preterm labor and urgent signs at the end of this guide, and save the after-hours number.
Sleep at 24 Weeks Pregnant
MedlinePlus says sleep often gets harder as your baby grows, because it becomes hard to find a good position. Bathroom trips, leg pain and heartburn add to it.
Sleep position. MedlinePlus says lying on your side with your knees bent will likely be the most comfortable position, and that many providers suggest the left side because it improves blood flow among the heart, fetus, uterus and kidneys. It says the right side is fine if your left hip gets sore, and that sleeping flat on your back is not best.
Build a pillow setup: MedlinePlus suggests pillows under your belly or between your legs See how to use a pregnancy pillow for the options.
Night leg cramps: MedlinePlus says to press your feet hard against the wall or stand on the leg.
Wind down: a 15-minute warm bath or a warm, caffeine-free drink, and a steady sleep schedule (MedlinePlus).
Sleep aids. MedlinePlus is direct: do not take any sleep aids, including over-the-counter medicines and herbal products, without talking to your provider. Our guide to melatonin during pregnancy covers the questions to ask.
For Partners: How to Help at 24 Weeks
Come to the glucose screening: the blood draw is an hour after the sugary drink (UPMC).
Take over the lifting: groceries and laundry baskets.
Talk to the bump: Mayo Clinic says that around week 25 the baby might move in response to familiar sounds.
Help with nights: set up the pillows and help stretch a cramping calf at 2 a.m.
Know the warning signs: read the list below so you can make the call if she is unsure.
Looking Ahead: What Comes Next
Week 26: Mayo Clinic lists about 9 inches crown to rump and nearly 2 pounds.
Week 27: the last week of the second trimester under the ACOG definition UPMC uses.
Week 28: the glucose screening window closes (CDC, UPMC),
Signs of preterm labor. March of Dimes says that before 37 weeks you may be in preterm labor if you have any of these, and to call your provider right away if you have even one:
Regular or frequent contractions that make your belly tighten like a fist.
A change in your vaginal discharge (watery, mucus or bloody), or more discharge than usual.
Pressure in your pelvis or lower belly, like your baby is pushing down.
A constant low, dull backache.
Belly cramps, with or without diarrhea.
Your water breaks.
Urgent maternal warning signs. The CDC says to seek medical care immediately for any of these, and to tell the people caring for you that you are pregnant:
A headache that will not go away, gets worse over time, or is severe and sudden.
Changes in your vision, such as flashing lights, blind spots or double vision.
A fever of 100.4 F or higher.
Extreme swelling of your hands or face.
Trouble breathing, chest pain, or a fast or irregular heartbeat.
Severe belly pain that does not go away.
Your baby has stopped moving or is moving less than before.
Heavy vaginal bleeding, fluid leaking, or foul-smelling discharge.
Severe swelling, redness or pain in a leg or arm.
Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby.
If you cannot reach your provider quickly, go to labor and delivery or the nearest emergency room. If you think it is an emergency, call 911. Say how many weeks pregnant you are. This article is general education, not medical advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many months is 24 weeks pregnant?
About 5 1/2 months, which puts you in your 6th month, counting 4 weeks and a few days per month. Calendars with strict four-week months call it 6 months. You have about 16 weeks to go. Months are a convention; providers count in weeks.
How big is a baby at 24 weeks?
Mayo Clinic lists about 8 1/4 inches (210 millimeters) from crown to rump and more than 1 1/3 pounds (630 grams). The Office on Women’s Health says about 12 inches and about 1 1/2 pounds. Crown to rump leaves out the legs, which may explain the gap.
Is 24 weeks pregnant the third trimester?
No. Week 24 is in the second trimester on every definition we read. UPMC, using the ACOG definition, says it runs from 14 weeks 0 days until after 27 weeks 6 days. The Office on Women’s Health counts week 13 to week 28.
Can a baby survive if born at 24 weeks?
UPMC says the second trimester is when fetuses reach viability, and that many preterm babies born at 24 weeks survive outside the womb with neonatal intensive care. The Office on Women’s Health says the lungs are formed but do not work yet at 24 weeks.
When is the glucose test done in pregnancy?
The CDC says you will probably be tested between 24 and 28 weeks, or earlier if you are at higher risk. UPMC describes the screening: you drink a sugary solution and have blood drawn one hour later. A high result leads to a second test.
What position should I sleep in at 24 weeks pregnant?
MedlinePlus says lying on your side with your knees bent will likely be most comfortable, and many providers suggest the left side because it improves blood flow to the uterus and baby. It says sleeping flat on your back is not best.
Calmer days, better nights.
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