How many months is 24 weeks pregnant?

24 weeks pregnant puts you in month 6 of pregnancy. Month 6 covers weeks 23 to 27. Providers count in weeks; months are approximate.

How big is the baby at 24 weeks?

At 24 weeks, the baby is about the size of a ear of corn, roughly 30 cm long and around 600 g. That is an average; healthy babies vary.

Can a baby survive if born at 24 weeks?

Many do, with intensive care. In a study of 19 US academic hospitals from 2013 to 2018, 69.9% of babies born alive at 24 weeks survived to go home, and nearly all of them had been given active intensive care. Health problems were common, and more than half of the survivors checked at age 2 had needed at least one more hospital stay. Each extra week in the womb helps: in the same study, survival was 79.2% at 25 weeks. A neonatal team can explain what the numbers mean for a real situation.

What position is the baby in at 24 weeks?

Any position is normal right now. Babies often twist and turn during pregnancy, so yours may be head-down, bottom-down or lying sideways. In a study of 25,313 pregnancies in China, 36.8% of babies were bottom-first (breech) on a scan at 22 to 26 weeks. Among those followed up, only about 4 in 100 were still breech when labour started. If your baby is still breech at around 36 weeks, your midwife or doctor will talk you through the options.

What should I avoid at 24 weeks pregnant?

Keep avoiding alcohol and smoking. The NHS lists premature birth, low birth weight, and learning and behaviour problems among the risks alcohol poses to a baby. Sports where you could fall or be hit in the tummy, like hockey, rugby or mountain biking, are best skipped, and so is scuba diving. Riding a horse or a bike carries a risk of falls, so take extra care. Avoid lying flat on your back for long spells, as the bump's weight can squeeze a large blood vessel and make you feel faint. Check with a pharmacist before taking any medicine.

Is cramping normal at 24 weeks pregnant?

Mild cramps are common. Stretching ligaments can cause a sharp pain low on one side, and constipation or trapped wind can feel crampy too. Braxton Hicks tightenings come at random and ease when you move. Call your maternity unit or provider straight away if cramps or tightenings come regularly, or come with bleeding, fluid leaking, or pain when you pee. Pain under your ribs is common as the bump grows, but get it checked the same day if it is bad or won't go, especially on the right side. It may point to pre-eclampsia.

Are there symptoms of a boy at 24 weeks pregnant?

No. Carrying high or low, cravings, skin changes and the baby's heart rate are all old tales. A US study gave a questionnaire to 104 pregnant women who did not know the baby's sex. Bump shape, the amount of morning sickness, and how this pregnancy compared with earlier ones did not line up with whether they had a boy or a girl. By now, the anatomy scan has often shown the sex, if you asked. If you had a cell-free DNA blood test earlier, its report may already list the sex chromosomes.

24 Weeks Pregnant

At 24 weeks pregnant, your baby is around 30 cm long if measured from head to heel, about as long as an ear of corn. Everything is now in proportion. The baby is just smaller than one who has spent longer in the womb. This week is a milestone. The NHS now describes the baby as viable, which means it could survive if born now, with help from a neonatal unit. The lungs are still developing and can't yet work well on their own. This page covers what the survival figures show, which scans and tests come next, what your bump measures, how the baby is lying, and which pains need a call.

What trimester is 24 weeks?

Week 24 is in the second trimester, which runs from week 13 to week 27 (NHS). It is week 12 of 15 in this trimester, and the third trimester starts at week 28.

Week 24 — second trimester, month 6; 16 weeks to go until your due date.
Baby's size — about a ear of corn, ~30 cm.

Not sure it's 24 weeks? Try our due date calculator.

★ Viability milestone — survival outside the womb becomes possible.

How big is your baby at 24 weeks?

Size of a

ear of corn

Length, head to heel

~30 cm

Weight

~600 g

Up from a grapefruit last week to a ear of corn now.

Baby development at week 24

A significant milestone: 24 weeks is often considered the point of viability, when survival outside the womb becomes possible with intensive medical care. The lungs are still developing and can't yet work well on their own. The face is fully formed, and the fetus is putting on weight steadily. About as long as an ear of corn.

What an ultrasound shows at 24 weeks

A routine scan at 24 weeks is unusual. By now the anatomy scan is usually done, and from here growth is mainly checked by measuring your bump at each visit. A scan may be booked if your bump measures larger or smaller than expected. Twins are the main exception. Twins with a placenta each usually have a growth scan every 4 weeks from about 24 weeks, while those sharing one are checked more often.

If you do have a scan now, it shows a baby who moves often and may react to sounds, either by moving or by a faster heartbeat. Inside the womb, the skin is still thin and wrinkled, with veins showing through, because the baby has only just started to lay down fat. That fat builds up quickly over the coming weeks.

The other test due now is screening for gestational diabetes, usually between 24 and 28 weeks. In the US, most pregnant women are screened. One option is a 1-hour test: you drink a sugary liquid, with no need to fast, and have blood taken an hour later. A high result means a longer follow-up test. In the UK, the test is offered to people with a risk factor, such as a BMI above 30 or a parent or sibling with diabetes. It is a 2-hour test that starts after 8 to 10 hours without food.

Your body at 24 weeks

Regular, strong movements
Possible glucose-screening test around now
Backache and round-ligament pain
Itchy belly as the skin stretches

Your belly at 24 weeks

At 24 weeks, the top of your uterus sits above your belly button. A tape laid from the pubic bone to the fundus, which is the top of the uterus, usually reads close to 24 cm, give or take 2 cm. Some people have an obvious bump by now, while others can barely see one. Both are normal, and a small bump on its own is no cause for worry.

Aches around your ribs, back, breasts and bottom are common now. Hormones loosen your ligaments and muscles, and the growing baby presses on different parts of your body. An itchy belly is common too, as your skin stretches. An unperfumed moisturiser and cool or warm (not hot) showers can help. Itching that is severe, worse at night, or on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet is different. Call your maternity unit or provider straight away, because this pattern can point to a liver condition called intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP).

Tips for week 24

The glucose screening for gestational diabetes is typically done around weeks 24–28
Moisturise an itchy, stretching belly
Start reading about birth preferences if you haven't

24 Weeks Pregnant: your questions

What trimester is 24 weeks?: Week 24 is in the second trimester, which runs from week 13 to week 27 (NHS). It is week 12 of 15 in this trimester, and the third trimester starts at week 28.
How many months is 24 weeks pregnant?: 24 weeks pregnant puts you in month 6 of pregnancy. Month 6 covers weeks 23 to 27. Providers count in weeks; months are approximate.
How big is the baby at 24 weeks?: At 24 weeks, the baby is about the size of a ear of corn, roughly 30 cm long and around 600 g. That is an average; healthy babies vary.
Can a baby survive if born at 24 weeks?: Many do, with intensive care. In a study of 19 US academic hospitals from 2013 to 2018, 69.9% of babies born alive at 24 weeks survived to go home, and nearly all of them had been given active intensive care. Health problems were common, and more than half of the survivors checked at age 2 had needed at least one more hospital stay. Each extra week in the womb helps: in the same study, survival was 79.2% at 25 weeks. A neonatal team can explain what the numbers mean for a real situation.
What position is the baby in at 24 weeks?: Any position is normal right now. Babies often twist and turn during pregnancy, so yours may be head-down, bottom-down or lying sideways. In a study of 25,313 pregnancies in China, 36.8% of babies were bottom-first (breech) on a scan at 22 to 26 weeks. Among those followed up, only about 4 in 100 were still breech when labour started. If your baby is still breech at around 36 weeks, your midwife or doctor will talk you through the options.
What should I avoid at 24 weeks pregnant?: Keep avoiding alcohol and smoking. The NHS lists premature birth, low birth weight, and learning and behaviour problems among the risks alcohol poses to a baby. Sports where you could fall or be hit in the tummy, like hockey, rugby or mountain biking, are best skipped, and so is scuba diving. Riding a horse or a bike carries a risk of falls, so take extra care. Avoid lying flat on your back for long spells, as the bump's weight can squeeze a large blood vessel and make you feel faint. Check with a pharmacist before taking any medicine.
Is cramping normal at 24 weeks pregnant?: Mild cramps are common. Stretching ligaments can cause a sharp pain low on one side, and constipation or trapped wind can feel crampy too. Braxton Hicks tightenings come at random and ease when you move. Call your maternity unit or provider straight away if cramps or tightenings come regularly, or come with bleeding, fluid leaking, or pain when you pee. Pain under your ribs is common as the bump grows, but get it checked the same day if it is bad or won't go, especially on the right side. It may point to pre-eclampsia.
Are there symptoms of a boy at 24 weeks pregnant?: No. Carrying high or low, cravings, skin changes and the baby's heart rate are all old tales. A US study gave a questionnaire to 104 pregnant women who did not know the baby's sex. Bump shape, the amount of morning sickness, and how this pregnancy compared with earlier ones did not line up with whether they had a boy or a girl. By now, the anatomy scan has often shown the sex, if you asked. If you had a cell-free DNA blood test earlier, its report may already list the sex chromosomes.

Useful at week 24

Fetal viability — what viable means, and why each week from here matters
Pregnancy weeks to months — 24 weeks is in month 6 — see every week
Exercise in pregnancy — which sports to skip as your bump grows
Is Benadryl safe in pregnancy? — if itchy skin is keeping you awake
Baby gender predictor — for fun only — not a real test

← All weeks: the full pregnancy week-by-week guide

Sources

Checked against the following public guidance on October 2, 2026. Advice can differ between countries; your doctor, nurse or midwife can apply it to you.