Canada's Largest & Oldest Cord Blood Bank
You are now six months pregnant. This is a great time to check as many items off from your baby checklist.
This Week’s Highlights
Your baby is now sensitive to light
Your baby’s bones are now starting to harden
You will have your multiple marker screening test
Your Baby at 24 Weeks
Your baby is the length of an ear of corn, measuring about 11.8 inches (30 centimeters) long and weighing in at about 1.3 pound (600 grams).
Baby Development at Week 24
Your little one still has a lot more growing to do, but from 24 weeks on your baby is considered “viable”. What does this mean? It means your baby’s lungs are now developed enough that if he or she were to be born today there is a higher chance of surviving in a neonatal unit. Extreme preterm labour is uncommon, so you will not be meeting your baby for a few more months yet.
Up until now, your baby’s skin was pretty translucent. This week he or she will start putting on a layer of body fat underneath, which will change this translucent appearance.
Your baby is now getting stronger and more coordinated. The kicks are packing more punch. You probably also feel that the movements are much smoother when he or she makes a turn. Your partner may be able to feel your little one kick sometime soon.
Your little one has established somewhat of a sleep-wake pattern by now. In the next few weeks, your healthcare provider will ask you to do a “kick count” to monitor your baby’s movements. Find a time when your baby is most active and track how long it takes for him or her to move 10 times. You should contact your healthcare provider if it takes more than 2 hours to feel 10 movements.
Pregancy Tip
Want to get away before the baby arrives? Plan your babymoon with in the next 4 weeks, because either sitting or walking for a long time can become uncomfortable after 28 weeks.
Your Bump at 24 Weeks
Many expectant moms find their belly buttons ‘pop’ at this stage of pregnancy becoming an outie. No need to worry, things should go back to normal after birth.
How Your Body is Changing
Some of those pregnancy symptoms that started early in your second trimester such as constipation and changes in skin colour may continue to persist. If you didn’t have these symptoms, you may notice them now. Other second trimester symptoms include dizziness, leg cramps, round ligament pain and loss of balance.
Stretch marks are also going to make an appearance at this stage, if they haven’t already. A soothing moisturizer or a balm will give your relief from the dryness and itchiness that results from stretch marks. Unfortunately, none of the miracle ‘stretch mark’ creams will be able to prevent them from appearing.
Pregnancy is also associated with decreased tear production, which is why your eyes may feel dry and gritty and become light sensitive. Pregnancy hormones also induce changes in vision that will disappear after birth, so don’t get new glasses or order contacts while you are pregnant.
The Glucose Tolerance Test
Your healthcare provider may also ask you to take a glucose challenge test in the coming weeks (24 to 28 weeks), which examines how your body responds to sugar (glucose). This test assesses your risk of gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
About 6%-9% of expectant moms experience gestational diabetes. However, when detected early, it is easy to manage. You are at higher risk of gestational diabetes if you are obese, 35 years or older and have a history of diabetes in your family.
During the test, you will drink a sugary solution and your blood glucose levels will be measured an hour later. If your results are above the normal range your healthcare provider will ask for further testing.
Treating Type 1 Diabetes with Converted Stem Cells
Hope for personalized treatment, as researchers convert human stem cells into insulin-producing beta cells using small molecules In 1921, two Canadian scientists managed to isolate insulin, a discovery that transformed type 1 diabetes from a terminal illness to a treatable disease. While insulin was an amazing treatment option, it is not a cure for diabetes. This is why in the past few decades, researchers around the world have been hunting for a cure for diabetes. Here we highlight a study that brings us another step closer to a cure where scientists have produced insulin-making pancreatic cells from stem cells in the lab.
How Far Along are You?
24 weeks in, 16 weeks to go! You are more than halfway through your pregnancy. Even though pregnancy is measured in weeks this means you are completing your sixth month of pregnancy.
Diet at Week 24
Did you know certain foods can exacerbate your pregnancy symptoms including heartburn, constipation and edema? Below are some foods you can eliminate from your diet to keep these symptoms at bay.
- Foods high in sodium – Salt will increase water retention increasing your risk of developing swollen feet and ankles. If you are craving salted chips, make sure you follow up these high sodium snack with lots of water.
- Spicy foods – Spicy foods contain capsaicin, a substance that slows down digestion. The longer the food stays in your stomach the higher the risk of heartburn. Given that your digestion is already slow during pregnancy, you may want to avoid eating spicy food.
- Fatty foods – Greasy foods are harder to digest, which means they stay in your stomach for longer. They can also prevent the esophageal sphincter, creating an opening where stomach acid can leak through.
- Caffeine – While caffeine is usually a stimulant, which can relieve constipation, excessive caffeine can cause constipation due to dehydration.
Invest in Your Baby’s Future by Preserving Newborn Stem Cells
Pregnancy Symptoms at Week 24
Round ligament pain – Several thick ligaments support your growing belly. The round ligament joins the front of your uterus to your groin area. As your belly grows, this ligament gets stretched. When there’s pressure on the round ligament you may notice pain. The pain can be sharp or it may be a dull aching pain that originates from one or both sides of your abdomen. You may feel like you have a sore stomach. You may want to wear a belly band and avoid the sudden movements that initially caused ligament pain.
Linea nigra – Pregnancy is notorious for skin changes. You may have already noticed textural and colour changes in your skin. You may also develop a dark line that runs down the center of your belly, down to your pelvic bone. Not every mom develops the linea nigra, and it disappears after the baby is born.
Loss of balance – With your belly growing your center of gravity shifts leaving you slightly off balance. On top of this, changes in circulation can lead to dizziness and faintness. Be careful when exercising, avoid making brisk moves and stay hydrated.
Vision changes – Some moms experience blurred vision during pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones are behind this symptom as well. These changes should pass after birth, so do not invest in new glasses or contact lenses just yet!
Constipation– The same pregnancy hormones that relax your muscles and joints, also relax muscles in your digestive tract. This means food is passed along at a slower rate through your system causing your system to be backed up a bit. Including fibre-rich foods in your diet can help. However, if your system is not used to a high fibre diet, try to introduce these foods gradually.
Cord Blood vs Cord Tissue Stem Cells
