At week 24, your baby is about as heavy as a papaya and still has a lot of catching up to do. But the developments your little wriggler has made over the past weeks are quite exceptional!

From this week onward, your baby will go on a growth spurt (as if your baby hasn’t been growing fast enough!). As the brain grows and develops, the white blood cells in the bone marrow are forming. These are very important structures that ward off disease and infection.

As for your baby’s lungs, they are now working extra hard to develop tiny branches that will help bring oxygen when your baby is born.

The inner ear, by this week, is completely developed. But perhaps the most meaningful milestone is that your baby now has basic control over all five senses: taste, hearing, smell, touch and vision!

You and your baby should be given an award for reaching this week, as week 24 is considered the age of viability. You don’t hope to give birth this early (hopefully not!), but if you do, your baby has a good chance of surviving if given specialized neonatal care.