24 Weeks Pregnant

Your doctor will give you the glucose screening between 24 and 28 weeks. If your blood sugar levels show that you have gestational diabetes — a temporary condition that appears during pregnancy — you'll likely have to modify your diet, monitor your blood sugar at home, and possibly increase your activity levels.

While researchers aren't certain why some women get gestational diabetes while others don’t, they do know that you may be at an increased risk if you are overweight, are older, are pregnant with multiples, have a higher level of abdominal fat, or have a family history of diabetes.

Suffering from dry skin during pregnancy? Taking too many baths can strip your skin of its moisture.

Stick to short showers — which is good training for actual motherhood — in warm, not hot, water, and use a mild cleanser. For very dry skin, try a moisturizer or put a warm-mist humidifier in your room.

Have you considered hiring a doula to help with delivery and early baby care? A doula’s duty is to be your head cheerleader during delivery. Unlike an OB/GYN or midwife, doulas do not have medical training — instead, they’re there to support you emotionally.

Some studies show that moms with doulas are less likely to require C-sections, inductions and pain relief, while births may be shorter with a lower rate of complications.

Your freezer is your friend; cook once and fill it many times over with nutritious leftovers.

Make a large tray of lasagna by layering defrosted frozen spinach or broccoli on top of the pasta along with some shredded cheese, good-quality jarred tomato sauce and lean ground beef or turkey. Slice the leftovers into individual portions and then freeze to reheat and feast another day.

The same goes for soups and stews — make a vat and freeze into single-serve containers, then reheat them later as a nourishing snack. Ditto mini meat loaves and muffins.

For the fridge, boil a dozen eggs at a time: Mash half into egg salad for lunch today and tomorrow and keep the rest intact for snacks on the run — or snacks to keep you going while you make dinner.

Cut up enough fruit salad or veggies to keep you happily and healthily munching for days. And instead of grilling one chicken breast for dinner, grill four or more; the rest will make delicious sandwiches, salad toppings for dinner or fajita fillings in the days to come.

And by the way, you don't have to go it all alone. Make it a team effort and enlist the help of your partner if you have one, family, friends, neighbors and even other children if this isn't your first!

Pregnancy can put a lot of pressure on you — including on the veins in the rectal area, which can swell and bulge. Hemorrhoids are extremely common when you’re pregnant, but take some comfort (if you can get comfortable, that is) in the fact that they're perfectly harmless.

Keep it clean down there by using warm water and white two-ply toilet paper after a bowel movement. Don't wipe too hard (that just makes it worse) or linger on the toilet. If TP is too harsh, switch to wipes (preferably those made with plain water or designed for sensitive skin) instead.

To ease the discomfort, try soaking in a warm (not hot) bath.

Having trouble putting on enough pounds during pregnancy? Or are you gaining weight too slowly? Inadequate weight gain can increase your risk of preterm delivery, having a low birth weight baby and other pregnancy issues.

So how little is too little when it comes to pregnancy weight gain? That all depends.

When you first got pregnant, your practitioner probably gave you a range to aim for based on several factors, including what your pre-pregnancy weight was.

If you've been told to gain the standard 25-to-35-pound total in your pregnancy, for example, next week at 25 weeks pregnant you should have put on anywhere from 13 to 19 of those pounds.

If you're falling short, you'll want to kick your weight-gain efforts into higher gear. Talk to your doctor or midwife for some advice.

Want to increase your odds of delivering a full-term baby? Put your dental floss where your mouth is. Surprisingly, research links good dental health and oral hygiene with longer pregnancies. Sounds crazy — but it's true.

Something as simple as brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing regularly can reduce the risk of gingivitis — a common condition in which your gums become inflamed, red and even begin to bleed.

Untreated gingivitis (that's where the regular dental checkups come in) can progress to periodontitis — a more serious infection of the teeth — which has been linked to premature birth and even an increased risk of preeclampsia.

Keep on top of your teeth, and that old (untrue) wives' tale — the one that claims a woman loses a tooth with each pregnancy — can finally be put to rest.