# Day 168: Viable > Twenty-four weeks. The NHS calls your baby viable now. What that word means, the signs of early labor, and one question to ask about newborn care. - Series: Your sixth month of pregnancy, day by day (https://chorevia.com/learn/pregnancy-month-6), day 168 of 280, 24 weeks - Your baby this week: about the size of a corn on the cob; around 30 cm from head to heel - Canonical URL: https://chorevia.com/learn/pregnancy-month-6/day-168 - Last reviewed: 2026-10-22 - Publisher: Chorevia (https://chorevia.com) - Cite as: Chorevia. "Day 168: Viable." Last reviewed October 22, 2026. https://chorevia.com/learn/pregnancy-month-6/day-168 This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911. Twenty-four weeks. There's a word for this week, and it's worth knowing what it means and what it doesn't. Then one question, and back to ordinary life. ## Your baby Your baby is around 30cm long from head to heel, about the size of a corn on the cob. Everything is in proportion, just smaller than a baby who's been in the womb longer ([NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/2nd-trimester/week-24/)). The NHS calls a baby at this stage "viable": a baby born now could survive with support, and neonatal units can help premature babies breathe, feed, keep warm and fight infections ([NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/2nd-trimester/week-24/)). Viable means possible with a lot of help. The place your baby is best off is exactly where it is. ## Your body You may feel very hungry this week, but the NHS says you don't need extra food until week 28 ([NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/2nd-trimester/week-24/)). The other thing worth knowing now is what early labor feels like, because preterm labor is labor between 20 and 36 weeks ([NICHD](https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/preterm/conditioninfo/symptoms)). The NICHD's list: contractions every 10 minutes or more often; a change in vaginal discharge, such as leaking fluid or bleeding; pressure in the pelvis; a low, dull backache; cramps like a period; and belly cramps, with or without diarrhea ([NICHD](https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/preterm/conditioninfo/symptoms)). If you think it might be happening, call your doctor or go to the hospital to be checked ([NICHD](https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/preterm/conditioninfo/symptoms)). ## Try today ### The neonatal-unit question - **Time:** 5 minutes, at your next visit or on the phone 1. Ask your midwife or provider what level of newborn care the unit where you plan to give birth has. The NHS describes what these units do: help with breathing, feeding, warmth and infections ([NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/2nd-trimester/week-24/)). 2. Ask where babies go if they need more care than that unit gives, and how a parent gets there. 3. Write both answers on one line in your pregnancy notes. 4. Close the notes. That's the whole task. **Make it work:** If you have a history of preterm birth, say so at this visit; the CDC asks you to tell your doctor ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-infant-health/preterm-birth/index.html)). ## Watch for - **Normal:** the bump tightening now and then. Braxton Hicks contractions can start after the first trimester; they're usually short, painless and irregular ([MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000508.htm)). **Call your provider** or go to the hospital for six or more contractions in an hour; some through the day are normal, six or more in one hour are not ([NICHD](https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/preterm/conditioninfo/symptoms)). - **Normal:** aches around your back, ribs and bottom, which the NHS calls common at 24 weeks ([NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/2nd-trimester/week-24/)). **Call your provider** for a low, dull backache with pelvic pressure or period-like cramps ([NICHD](https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/preterm/conditioninfo/symptoms)). - **Normal:** a white, milky discharge, which the NHS lists among symptoms that carry on ([NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/3rd-trimester/week-28/)). **Call your provider** for vaginal bleeding or fluid leaking ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/hearher/maternal-warning-signs/index.html)). ## For you Plainly, once: about 1 in 10 US babies were born preterm in 2022, and babies born before 32 weeks have higher rates of death and disability ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-infant-health/preterm-birth/index.html)). That's why the signs above are worth knowing, and why the CDC's instruction for possible preterm labor is to see a provider right away ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-infant-health/preterm-birth/index.html)). The things that lower the risk are ones you may already be doing: no smoking, alcohol or drugs, and prenatal care early and all the way through ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-infant-health/preterm-birth/index.html)). Then put it down. You've read it once; you don't have to carry it. If you're the partner: learn the list above well enough to say "let's call" without debate. A call that turns out to be nothing costs an hour. ## Sources - NHS. "Week 24." Week-by-week guide to pregnancy, Best Start in Life. https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/2nd-trimester/week-24/ - National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. "What are the symptoms of preterm labor?" National Institutes of Health, 2023. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/preterm/conditioninfo/symptoms - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Preterm Birth." https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-infant-health/preterm-birth/index.html - MedlinePlus. "Am I in labor?" National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000508.htm - NHS. "Week 28." Week-by-week guide to pregnancy, Best Start in Life. https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/3rd-trimester/week-28/ - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Urgent Maternal Warning Signs and Symptoms." HEAR HER campaign, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/hearher/maternal-warning-signs/index.html