Week 24 is often when the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) has already been scheduled or is just being done. The test asks little of you, but it takes a few hours at the facility, so it is worth planning it so it doesn't overlap with other things. Below is a practical list of things to settle before and after the visit.
What to do in week 24
- Confirm the date and time of the test and ask about preparation recommendations.
- Plan your transport and check how long the whole visit will take.
- Prepare your documents and something to eat for after the test.
- Find out when and how you will receive the result.
- Write down your questions about the plan of tests and visits in the coming weeks.
Preparing for the test step by step
Start with a phone call to the facility: confirm the date, time, and location of the draw. Ask what recommendations apply to meals and drinks before the test — those come from the staff, not a search engine. Also check whether you can come with a companion and whether there is a place where you can wait calmly.
- Confirm the date and time — some units see patients mornings only.
- Find out which eating and drinking recommendations apply before the test.
- Ask how long the whole procedure takes and whether you can step out during it.
- Plan your transport — you may feel tired after the test.
- Prepare your documents: referral, pregnancy notes, ID.
What to bring and how to get through the waiting
The hardest part of the test is the waiting, not the blood draw itself. Think of it as time for yourself: take something to read, headphones, and water if the facility allows drinking. Also prepare something to eat for the moment the test ends.
- A book, headphones, or a phone with a charged battery.
- Water, if the facility allows drinking during the test.
- Something to eat for when the test is over.
- A notebook for writing down times and the staff's remarks.
After the test — what to do with the result and what comes next
Ask when the result will be ready and how it will reach your doctor. Book an appointment to discuss it — calmly, with the document in hand. If the result calls for further steps, ask for a clear explanation of what they involve and by when. Also check which tests and visits are planned in the coming weeks.
- Write down the date of the test and when the result can be collected.
- Ask whether the doctor receives the result automatically or whether you need to deliver it.
- Prepare questions about the care plan for the third trimester.
- Add the result to your records together with the other tests.
How to prepare questions about the result
Talking about a result can be stressful, and stress makes it easy to forget the questions you prepared at home. Write them on a piece of paper and bring them with you — this is a perfectly normal part of a visit and helps the staff guide the conversation. If you don't understand something, ask them to say it another way.
- Write your questions the day before and bring the paper to the visit.
- Start with the question that matters most to you.
- Ask for clarification if any wording remains unclear.
- Write down the answers during the conversation or right after it.
- Ask where to look for information if a question comes up later.
What to prepare before the third trimester
The end of the second trimester is a good moment to calmly sort out the things that get harder to manage in the third trimester. Gather information about facilities within reach, ask about admission rules and about enrolling in classes for expectant parents. You don't have to decide anything yet — the point is to have material for the conversation.
- List the facilities within reach and their admission rules.
- Ask your clinic about classes for expectant parents and how to enroll.
- Decide who among your loved ones can accompany and help you in the first weeks.
- Prepare questions about postpartum care, including midwife visits.
- Set aside decisions that don't have to be made now.
Tip
Ask the facility whether you can get a copy of the result right away — it is easier to discuss it at the visit and keep it in your records.
When to contact a doctor
- • If you feel unwell during the test, tell the staff immediately.
- • If you faint, feel short of breath, or start vomiting heavily, don't stay alone and ask for help.
- • Bleeding or fluid leaking from the vagina is a reason to call the facility.
- • Painful contractions that return regularly require contacting the facility without waiting for your visit.
- • In a life-threatening situation, call 112.
When to call a doctor or midwife
- • Feeling unwell while at the facility — tell the staff.
- • Bleeding or fluid leaking from the vagina.
- • Painful contractions returning regularly.
- • Persistent vomiting or difficulty keeping fluids down.
In a life-threatening situation call 112 or go to the nearest maternity hospital admission room — do not wait for a follow-up appointment.
Week 24 in detail
Week 24: how your baby is growing — Corn
Week twenty-four is a major milestone: the lungs begin producing surfactant, the substance that will allow the air sacs to expand after birth. Your baby is about the size of an ear of corn (around 30 cm) and opens their eyes for the first time. Despite this progress, many more weeks in the womb are still needed, and decisions about care after a very preterm birth are made by the hospital's medical team.
Development at week 24
- At this stage survival outside the womb becomes possible with intensive care support — though your baby weighs only about 600 g and still needs many more weeks to grow.
- Surfactant production in the lungs.
- Eyes open, the face fully formed.
Tip
Midwife's tip: week 24 is a huge step — every additional week in the womb significantly improves your baby's chances of a healthy start.
Sources
- NHS — You and your baby at 24 weeks — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/week-by-week/13-to-27-weeks/24-weeks-pregnant/
- WHO — Preterm birth — www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/preterm-birth
The glucose test in pregnancy (OGTT): a calm step-by-step guide
The OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) is done between weeks 24 and 28 of pregnancy for every expectant mother. It detects gestational diabetes — a condition that often has no symptoms, and where the right diet and monitoring help both you and your baby.
What is the OGTT?
The test checks how your body handles sugar. You drink a solution of 75 g of glucose, and blood is drawn three times: fasting, after 1 hour, and after 2 hours. The result shows whether gestational diabetes is present.
How to prepare
- Follow your clinic's instructions beforehand — usually 8–12 hours of fasting.
- Avoid intense exercise and stress on the day before.
- Bring something light to eat for afterwards (water, a sandwich).
- Note the start time — the test takes about 2–3 hours.
How the test goes
First a fasting blood draw, then you drink the glucose solution, and blood is taken again after 1 and 2 hours. You can sit quietly, read, or listen to music. Many doctors allow water — ask at your clinic.
Tip
If you feel nauseous after drinking the solution — tell the nurse. It's common and usually passes.
After the result
Normal result? Great — you're back to your regular appointments. Elevated result? Your doctor will suggest a diet, glucose monitoring, and sometimes further testing. It's not a verdict — it's information that lets you act early.
Sources
- Polish Society of Gynecologists and Obstetricians — gestational diabetes (guidelines) — ptgin.pl
- Polish Ministry of Health — perinatal care standard (OGTT) — www.gov.pl/web/zdrowie/standard-organizacyjny-opieki-okoloporodowej
- NHS — Gestational diabetes — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/related-conditions/complications/gestational-diabetes/
Week 24: Eyes opening — what you can do today
Week twenty-four is the time for the OGTT — the test that will rule out or detect gestational diabetes. Don't put it off: catching it early lets you protect both your health and your baby's.
Your tasks for this week
- Book and complete the OGTT (weeks 24–28).
- Bring something to eat for after the test.
- Follow your clinic's instructions before the test.
Why the OGTT matters
- Gestational diabetes often has no symptoms.
- Caught early, it's easier to control.
- It protects you and your baby from complications.
Tip
Midwife's tip: the OGTT can be draining (long waits, fasting). Bring a book or headphones, and don't plan anything else for that day.
Sources
- NHS — Gestational diabetes — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/related-conditions/complications/gestational-diabetes/
Related guides
- Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) — how to prepare and what comes next
The OGTT is a screening test for gestational diabetes performed in the second trimester. We show what the test day looks like step by step, what to bring, how to read the laboratory report, and what the further care pathway looks like in Poland.
- Gestational diabetes — what the diagnosis means and what happens next
An abnormal test result between weeks 24 and 28 can come as a surprise, because gestational diabetes usually causes no symptoms. This guide explains why the test is done, what the care pathway looks like in the Polish system, and what to ask at your appointment.
Medical disclaimer
This article is educational in nature and does not replace advice from a doctor, midwife or other specialist. If in doubt, contact your attending physician.
This week is awaiting medical review: the page is not indexed and carries no ads until the content has been verified by a medically qualified person.
Sources
We base our content on these documents. Every medical claim in the guide is reflected in one of the publications below.
- NICE — "Diabetes in pregnancy: management from preconception to the postnatal period" (NG3) — www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng3
- ACOG — "Gestational Diabetes" (FAQ) — www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/gestational-diabetes
- NHS — "Gestational diabetes" — www.nhs.uk/conditions/gestational-diabetes/
- Ministry of Health — "Organizational standards of perinatal care" (regulation) — www.gov.pl/web/zdrowie/standard-organizacyjny-opieki-okoloporodowej
- NHS — You and your baby at 24 weeks — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/week-by-week/13-to-27-weeks/24-weeks-pregnant/
- WHO — Preterm birth — www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/preterm-birth
- Polish Society of Gynecologists and Obstetricians — gestational diabetes (guidelines) — ptgin.pl
- NHS — Gestational diabetes — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/related-conditions/complications/gestational-diabetes/