Pregnancy Month 6

Overview of month 6

Month 6 covers roughly weeks 23 to 27 and closes the second trimester. The baby is gaining weight steadily, the lungs are developing quickly, and 24 weeks marks an important milestone in neonatal care.

Weeks in pregnancy month 6

Your baby in month 6

The lungs develop the cells that make surfactant, the eyes begin to open around 26 weeks, and the baby has regular sleep and wake cycles. By the end of the month the baby weighs roughly 900 g.

Your body in month 6

Braxton Hicks practice contractions, heartburn, swollen ankles and difficulty sleeping are common. Stretch marks may appear.

Care during month 6

Glucose screening for gestational diabetes is commonly done between 24 and 28 weeks. Your provider may start measuring fundal height at each visit. Schedules vary between countries and providers; your own care team will tell you what applies to you.

Why pregnancy months are approximate

A 40-week pregnancy does not divide evenly into nine calendar months: each calendar month is about 4.3 weeks, so nine months is roughly 39 weeks, and the due date falls a week or so later. Different books and apps therefore group weeks into months slightly differently. This site uses the common grouping in which month 6 spans about weeks 23 to 27. When you talk to a healthcare professional, you will hear weeks and days — for example “24 weeks and 2 days” — because that is far more precise. To see exactly where you are, use the Pregnancy Week Calculator.