6 months pregnant: the diabetes test and changing sleep

It is past midnight. You turn over for the third time, a cramp grips your calf, and baby picks that very moment to start kicking. At 6 months pregnant, your nights begin to change, and the diary fills up: blood tests, perhaps a diabetes test, the monthly check-up.

This is the end of the second trimester. Your bump is nicely round, baby is very much there, and the birth, while not yet close, is starting to feel real. Here are the landmarks for the month.

How many weeks is 6 months pregnant?

The 6th month runs from 23 weeks and 6 days to 28 weeks, which is 22 to 26 weeks after conception. At 28 weeks, the third trimester begins.

Weeks of pregnancy are counted from the first day of your last period. In Morocco and France, doctors write them as "SA" (semaines d'aménorrhée) on prescriptions and scan reports. The full conversion table is in our article on counting your weeks of pregnancy.

What is happening to baby in the 6th month?

Baby is growing, waking up and reacting to the outside world. According to the UK's NHS:

The amniotic fluid, which baby renews by passing urine, cushions them and helps keep their temperature stable. Your voice, the father's voice, the sounds of the house: all of this now reaches them. The other milestones are described in pregnancy week by week.

Symptoms at 6 months pregnant

• Swollen feet, ankles or hands, especially in hot weather. The NHS considers this swelling probably harmless, but advises mentioning it so your blood pressure can be checked.
• Heartburn, burping, feeling full quickly: baby is pressing on your stomach.
• Night-time cramps in the calves: pull your toes towards you or massage the muscle.
• Backache, piles (haemorrhoids), nosebleeds.
• Feeling clumsy or absent-minded, which the NHS also mentions at this stage.
• Broken nights: needing to pee, baby moving, a comfortable position that is hard to find.

Practical solutions for each of these complaints are gathered in our article on back pain during pregnancy and in the one on heartburn.

The diabetes test: who has it, and when?

Screening for gestational diabetes takes place between weeks 24 and 28, with a blood test called an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT, or HGPO in French): a fasting blood sugar test, a sugary drink, then two more blood samples.

Not everyone has it. In the United Kingdom, it is only offered to women at higher risk, while other programmes offer it to every pregnant woman. In Morocco, your doctor decides according to your profile and history: tell them about any diabetes in your family or during a previous pregnancy. Risk factors, how the test works and what happens next are covered in our guide to gestational diabetes.

The month's other appointments

In France, the 6th month corresponds to the 4th antenatal examination. In the United Kingdom, an appointment at 25 weeks (for a first baby) and another at 28 weeks check blood pressure, urine, the size of the bump and baby's movements. The WHO plans a contact at around 26 weeks.

At 28 weeks, the NHS also plans:

• a blood test to check your iron levels and general health (see anaemia in pregnancy);
• a preventive injection if your blood group is rhesus negative and baby may be incompatible.

In Morocco, if you are an employee, this is also the time to pin down the dates of your maternity leave: 14 weeks, in principle 7 before and 7 after the birth (Labour Code, article 152, the rule in force in October 2026).

Changing sleep: settling on your side

From week 28, going to sleep on your side, left or right, is the recommended position: the NHS explains that it helps blood flow to the placenta. Get into the habit this month. One pillow between your knees and another under your bump make the position more comfortable. If you wake up on your back, simply turn over.

From the shop

Sleeping better with a six-month bump

A pregnancy pillow is the piece of kit that helps most at this stage: it supports your bump and back when you lie on your side, then helps you position baby for feeds. Several shapes and prices.

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Products sold by La Maison du Bébé, publisher of this magazine. Prices as of 12 October 2026; please check the product page.