THIRTY-FOURTH WEEK OF PREGNANCY: what to expect and what to do
Introduction
There is very little time left until delivery: you are at the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy and emotions, as well as questions, surely run fast in your mind and heart.
With this article, I take you by the hand and accompany you in discovering all the answers you are looking for.
Little spoiler: at this time, your baby is as big as a melon.
For an even more complete and aware journey towards birth, I recommend joining the Academy to access all the best video courses to support your health during pregnancy (multidisciplinary childbirth course, pelvic floor, breastfeeding, nutrition, pilates, etc.) and the development of your baby (motor development, language, cognitive, baby-led weaning, pediatric airway clearance, etc.).
Also, on my Instagram profile @drsilva.com_official and on my YouTube channel you will find lots of content designed for you and your little one.
How many months are 34 weeks of pregnancy?
The thirty-fourth week of pregnancy marks the end of the eighth month, which goes from 30+5 to 35+0.
The symptoms of the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy
During the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy, it is very normal to frequently feel the need to urinate.
It is a consequence of the pressure of the uterus on the bladder.
Another symptom of this period is back pain.
It is caused by a mix of factors.
The first is the overload at the lumbar level.
The second, instead, is the influence of estrogen and relaxin on the laxity of ligaments and muscles, which are thus prepared for labor.
How to relieve it? Here are some tips:
Osteopathic sessions.
Use of a specific pregnancy pillow, essential to support the weight of the belly. It must be strictly different from the one you will use for breastfeeding.
Back unloading exercises like those you can see in the video below and that will be your precious allies during labor.
Back pain can also cause insomnia. In this case too, the pregnancy pillow will help you a lot.
During the thirty-fourth week period, you will also deal with Braxton-Hicks contractions.
Also called preparatory contractions, they are caused by the hormone oxytocin and have a specific purpose, namely to strengthen the walls of the uterus in preparation for the labor journey.
They are very different from the first contractions of the latter.
They do not occur regularly.
They last a short time, at most one minute.
They do not cause pain.
They occur at specific moments, such as small efforts or fetal movements.
Don't be scared by the stomach ache that continues even during the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy.
It is a consequence of the pressure of the uterus on the organ.
Also in this case, fortunately, there are practical tips to relieve the symptom.
Here is the list:
Avoid lying down immediately after eating.
Have light meals.
Avoid spicy foods or those too rich in fats and seasonings.
Contact your trusted osteopath. In this case, the work focuses on improving diaphragmatic excursion.
Companions of the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy will also be the Braxton-Hicks contractions.
The so-called false contractions have a very specific purpose, namely to strengthen the uterine walls in preparation for labor.
They occur irregularly, can last on average from 30 to 60 seconds, and do not cause pain.
It can happen that they occur simultaneously with events such as the baby's movements or moments of physical exertion.
34 weeks pregnant and feeling pressure: is everything normal?
Feeling a pushing sensation at the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy is perfectly normal.
It means that the fetus is making its descent path towards the pelvis.
It is therefore a physiological symptom, which can also be accompanied by lower abdominal pain.
Perineal massage
The thirty-fourth week of pregnancy is a great time to start perineal massage.
A set of bundles and muscles that close the pelvis at the bottom, characterized by a shape that tends to be rhomboid.
How to become aware of this part of the body, which unfortunately only starts to be considered late in pregnancy? Here are the practical tips:
Sit cross-legged.
Focus on the pelvic support surface.
Slowly move the area between the vagina and anus.
This simple exercise should be repeated several times throughout the day.
Fundamental for preventing tears during childbirth, perineal massage at the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy should be performed starting from a comfortable position.
Here are two alternatives:
Semi-squatting position.
Lying down with bent legs.
You can safely use an oil.
St. John's wort oil is excellent for improving tissue elasticity.
With these premises clarified, let's see, step by step, how to perform perineal massage at the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy (and beyond).
Even with the help of your partner, you must follow these steps:
Place the two thumbs at the level of the posterior vaginal wall.
The index fingers touch the buttocks.
Apply gentle pressure towards the rectum.
Hold the position described in the last point for a couple of minutes.
Continue massaging the lowest part of the vagina.
At this stage, move the thumbs and index fingers together upwards and outwards.
Return to the initial position performing rhythmic movements, during which you draw a U.
Perineal massage starting from the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy should be performed for about ten minutes a day.
It is essential not to feel pain.
How many kg more at 34 weeks of pregnancy?
At the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy, depending on body type, it is about 8-12 kg more than at the beginning of gestation.
Attention: consider this value, but do not focus on it excessively.
Remember: your pregnancy has a unique story and, beyond the numbers, there is a focus on well-being that depends on aspects such as physical activity and attention to nutrition.
How does the fetus grow at the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy?
About 45 cm long, the fetus at the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy weighs around 2.2 kg.
Soon, it will reach the weight it will have on the day of birth.
Remember, as always, not to consider these numbers as the only reference value to understand if everything is going well.
Among the changes that occur during the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy is the improvement of hearing.
During the period covered by these lines, the little one is particularly skilled at perceiving high-pitched sounds.
With bones continuing to absorb calcium and the lungs now reaching full maturity, the fetus, if male, undergoes the important step of moving the testicles from the abdominal area to the scrotum.
Its nails are longer every day and, in most cases, they grow beyond the fingertips.
During this period, in some cases, it can assume the cephalic position, which will be the starting point for labor.
During this period, in some cases, it can assume the cephalic position, which will be the starting point for labor.
If it hasn't happened yet, don't worry: at the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy it's still early: the baby can turn until the end of the pregnancy.
In any case, there are several useful tips on the subject.
Can you give birth at 34 weeks?
At the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy you can give birth.
In this case, it is more properly called late preterm birth.
In situations where the fetus has a weight appropriate for the gestational age, resuscitation interventions are almost never necessary.
In situations where the fetus has a weight appropriate for the gestational age, resuscitation interventions are almost never necessary.
Compared to preterm newborns, those born at the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy are monitored more closely because their bodies are not yet able to manage the following optimally:
Temperature regulation.
Coordination of swallowing and breathing processes.
Maintaining an adequate blood sugar level.
Which tests to take?
During the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy, there are several tests that help you understand if everything is going well.
Here they are:
Blood pressure measurement, which if high can be a sign of gestosis or preeclampsia.
Urine test with urine culture.
Toxotest and measurement of antibodies for Cytomegalovirus (CMV).
Tests for hepatitis B antigen and hepatitis C antibodies.
Of course, continue to meet periodically with your midwife.
It will be their task to advise you, if deemed necessary, to perform an obstetric ultrasound.
How to eat?
The rules to follow at the table during the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy are exactly those you have focused on so far.
The Mediterranean diet should be your reference.
Seasonal fruits and vegetables of different colors, whole grains - try to vary, remembering that there is not only wheat but also, just to mention two alternatives - millet, teff, barley, sorghum, rye, and wheat - high biological value proteins and good fats: these are the foundations of your diet.
Remember, in the case of proteins, to split 50:50 between animal and plant sources.
Also consider that red meat is not the only source of iron.
Legumes are also excellent for this purpose.
When you consume them during the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy and beyond, be sure to combine them with a source of vitamin C.
In this way, the issue related to the fact that non-heme iron, present in plant foods, is less bioavailable than heme iron is bypassed.
Here is a quick review of the foods you must continue to avoid during the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy and until delivery:
Raw and unwashed fruits and vegetables by rinsing them under running water and rubbing them, the only way to eliminate the oocysts of toxoplasma gondii.
Raw cold cuts.
Raw and undercooked meat and fish.
Raw and unpasteurized eggs.
Raw blue cheeses.
Quickly aged cheeses made from raw milk.
The foods just listed should be avoided for reasons of preventing foodborne infections.
There is another category of foods that should not be part of your diet at the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy: these are pro-inflammatory foods.
Avoiding them helps to prevent neonatal colic which, no, is not at all physiological as you have been told.
As studies like this one, published in 2018, teach us, intestinal inflammatory conditions in the newborn can be associated with neonatal colic.
Since it has long been known with certainty that intestinal bacterial colonization occurs already during fetal life, it is clear how maternal nutrition can affect the quality of the baby's intestinal microbiota.
This means forgetting foods that can alter it causing inflammations.
Which ones are they? Just to name a few, we mention dairy products, refined flours, sweets, fried foods, processed meats, pre-cooked foods.
What sport to practice?
At the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy, with the belly now having reached significant size, doing sports is anything but simple.
However, it is essential not to give up, as two valuable allies come to help: yoga and Pilates.
The first, with positions like the goddess pose, similar to the sumo squat, allows you to prepare for labor by working, as in this case, on aspects such as opening the pelvis.
It also allows you to relax, improve the flexibility of muscles and ligaments, as well as body awareness.
With Pilates, you can work on posture, reduce back pain, and, with preparatory exercises like those you can see in the video below, train the pelvic floor starting from diaphragmatic breathing.
