You are now 34 weeks pregnant, which is the beginning of week 35. Your baby has grown to be about 46 cm long (18.1inches) and approximately 2,350 grams in weight (2.35 kg or 5lb 3oz).
During the next 6 weeks or so, your baby's main task is to gain weight and grow a little larger, as well as build their immune system, which is obtained from you passing blood antibodies through the placenta.
Babies born around 34 to 35 weeks normally fair quite well, but are still regarded as 'mildly preterm', generally requiring some time in the intensive care nursery. This could be for observation, monitoring, possibly small amounts of oxygen for a few hours (or days), obtaining warmth in a humidicrib and perhaps nourishment from a drip in their vein and/or milk feeds down a tube into their stomach.
What is my body doing at 34 weeks?
In this last stretch before childbirth, you’re probably feeling exhausted, though perhaps not as zombie-like as you may have felt during your first trimester. It’s no surprise you’re tired, given your rapidly changing body, the constant toilet breaks during the night, and any worries you might have about the birth or about becoming a mother.
Try to slow down from here on, and to take it easy to save your energy for the big day. There’s no point worrying about insomnia, as it can’t hurt you or your baby, and once you start worrying about not sleeping, the insomnia can become a vicious cycle. If you’re persistent worries are keeping you up at night, talk about them with a friend, family member or partner, or ask your doctor or midwife for advice.
Practically speaking, try to limit what you do before bed: avoid caffeine and chocolate, try not to drink too close to bedtime, and don’t exercise just before going to sleep to avoid that post-workout rush. It’s also worth leaving the smartphone and iPad in another room to avoid the temptation of browsing the internet for cute baby clothes when you should really be trying to sleep.
Common symptoms to look out for:
Varicose veins
These appear when the blood in the veins of the legs pools, making the veins swell into purple/blue bulges. Increased progesterone hormones weaken the walls of the veins, along with pressure and weight on the lower body from the growing baby, especially if this is not your first baby.
Varicose veins of the vulva
Vulval varicosities are swellings of the outer lips of the genitals. They are caused by blood pooling in the veins, making them swell, similar to varicose veins of the legs. Vulval varicosities can make the genitals ache and feel sore and very full. They do not cause problems for the birth process and should disappear a few days after your baby is born.
Emotional reactions
At some point during pregnancy most women wonder whether their baby is normal. They may also consider what they would do if something were wrong. These feelings may be instinctive, possibly relating to unexplainable thoughts like "Do I deserve a healthy baby?" Or there may be concrete reasons such as disorders that run in the family.
Other considerations
Perineal massage
The perineum stretches quite considerably during birth to allow the baby's head to be born. In recent years, many women have used perineal massage during the last weeks of pregnancy to try and minimise or prevent tearing during birth.
Preparing for birth
Fast births
For some women, the labour and birth process can be unusually rapid. Fast labours tend to be more common for second or subsequent babies, but can occasionally happen for first time mothers as well. If labour is being induced, then it is not uncommon for it to be quicker than normal, especially if the woman's body is very sensitive to the medications being used.
Baby born before arrival
If your baby is born quickly, you may wonder what you would do if this happens before you get to hospital, or in the case of a home birth, before the midwife arrives. The medical term for this is Born Before Arrival (BBA), which happens for about 0.3% of Australian births each year.
Episiotomy or tearing
An episiotomy (pronounced ee-peas-ee-ott-om-ee) is a surgical cut given by the caregiver into the perineal tissue, usually during the crowning phase of birth. In years gone by this was often done routinely, but these days we now know there are very few health benefits for either mothers or babies to use them. In fact, many studies now show they may be more harmful than beneficial.
2nd stage of labour
Emotions
The 2nd stage emotionally affects women in different ways. Many feel active and energised, some experience relief and excitement and others feel exhausted and frustrated, or perhaps even overwhelmed.
Support strategies
There are various tools and techniques that a woman and her partner or support person can use throughout the various phases of 2nd stage. Physical and emotional support will need to continue on from the 1st stage, although the woman's needs may be very different.
2nd stage variations
For most women the 2nd stage is uncomplicated. However as with the 1st stage, this phase can also deviate from the norm at any point.
What to expect from your caregiver
Moving from 1st stage into 2nd stage of labour may be detected by your caregiver doing a vaginal examination, or recognising the change by the way that you grunt, moan or push (it is not essential to have an examination unless your caregiver is concerned there might be problems).
During the next 6 weeks or so, your baby's main task is to gain weight and grow a little larger, as well as build their immune system, which is obtained from you passing blood antibodies through the placenta.
Babies born around 34 to 35 weeks normally fair quite well, but are still regarded as 'mildly preterm', generally requiring some time in the intensive care nursery. This could be for observation, monitoring, possibly small amounts of oxygen for a few hours (or days), obtaining warmth in a humidicrib and perhaps nourishment from a drip in their vein and/or milk feeds down a tube into their stomach.
What is my body doing at 34 weeks?
In this last stretch before childbirth, you’re probably feeling exhausted, though perhaps not as zombie-like as you may have felt during your first trimester. It’s no surprise you’re tired, given your rapidly changing body, the constant toilet breaks during the night, and any worries you might have about the birth or about becoming a mother.
Try to slow down from here on, and to take it easy to save your energy for the big day. There’s no point worrying about insomnia, as it can’t hurt you or your baby, and once you start worrying about not sleeping, the insomnia can become a vicious cycle. If you’re persistent worries are keeping you up at night, talk about them with a friend, family member or partner, or ask your doctor or midwife for advice.
Practically speaking, try to limit what you do before bed: avoid caffeine and chocolate, try not to drink too close to bedtime, and don’t exercise just before going to sleep to avoid that post-workout rush. It’s also worth leaving the smartphone and iPad in another room to avoid the temptation of browsing the internet for cute baby clothes when you should really be trying to sleep.
Common symptoms to look out for:
- Discharge: As you get closer to the birth, you might notice an increase in vaginal discharge. As with so many other delightful symptoms, this is due to pregnancy hormones, which increase blood flow to the pelvic area. The discharge is harmless, but try wearing panty liners if they help you feel more comfortable. Stay away from washes or wipes, as they could increase the risk of infection.
- Itchy red bumps: If you’ve noticed itchy red bumps on your body, normally on your stomach, thighs and buttocks, this might be a condition called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy, or PUPPP, which is harmless but can be uncomfortable. Consult your doctor to make sure it’s nothing more serious and to offer you treatment if necessary.
- Blurry vision: Pregnancy hormones are responsible for the blurry vision many women experience during pregnancy. A decrease in tear production can leave your eyes irritated and dry, while your vision may seem blurrier than usual. Thankfully, your eyesight should return to normal after you give birth, but bear in mind that for the next few weeks, it may be more comfortable to wear glasses than contact lenses.
Physical changes
Varicose veins
These appear when the blood in the veins of the legs pools, making the veins swell into purple/blue bulges. Increased progesterone hormones weaken the walls of the veins, along with pressure and weight on the lower body from the growing baby, especially if this is not your first baby.
Varicose veins of the vulva
Vulval varicosities are swellings of the outer lips of the genitals. They are caused by blood pooling in the veins, making them swell, similar to varicose veins of the legs. Vulval varicosities can make the genitals ache and feel sore and very full. They do not cause problems for the birth process and should disappear a few days after your baby is born.
Emotional reactions
At some point during pregnancy most women wonder whether their baby is normal. They may also consider what they would do if something were wrong. These feelings may be instinctive, possibly relating to unexplainable thoughts like "Do I deserve a healthy baby?" Or there may be concrete reasons such as disorders that run in the family.
Other considerations
Pelvic floor exercises
The pelvic floor is a layered sheet of muscles that stretches like a hammock from the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis, to the tail bone at the back. The pelvic floor controls the passing of urine, opening the bowels as well as supporting internal organs, including the growing uterus and baby during pregnancy.Progesterone hormones also relax and weaken the pelvic floor, so you need to do pelvic floor exercises to help support and strengthen these muscles.
The pelvic floor is a layered sheet of muscles that stretches like a hammock from the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis, to the tail bone at the back. The pelvic floor controls the passing of urine, opening the bowels as well as supporting internal organs, including the growing uterus and baby during pregnancy.Progesterone hormones also relax and weaken the pelvic floor, so you need to do pelvic floor exercises to help support and strengthen these muscles.
Perineal massage
The perineum stretches quite considerably during birth to allow the baby's head to be born. In recent years, many women have used perineal massage during the last weeks of pregnancy to try and minimise or prevent tearing during birth.
Preparing for birth
Fast births
For some women, the labour and birth process can be unusually rapid. Fast labours tend to be more common for second or subsequent babies, but can occasionally happen for first time mothers as well. If labour is being induced, then it is not uncommon for it to be quicker than normal, especially if the woman's body is very sensitive to the medications being used.
Baby born before arrival
If your baby is born quickly, you may wonder what you would do if this happens before you get to hospital, or in the case of a home birth, before the midwife arrives. The medical term for this is Born Before Arrival (BBA), which happens for about 0.3% of Australian births each year.
Episiotomy or tearing
An episiotomy (pronounced ee-peas-ee-ott-om-ee) is a surgical cut given by the caregiver into the perineal tissue, usually during the crowning phase of birth. In years gone by this was often done routinely, but these days we now know there are very few health benefits for either mothers or babies to use them. In fact, many studies now show they may be more harmful than beneficial.
2nd stage of labour
Overview
The second stage of labour begins when the woman's cervix is fully open and your baby's head moves down out of the uterus and into the birth canal, ending with the birth of your baby. However, 2nd stage can be made up of four different phases, with their own individual characteristics - resting, active, crowning and birthing phases.
The second stage of labour begins when the woman's cervix is fully open and your baby's head moves down out of the uterus and into the birth canal, ending with the birth of your baby. However, 2nd stage can be made up of four different phases, with their own individual characteristics - resting, active, crowning and birthing phases.
Emotions
The 2nd stage emotionally affects women in different ways. Many feel active and energised, some experience relief and excitement and others feel exhausted and frustrated, or perhaps even overwhelmed.
Support strategies
There are various tools and techniques that a woman and her partner or support person can use throughout the various phases of 2nd stage. Physical and emotional support will need to continue on from the 1st stage, although the woman's needs may be very different.
2nd stage variations
For most women the 2nd stage is uncomplicated. However as with the 1st stage, this phase can also deviate from the norm at any point.
What to expect from your caregiver
Moving from 1st stage into 2nd stage of labour may be detected by your caregiver doing a vaginal examination, or recognising the change by the way that you grunt, moan or push (it is not essential to have an examination unless your caregiver is concerned there might be problems).
What to do this week:
If you haven’t written your birth plan yet, now’s a good time to start. Essentially, a birth plan gives your midwife an idea of what you would like during the labour, whether that’s pain relief, where you want to give birth, birthing companions and equipment you want to use, such as mats or beanbags.
However, it’s good to remember that a baby won’t necessarily follow your plans, so keep your mind open and expect the unexpected. It definitely helps if you’ve read up on all the possibilities beforehand, so you’re fully informed if your birth plan goes out the window.
It’s also worth making sure your baby bag is packed and ready, even if you’re planning a home birth, in case you end up being transferred to hospital. Check our our list of essentials to pack in your hospital bag here.
Don’t forget to pack some things for your new arrival. For you, we advise packing things like your birth plan and maternity notes, a dressing gown, some cosy socks (feet get cold in labour!), slippers, music on your phone or iPod, books and magazines (you might have to wait a while for the baby to show up!) snacks and energy drinks for labour, lots of maternity sanitary towels, a nursing bra and an old nightie or T-shirt to wear during labour.
Your baby will need sleep suits and vests, nappies, blankets, wipes, booties and a hat, plus, of course, a cute (but practical) leaving hospital outfit. And be aware, some hospitals won’t let you leave unless you have a proper, EU approved car seat fitted properly.
If you haven’t written your birth plan yet, now’s a good time to start. Essentially, a birth plan gives your midwife an idea of what you would like during the labour, whether that’s pain relief, where you want to give birth, birthing companions and equipment you want to use, such as mats or beanbags.
However, it’s good to remember that a baby won’t necessarily follow your plans, so keep your mind open and expect the unexpected. It definitely helps if you’ve read up on all the possibilities beforehand, so you’re fully informed if your birth plan goes out the window.
It’s also worth making sure your baby bag is packed and ready, even if you’re planning a home birth, in case you end up being transferred to hospital. Check our our list of essentials to pack in your hospital bag here.
Don’t forget to pack some things for your new arrival. For you, we advise packing things like your birth plan and maternity notes, a dressing gown, some cosy socks (feet get cold in labour!), slippers, music on your phone or iPod, books and magazines (you might have to wait a while for the baby to show up!) snacks and energy drinks for labour, lots of maternity sanitary towels, a nursing bra and an old nightie or T-shirt to wear during labour.
Your baby will need sleep suits and vests, nappies, blankets, wipes, booties and a hat, plus, of course, a cute (but practical) leaving hospital outfit. And be aware, some hospitals won’t let you leave unless you have a proper, EU approved car seat fitted properly.
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