Overview

The 34th week is when baby as well the mother is gaining sufficient weight. Most women feel short of breath during this stage due to the growing size of the uterus that pushes and shifts the other organs in your body. The uterus also begins to press on the diaphragm making it difficult for your lungs to expand to full capacity. Once the baby settles deeper into the pelvis in the last few weeks this pressure on the lungs will reduce gradually. While sleeping, you can prop up your upper body with pillows to put less pressure on the lungs. If the breathlessness becomes too severe or you have asthmatic problems you can contact your health care provider immediately. Doctors try to prevent or stop early labor that begins before the 34th week because babies born prematurely can face several health problems. A healthy lifestyle and regular visits to the doctor are useful in detecting the possibility of a preterm baby. A preterm baby is difficult to stop especially if vaginal bleeding occurs or the membranes rupture. The women can be advised rest or given drugs or fluids to delay the labor. If you feel fit and are healthy and fine till this stage you can continue delaying the maternity leave till the last month as you can save up for leave required later after delivery.

Baby’s Development

The baby is between 15 ½ to 17 ½ inches long and weighs around 5 ½ pounds varying from person to person. The baby’s body begins to fill up with layers of fat which will help the baby in regulating body temperature and adjusting with the atmosphere outside the mother’s womb. Most of the baby’s organs are mature except for the lungs as they keep practicing breathing and taking in the amniotic liquid while breathing leading to bouts of hiccups from time to time. The hair on the head is growing fast and the baby is learning to blink its eyes. The baby shows strong reactions to familiar voices at this stage.

The baby can get irritated with the ultrasonic examination due to the light which can disturb its sleep and might try to avoid the light with its hands. The baby is growing chubbier as the weeks progress. The fingers and finger nails are well developed and the facial features are also clearer now. The baby should now be getting ready for delivery by turning into a head down position and the doctor will be paying careful attention to the baby’s position as some babies can decide to turn back to the breech position just before delivery. A caesarean operation is the best method to deliver a breech baby to avoid damage or harm to the baby.

Changes with your body

The top of the uterus is approximately 5 ½ inches above the belly button but can vary for each person. The amount of amniotic fluid in the uterus tends to peak between the 34th and 36th week and reduces in the last few weeks allowing more room for the baby to fit in. You might feel the belly button become bigger and extremely sensitive and can cover it with a band-aid or tape especially if it pokes through your clothes. The baby will be kicking and moving quite frequently by now causing the acidity level to rise in your stomach leading to heartburns. The solution to this is to have six to seven small snacks in the entire day instead of two to three big meals. You might notice swelling in your hands, face, ankles and feet which is the result of water retention or oedema but these symptoms can be reduced by increasing the intake of water as less intake of water can aggravate the condition further. However if the swelling is severe and you develop headaches you can call the doctor immediately as this could be the indication of pre-eclampsia. This is a mild disease that can occur in the last few weeks of pregnancy and indicates a basic disorder with the placenta. The condition is serious when the swelling is accompanied by bouts of fainting or dizziness.

What to expect

At the medical practitioner you will getting a brief about the three stages of labor which you might already have covered in the prenatal class. Childbirth starts when the cervix dilates to 10 cm and the woman heads to the hospital after the contractions occur within 5 minutes with growing intensity. The second stage of labor is the actual delivery of the baby and is the longest period. The third stage involves the delivery of the placenta which takes about 5 to 30 minutes. An episiotomy can be done to enlarge the vaginal opening which is a small surgical incision at the time of delivery. An episiotomy may be needed if the birth is an emergency where your perineum has not got sufficient time to stretch sufficiently or the baby’s head is too large for your vaginal opening or the baby is in a breech position and there is a complication during delivery. This is done under a local anesthesia and is a safe method. The side effects can be getting an infection, bruising, swelling or bleeding and extended healing time. To avoid having an episiotomy you need to have a healthy diet to help your skin stretch more easily, performing kegels exercise can also be helpful, warm compresses and support during delivery along with perineum massage techniques can be used to help. Perineal massage from the 34th week onwards can help to avoid an episiotomy. A group B Strep test might be required at this stage as this can be cured before delivery if found positive. This is a kind of bacterial infection which if not treated in time can give rise to preterm babies or cause bladder infections and womb infections for the baby and mother and in some cases can cause stillbirths.