34 Weeks Pregnant

Your baby is practicing breathing. Learn what's going on with you and your baby-to-be while 34 weeks pregnant.

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• Your Baby
• You
• 9th Month of Pregnancy Video
• Diary of a Daughter

Your Baby

Depending on your individual baby, the size of your new little one can range between 15.5 to 17.5 inches in length and approximately 5.5 pounds in total. As the weeks pass on your new baby will continue to grow and put on more fat stores to help regulate their own body temperature preparing them for life outside the womb.

The lungs are still maturing and will continue to practice breathing by taking in amniotic fluid. This can cause your baby to have periodic bouts of the hiccups and can be felt by you or your partner most times. For those who may deliver at this time, your baby may need some assistance with breathing until the lungs are completely mature.

If your new addition is still not positioned correctly for entry into the birth canal, do not worry. There is still enough time for them to turn things around or even have your doctor or midwife try methods in order for them to manipulate the baby into position before the big day.

Your baby is continually developing immunities to fight off mild infections on their own and the skeletal system is hardening each day, although the skull plates still remain pliable in order to move through the birth canal later.

You may want to start talking and singing to your baby if you haven't started already. With the developed ears, they can become familiar with your voice or your partner's (and older siblings') before they are even born. Many babies will turn towards those familiar voices once they are on the outside, and it is comforting for both them and you with this extended bond.

You

You may find yourself battling a tingling or numbing sensation in your legs or pelvic area when you are sitting for long periods of time or even walking for long distances.

This is caused from the increased pressure of the baby and the extra weight that sits lower now as your pelvic joints loosen getting your body ready for labor.

Finding your sleep is interrupted is very common during the last few weeks of pregnancy for a number of reasons. Your bladder does not hold as much as it used to, and when it is full that little baby may be using it as a punching bag. Other joint and muscle discomforts make it difficult for some women to rest comfortably for a good nights rest. Try putting a pillow between your thighs, it might help.

If you find your sleep is continuously interrupted, be sure to try and make up for it later by taking naps or at least putting your feet up and relaxing during the day.

The top of your uterus is approximately 5.5 inches above your belly button and can be felt easily during an examination by your doctor or midwife. The amniotic fluid that protects your little one reaches its peak between the 34th and 36th week of pregnancy and can decrease in amount the last few weeks to allow more room for the baby to fit. Heartburn and swelling of the hands and feet are very common concerns during this time and can be alleviated by watching how much you eat and what types of foods you are consuming.

To start learning about the birth process, visit our section about giving birth here.

If you are at all considering natural childbirth, I can really recommend these online birth classes.

You can also read my exclusive interview with Catherine Beier, the childbirth educator who has created these classes.

9th Month of Pregnancy Video

Instructions: When watching the video clips, start the videos by clicking the small arrow down to the left, not the large one in the middle of the screen. If you're using Internet Explorer as your browser and the video doesn't start, try clicking twice on the small arrow.

Diary of a Daughter

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