Week 34 of your Pregnancy

You

You may notice that your hands, feet and ankles tend to swell, particularly by the end of each day. (As if you weren’t feeling humongous and awkward enough already!) Swelling in pregnancy is typically due to water retention and the pressure placed by your uterus on your vena cava. Strangely, the best way to reduce swelling is by drinking plenty of water, because this will help flush your system of waste products and minimise the problem. While some swelling is normal particularly in the hotter months when you tend to dehydrate a bit), keep an eye out for severe swelling and let your doctor know – it could be a sign you are developing pre-eclampsia. And if you have lots of swelling associated with headache, vomiting and abdominal pain, get medical help right away; these are common symptoms of pre-eclampsia, which involves dangerously high blood pressure and is a serious condition that needs immediate treatment.

Baby

Your baby weighs around 2.4 kg now and measures about 46 cm long. He will be finding it hard to move much now and many babies are already firmly in the head-down position ready for birth. Your caregiver will be keeping a close eye on his position in the coming weeks. His little eyes are opening and closing now, he’s blinking and trying to focus in his tiny warm watery world, and will react to any light that filters through your abdomen.

He is starting to shed his fur coat, the soft hairy coating called lanugo, but the creamy coating of ‘vernix’ will remain on his skin until birth.

Photo: Fetus at 34 weeks
Scan provided by Sydney Ultrasound for Women

3rd Trimester Week by Week

Week 27
Week 28
Week 29
Week 30
Week 31
Week 32
Week 33
Week 34
Week 35
Week 36
Week 37
Week 38
Week 39
Week 40


1st Trimester
(Weeks 1-12)
2nd Trimester
(Weeks 26-40)

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