34 week of pregnancy: fetal development, abdomen, ultrasound

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Starting from the 34th week of pregnancy, the body begins to actively prepare for the birth of a child. Hormones are released into the bloodstream, which contribute to the elasticity of certain joints and ligaments. This is necessary to facilitate the passage of the child through the birth canal. The uterus, which has greatly increased by the 34th week, significantly presses on the bladder, so that the expectant mother urinates more often, and slight urinary incontinence may occur. Let's talk further about what happens at 34 weeks pregnant.

What happens in the body

What happens to mom at 34 weeks pregnant? The body of a woman is rounded, because the baby is gaining weight, his organs and systems are developing. Some cardinal changes are no longer foreseen, it remains only to fully mature the child's body and gain fat. Endorphins and enkephalins produced in the fetal body penetrateinto the mother's blood, so the woman's mood improves. Minor annoyances that previously could bring a receptive expectant mother to tears now do not bother. In women at this time, even with an increase in blood pressure, the state of he alth remains normal. That is why you need to periodically measure blood pressure and monitor the results of the tests.

Baby at 34 weeks pregnant

The length of the child's body is already 44 cm, and the weight is approximately 2200 grams. What happens to the baby at 34 weeks pregnant? It becomes crowded in the uterus, so the woman feels all the movements of the fetus more acutely. The shade of the baby's skin begins to approach the usual, blood vessels are less visible on it. This is due to the fact that the fat layer becomes thicker. The fluff that previously covered the body of the fetus gradually disappears, and the layer of natural lubricant thickens. At the 34th week of pregnancy, the baby's hair appears. But if they are not there, it's not scary, so they will appear a little later.

What happens to the baby at 34 weeks pregnant? For some time, the child will gain weight and develop in the mother's belly. He acquires individual features of appearance, his cheeks are rounded, he increasingly begins to suck his finger. Thus, the baby is preparing for the upcoming sucking of his mother's breast. The baby's digestive tract is also trained, because the baby swallows amniotic fluid from time to time. The kidneys are starting to work. The baby now passes about 0.5 liters of clear urine into the amniotic fluid.

Fetus at 34 weekspregnancy usually already takes the position from which it will soon be born. It is good if the child decides to settle down with his head down. The bones of the fetal skull at this time are mobile, soft and flexible, which will facilitate the passage through the mother's birth canal. These fontanelles will overgrow as the child develops, and the skull will take on its normal shape. Already at the 34th week of pregnancy, the development of the fetus allows it to be less dependent on the mother's body. He himself produces hormones of the pancreas, growth, adrenal glands, thyroid gland, enzymes and so on. The baby develops its own metabolism.

A baby at 34 weeks pregnant lives in the rhythm of mother's activity. When a woman moves less, is relaxed, resting or sleeping, the fetus moves more intensively. If the mother is active, then the child begins to tumble in the stomach, pushing. This prepares him for the upcoming regime, the change of sleep and wakefulness in independent living. A child at 34 weeks of gestation distinguishes between light and darkness. You need to listen to the movements of the fetus at 34 weeks. So the baby lets her mother know about her mood, joy and discontent, “shows” her character. Violent jolts are a reaction to something. Loud noises, too bright lights or stress should be avoided as exposure can cause the baby to roll over into a position that is not suitable for childbirth.

Mom's feelings at 34 weeks

What happens at 34 weeks pregnant? The expectant mother often feels heaviness and pain, which in most cases is considered normal.phenomenon. Discomfort can occur in the abdomen, back, and lower back. Pain can be explained by a growing tummy, an enlarged uterus, as a result of which the center of gravity shifts. Discomfort can be felt in the sacrum and hips, as the mother's body, in preparation for childbirth, produces special hormones that soften the supporting ligaments and joints.

But pain of any intensity can also indicate the risk of preterm birth. If the discomfort at 34 weeks of pregnancy does not go away for some time, then you still need to see a doctor. Possible childbirth is also indicated by a noticeable prolapse of the abdomen, discharge of the cork, involuntary emptying, frequent contractions of the uterus and outflow of water. The uterus, by the way, can also contract just for “training”, in which case we can talk about Braxton-Higgs contractions.

Training contractions are irregular, there are no equal intervals between them, as if they were normal contractions. Training starts at the top of the uterus, moving towards the bottom of it, is not too painful in most cases. If the stomach drops at the 34th week of pregnancy, then you need to carefully monitor your condition - premature birth is possible. You need to see a doctor urgently if this is accompanied by other signs of the onset of labor (leakage of the cork, outpouring of water).

Expectant mother may have slight swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, face. Some women suffer greatly from this, many cannot even because ofpuffiness fasten boots that fit. You need to see a doctor if the swelling does not go away within a day, appears on the legs and in the abdominal wall. To avoid such a problem, the expectant mother should eat right, monitor weight gain, which should slow down a little by this time.

Weight at 34 weeks of gestation may be 11-12 kilograms more than the initial one. In the last months, control over the increase should be especially careful. If the doctor detects an excess of the norm in kilograms, he will advise the woman on a special diet. The main rule is to reduce the amount of easily digestible carbohydrates and fats in the menu. Excess weight gained during pregnancy will not only lengthen the recovery period after childbirth, but can also cause difficulties during delivery.

The belly at 34 weeks pregnant is clearly visible. It rises approximately 32-34 centimeters. The expectant mother no longer fits ordinary clothes, her movements acquire smoothness, femininity and accuracy. Especially carefully, a woman gets out of bed, from a position on her side. To avoid stretch marks, you need to lubricate the stomach with special means. There may be a feeling of heaviness and discomfort associated with the pressure of the uterus on the bladder, the prolapse of the abdomen in preparation for childbirth.

The nature of a woman's discharge

The development of pregnancy at 34 weeks is active, the body is already beginning to prepare for the birth process. It is also important for the expectant mother to control the discharge, which should be normal milky in color, with a slightly sour smell,moderate. The appearance of some mucus in the vaginal discharge is acceptable. The reason for this is the softening of the cervix, its opening.

If the color of the discharge has changed, the cause may be an inflammatory process. In this case, you should definitely consult a gynecologist. At the 34th week of pregnancy, the use of most drugs with local action is allowed, so that the gynecologist will select the optimal treatment regimen. Some women are afraid to undergo therapy, believing that the infection will do less harm than the treatment. However, only a doctor can adequately determine the degree of risk. Infection of a child is extremely rare, but passing through the birth canal, it can become infected.

Immediately need to go to the hospital at 34 weeks pregnant if spotting occurs. This may endanger the child. Bloody discharge appears with placental abruption or the threat of premature birth. True, this often happens due to a harmless injury to the mucous membrane of the genital organs, but it is better to immediately contact a gynecologist for advice and not risk it.

Abundant discharge without color and odor may indicate a violation of the integrity of the bladder. In this case, you should immediately go to the hospital. If there is not a lot of discharge, but the woman doubts, you can purchase a special test in advance at the pharmacy to determine the amniotic fluid. It is also necessary to go to the hospital if pieces of dense mucus appear in the discharge. It could be pieces of cork. If thisindeed, labor may soon begin.

Tests and examinations

Usually the third scheduled ultrasound is over, but some pregnant women have it at this time. The doctor will take measurements, set the approximate weight of the child and pay attention to the correspondence of the development of the fetus to the 34th week of pregnancy. Dopplerography, OAM are also often prescribed. If protein is found in urine tests, doctors will monitor the condition of the pregnant woman more closely. It's time (unless, of course, partner births are planned) for the future dad to undergo examinations in order to make sure everything is on time. You need to take a blood test, do a fluorography.

Factors that affect the fetus

At 34 weeks pregnant and beyond, the baby may be adversely affected by medications that contain codeine. This chemical is the residue from the reaction that converts opium into morphine. It has an antitussive effect, in case of an overdose it causes euphoria. If a mother uses codeine medications during pregnancy, the child in adolescence and adulthood will be more prone to addiction to the drug. In addition, alcohol, nicotine and drugs should be avoided for any weeks. You also need to avoid contact with various harmful substances.

Possible Complications

The danger is a lack of vitamin D in the mother's body and excessive weight gain. In the first case, the child may develop rickets after birth. The mother is also at risk. vitamin deficiencythreatens the development of varicose veins and exacerbation of hemorrhoids. In the case of overweight, the expectant mother after childbirth may face obesity and even metabolic syndrome, which threatens the development of diabetes.

Very dangerous is preeclampsia, which can turn into eclampsia. Modern doctors do not know the reasons for the development of this condition, so there are no fairly effective methods of treatment and prevention measures. If a woman has high blood pressure, special therapy is carried out. In the event that this condition threatens the life of the child or mother, doctors may decide to conduct an early delivery. This is one of the causes of death of young mothers even now and in developed countries.

Recommendations and tips

At the 34th week of pregnancy, the expectant mother can start packing bags for the hospital. They should contain everything that a mother and child may need, documents and money. Relatives need to show where the bags are, what is in them. Food that spoils and things used every day do not need to be put down yet. But it's better to write down everything you need on a piece of paper and stick it on your bag so that you don't forget anything before the birth.

You need to continue to eat right and try not to overeat. Portions should be small, and the optimal number of meals per day is 5-7 times. Minimize the consumption of those dishes that carry only empty calories. For example, sweets. It is desirable to exclude very fatty and s alty foods, fried foods and too spicy,acute. It is worth limiting the use of foods that can cause an allergic reaction. These include peanuts, citrus fruits and dark chocolate. Minimize the consumption of any exotic fruits or new foods.

As for intimate life, earlier doctors believed that sex at 34 weeks of gestation and later could provoke premature birth. Now there is no such prohibition, so if the expectant mother expresses a desire, feels good, and the gynecologist does not prohibit sex, then you can make love. The main thing is to avoid pressure on the stomach, not to get too tired, to monitor the hygiene of the genitals.

Baby at 34 weeks

The optimal moment for the birth of a child has not yet arrived, but childbirth can occur at 34 weeks of gestation due to certain factors. The survival rate of the crumbs is almost one hundred percent. Moreover, babies born at 34 weeks are already considered not premature, but born ahead of schedule. For some time, however, the child will be kept in a special center under the supervision of doctors to make sure that everything is fine. After discharge, the newborn will develop in the same way as other children if he was born he althy and full.

In multiple pregnancies, childbirth often occurs exactly at 34 weeks. The babies are already quite viable, but still they may need to stay in cuveuses in order to gain the desired mass and get a little stronger. Children already know how to breathe on their own, all systems and organs work for them, so there is a huge chance for full development.

In conclusion

So, 34 weeks is already the finish line of bearing a child. At this time, the expectant mother has the last chance to enjoy her position, because very soon the baby will be born. From a pregnant woman, she will turn into a young mother who has so much to do. The main thing is to stay calm and positive. Then everything will be fine!