You have now reached week 34 of your pregnancy. Your birth date is ticking closer and closer, it’s less than two months away now. During this week your baby may drop lower into your abdomen, getting ready for the big day.
Your body in week 34
Your body may be feeling the strain of your growing baby. Your breasts are becoming fuller as you approach the final stages of your pregnancy, which could mean they are feeling tender and itchy as the skin stretches. Be sure to invest in a supportive bra to help with the discomfort. Your back and pelvis may also be feeling the strain, and this is generally accompanied by shortness of breath.
Leg cramps, worry about your pregnancy and the frequent urge to use the bathroom can mean that your nights are lacking in sleep, leaving you feeling tired and drained during the day. A pregnancy pillow is one way which can help you feel more comfortable at night. Something else to keep in mind, is to be aware that your pregnancy hormones will have made your ligaments looser and muscles more relaxed, so take care when exercising so as to avoid injury.
Your baby at week 34
Your little one is getting bigger, and is now roughly the size of a melon. The space inside your womb is also getting tighter, and you might see a little hand or foot pushing a bulge into the side of your belly when they kick.
Things for you to keep in mind at week 34
Whether it’s a home birth or hospital that you have chosen, make sure that you feel familiar and comfortable with the process to eliminate any unexpected surprises. If you’ve chosen a hospital, make sure you know which buildings and rooms you need to be in beforehand, and make sure you know where the emergency exit is, just in case. The same goes for the prep of a home birth, ensure that you have a solid back up plan, should anything go wrong during the process.
Administered by Medscheme Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Bonitas aims to make quality
healthcare accessible to all South Africans and offers a wide range of plans that are simple to understand and easy to use. The Fund has the largest GP
network in South Africa, a Specialist Network and a host of supplementary
benefits paid from risk and carefully crafted managed care programmes to
cover chronic conditions, cancer, diabetes and HIV/AIDS. This allows members to derive real value for money and stretch their benefits as far as possible
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