- Preparing for Pregnancy
- Diet and Exercise
- Emotional Wellbeing
- Health
- Antenatal Care
- Preganancy at 1-3 Weeks
- Preganancy at 4 Weeks
- Preganancy at 5 Weeks
- Preganancy at 6 Weeks
- Preganancy at 7 Weeks
- Preganancy at 8 Weeks
- Preganancy at 9 Weeks
- Preganancy at 10 Weeks
- Preganancy at 11 Weeks
- Preganancy at 12 Weeks
- Preganancy at 13 Weeks
- Preganancy at 14 Weeks
- Preganancy at 15 Weeks
- Preganancy at 16 Weeks
- Preganancy at 17 Weeks
- Preganancy at 18 Weeks
- Preganancy at 19 Weeks
- Preganancy at 20 Weeks
- Preganancy at 21 Weeks
- Preganancy at 22 Weeks
- Preganancy at 23 Weeks
- Preganancy at 24 Weeks
- Preganancy at 25 Weeks
- Preganancy at 26 Weeks
- Preganancy at 27 Weeks
- Preganancy at 28 Weeks
- Preganancy at 29 Weeks
- Preganancy at 30 Weeks
- Preganancy at 31 Weeks
- Preganancy at 32 Weeks
- Preganancy at 33 Weeks
- Preganancy at 34 Weeks
- Preganancy at 35 Weeks
- Preganancy at 36 Weeks
- Preganancy at 37 Weeks
- Preganancy at 38 Weeks
- Preganancy at 39 Weeks
- Preganancy at 40 Weeks
- Labour and Birth
- The First Few Days
Pregnancy at 34 Weeks
As your due date comes closer there may be days when you feel positive anticipation and others when you feel very apprehensive. The best way of dealing with these fears is to gather as much information as you can about pregnancy and birth. If you haven't done so already, talk to your midwife about your concerns. It is important that you feel in control of your pregnancy as well as your baby's birth.
Development
Your baby continues to iay down fat - by now fat makes up 15 per cent of her weight - which she will need to keep warm. Her lungs are almost mature and she might even be able to breathe for herself if she was born now. Although her brain and nervous system are fully developed, her sucking reflex would still be poor. Her taste buds are fully developed and there is some evidence to show that she has developed a preference for certain flavours.
Appearance
Most of the soft downy lanugo has disappeared from your baby's body, but the hair on her head is becoming thicker. Her skin will be soft and smooth, and her body is covered with a layer of waxy vernix. Her gums have a 'ridged'appearance that is sometimes mistaken as being teeth.
Movement
Sometimes your baby will press part of herself so hard against the wail of your uterus that you feel compelled to push back. This vigorous movement will probably be from a foot or a knee. A more gentle 'flickering'type of movement is more likely to be a hand. Although your midwife will tell you which way your baby is lying, you will probably have a good idea yourself from identifying the position of her limbs as they move.
|
The placenta reaches maturity by 34 weeks. It will continue to provide your baby with oxygen and nutrition until she is born. Ultrasound scans can detect rapid eye movements (REM) in sleeping babies before they are born. This suggests that babies spend as much as 60 per cent of their sleeping time in the last 3 months of pregnancy dreaming. For the rest of it they will be in deep, dreamless sleep. When your baby is born, she will sleep for approximately 16-17 hours out of 24. Roughly half of this is REM sleep.
|