Pregnancy week 34 - baby's development and your body

Your baby is rapidly gaining weight, with fat layers thickening. The brain and lungs are continuing to develop, and many babies are now turning head-down if they haven’t already.

Size

Your baby is about 44 cm or 17.32 inches long, from head to toe.

Weight

Approximately 2.1 kg or 4.63 lbs.

Fetal Development

Apart from the lungs and brain, most of your baby’s body parts and organs are fully developed and ready for birth. Your baby is also putting on more fat.

With space getting tighter in the uterus, kicks may now feel more like strong stretches or pushes. The frequency and strength of movements should stay the same.

Many babies turn head-down now or within the next 2–3 weeks in preparation for birth, if they haven’t already.

Babies born at this stage almost always survive with intensive care, and the risk of lasting complications is very low.

Your Body

Your belly is getting larger, with the uterus now reaching just below your ribs. You may feel tightness under the ribs and in the abdomen as the uterus takes up more space, especially around your lungs, stomach, and bladder.

You might start feeling short of breath, experiencing heartburn, or feeling heavy and cumbersome, though this varies from person to person.

When the baby “engages” (drops its head into the pelvic inlet), many people feel relief from the pressure on the ribs and lungs. For most first-time mothers, this happens before week 36, but for those who’ve given birth before, it often doesn’t happen until labor begins.

Pelvic pain after physical activity is also common, as the hormone relaxin softens the pelvic joints in preparation for birth. Contractions are normal at this stage, too.