1. 34 weeks gestation - what happens in week 34 of pregnancy
2. How your baby develops in the 34th week of pregnancy
3. This is how you feel
4. 34th week of pregnancy - symptoms and complaints
5. What you should look out for in pregnancy week 34

34th week of pregnancy - what happens in week 34

You are now in week 34 and the birth is getting closer and closer. Your maternity leave starts next week. It's time to start packing your hospital bag. Here you can find out what you need to pack in your hospital bag. This section of our pregnancy calendar also shows you how your baby is developing in week 34, what symptoms may occur and what happens during a CTG.

How your baby develops in the 34th week of pregnancy

Your little darling already measures around 44 centimetres and weighs a proud 2200 grams. Even though your tummy is getting tighter and tighter, your baby is still moving a lot. The movements are changing. The movement pattern - i.e. the times when your baby is lively - remains the same.

Lung maturity completed

This week your baby reaches an important milestone: lung maturity is complete. Babies who are born prematurely before the 34th week of pregnancy often still have problems breathing and require respiratory support. Premature babies born after 34 weeks' gestation already have well-developed lungs and can breathe on their own in most cases.

Bone formation progresses

Your little belly dweller wants to grow big and strong. The skeleton continues to mature and the bones become harder. Your baby needs lots of calcium for this. Your baby receives this via the placenta. To ensure that you don't suffer from a calcium deficiency due to the increased requirement, you should make sure you eat a balanced diet. Foods that are very rich in calcium include dairy products such as cow's milk, yoghurt and cheese, as well as hazelnuts and green vegetables such as broccoli and spinach leaves.

SSW 34: Boy or girl?

Do you already know whether you are expecting a boy or a girl? Have you had a pregnancy during this week? Ultrasound examination, the sex can be determined with a high degree of probability. During this phase of pregnancy, the testicles are very easy to recognise on ultrasound due to fluid retention. Even after the birth, the genitals often appear a little swollen. This is completely normal and disappears again in the following weeks. The reason for this is also water retention. In girls, the mother's hormones also play a role.

Long fingernails

By now, your baby's fingernails are so long that they cover the entire nail bed and reach up to the fingertip. This means that your little one can already scratch themselves with them. Newborns sometimes even get bloody scratches on their face. Nevertheless, you should be careful and not reach for the nail scissors straight away. These could injure the sensitive nail bed and lead to inflammation. As newborns' nails are still very soft to begin with, it is not usually necessary to cut them anyway. Are they very long and you are afraid that your baby could injure itself? If they are slightly torn at the side, you can carefully pull them upwards by hand. Do you want to start the exciting baby time well prepared? Then we recommend our Online course on infant care.

Practical help for you:
Emergency service midwife Katharina explains the most important things about the maternity pass online.

How you feel in the 34th week of pregnancy

Many women increasingly long for protection and security in this last phase of pregnancy. Talk to your partner about your feelings and allow yourself to be pampered a little. Try to avoid unnecessary stress and make yourself comfortable at home.

Your belly is getting bigger and bigger, which is why it is quite normal for the abdominal wall to tighten. This can lead to slight pain. Our tip: Massage your pot belly regularly with moisturising oil. This relaxes and can prevent stretch marks to a certain extent.

Your belly button will also change. It will become flatter and flatter and will bulge out towards the end of your pregnancy.

34th week of pregnancy - symptoms and complaints

Nausea and heartburn

Your uterus reaches its highest point during this phase of pregnancy. For many women, its upper edge is now almost at the level of the costal arch. If your baby stretches, you can feel it kicking in your ribcage and around your stomach. So it's no wonder if you complain of heartburn and nausea during this week of pregnancy. The good news is that as soon as the first contractions start, the baby will slide deeper into the pelvis and the pressure in the upper abdomen will decrease slightly.

If you suffer from severe nausea and possibly also have pain on the right side of your upper abdomen, this may also indicate a rare but serious pregnancy condition: HELLP syndrome. That's why you shouldn't take nausea lightly and it's better to see a doctor or go to the clinic.

Attention HELLP syndrome

In the last instalment of our pregnancy calendar, we looked at the signs of pregnancy. Pre-eclampsia. HELLP syndrome is a severe form of this disease that occurs in the last trimester. If left untreated, HELLP syndrome poses a serious risk to the expectant mother. The disease is associated with a blood clotting disorder, a drop in blood platelets and functional disorders of the liver and kidneys.

What are the first signs of HELLP syndrome?
If you experience any of the following symptoms in the second half of your pregnancy, you should definitely consult a doctor:

- Pain in the right upper abdomen
- Visual disturbances, nausea, yellowing of the skin

Sometimes these symptoms also occur:

- Swelling of the face, arms and legs
- Increased blood pressure and protein in the urine

Not all signs are always present. The diagnosis of HELLP syndrome is confirmed by a laboratory test of the blood and liver values.

Sometimes the symptoms disappear on their own, in other cases there is a rapid deterioration. If there is a risk to mother and child, the birth is usually induced. Before the 34th week of pregnancy, if there is still enough time, a lung maturation injection is administered before labour is induced to make it easier for the baby to breathe after delivery.

In order to recognise the risk of a pregnancy disease such as HELLP syndrome or pre-eclampsia in good time, it is very important that you attend all your antenatal appointments with your midwife or gynaecologist during your pregnancy.

What you should look out for in pregnancy week 34

Pack your hospital bag

The big day is getting closer and closer. As no one can know exactly when the birth will take place, it is advisable to plan ahead. Bag for the hospital pack a few weeks in advance. Because as soon as you go into labour, you will certainly have other things on your mind than toothbrushes, nursing bras and the like. A pre-packed bag will take the stress away and you will certainly feel a little better prepared for the upcoming birth.

But what should not be missing in the hospital bag?
Hygiene and bathroom articles:
- Products for dental, hair and body care
- Lip balm (the lips often become dry from breathing in the contractions)
- Lanolin ointment for the nipples
- Towel
- Hair ties
- Possibly soft toilet paper (the usually rough toilet paper in hospital can be very unpleasant after the birth)

Clothing:
- Bathrobe
- Comfortable nightgown or long T-shirt for the birth
- Warm socks and slippers (cold feet can inhibit labour!)
- Comfortable clothing for the maternity ward
- Pajamas or nightgowns that can be unbuttoned for breastfeeding
- Wide pants or disposable briefs
- Still bustiers

For the birth:
- Snacks such as muesli bars, glucose or fruit juices to fortify you during the birth
- Possibly music and essential oils for the delivery room
- Possibly a hot-water bottle or cherry stone cushion (these can reduce the Labour pain and are not available in every clinic)

Other:
- Small change
- Telephone numbers of friends
- Mobile phone and charging cable
- Any medication you may need
- Glasses if necessary
- Earplugs if necessary

Important papers:
- Health insurance card
- Identity card
– Maternity passport
- Allergy passport, if applicable
- Family record book (for married couples) or birth certificate, acknowledgement of paternity and declaration of custody (for unmarried couples)
- Your Birth plan

For the baby:
- Clothes for the journey home
- Cotton cloths/gauze nappies
- Baby blanket
- Baby car seat for the car (can also be brought by the partner on the day of discharge)
You can find a detailed checklist for the hospital bag to print here: https://elternundbaby.com/checkliste-kliniktasche-download/

Monitoring of heartbeat and contractions via CTG

Your doctor or midwife may take a CTG during the fortnightly check-ups. A cardiotocogram is a device that uses Doppler ultrasound to record the baby's heart rate and a pressure sensor to record the mother's contractions. These values are then displayed in two curves on graph paper. The pattern of the curves with its peaks and troughs provides information about your baby's well-being and shows, among other things, how labour activity affects its heartbeat.

The examination is painless and takes around 30 minutes. It is therefore important that you adopt a comfortable position. The optimal position is lying on your side. You will be given two electronic sensors with a strap attached to your stomach.

For many women, the CTG is carried out as standard in the last weeks of pregnancy. However, according to the maternity guidelines, this is not necessary if the pregnancy is progressing normally before the due date. Regular CTG monitoring is only important for certain indications, such as premature labour, multiple pregnancies, bleeding and infections, as well as for High blood pressure and gestational diabetes. After the calculated due date has passed, you will also have a CTG every two days.

The CTG is also an uncomplicated method during labour to monitor the baby's heartbeat and to be able to intervene quickly in an emergency if there is an indication that your baby is not getting enough oxygen. Modern CTG devices that restrict the mother's freedom of movement as little as possible are ideal for this.