At 34 weeks pregnant, you are firmly in the third trimester and edging closer to meeting your baby. This is a week of steady growth and preparation, both for your baby and for you. Many parents feel a mix of excitement and impatience now, and it is completely normal to be thinking ahead to labour, birth and those first precious days together.
Understanding what is happening this week, what your body may be telling you, and which appointments and scans are genuinely useful can help you feel calmer and more in control as you approach the final stretch of pregnancy.
Your baby at week 34
By week 34, your baby is around 44 to 45 centimetres from head to heel and typically weighs somewhere in the region of 2.1 to 2.4 kilograms, roughly the size of a small pineapple or a cantaloupe melon. These figures are only a general guide, as healthy babies vary considerably in size at this stage.
Much of the important development is now about maturing and growing rather than forming new structures. Your baby is laying down fat, which helps with temperature regulation after birth and gives those soft, rounded cheeks. The central nervous system and lungs are continuing to mature, and the fine downy hair known as lanugo is beginning to disappear.
By around this point in the third trimester, many babies have settled into a head-down (cephalic) position ready for birth, although plenty have not yet and still have time to turn. Your baby is also having regular periods of sleep and activity, and you may notice their movements feel different now, more like rolls, stretches and pushes than the flutters of earlier weeks.
Your baby's movements remain an important sign of wellbeing right up to birth. There is no set number of normal movements. What matters is your baby's own usual pattern. If you notice your baby is moving less than usual or the pattern changes, contact your midwife or maternity unit straight away, at any time of the day or night.
Your body at week 34
As your baby grows, you may be feeling the physical demands of the third trimester more keenly. Common and usually normal experiences around 34 weeks include:
- Shortness of breath, as your growing uterus presses up towards your lungs and diaphragm.
- Braxton Hicks contractions, which are irregular tightenings that help prepare your uterus for labour but do not usually get longer, stronger or closer together.
- Backache, pelvic pressure and swollen feet or ankles, particularly at the end of a long day.
- Broken sleep, heartburn and frequent trips to the loo, as your bump makes it harder to get comfortable.
- Tiredness, which is very common as your body works hard and rest becomes more difficult.
Most of these symptoms are a normal part of late pregnancy. However, some signs need prompt attention. Contact your midwife, GP or maternity unit urgently if you experience a sudden or severe headache, vision changes, sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet, severe or persistent tummy pain, itching that is troublesome, any vaginal bleeding, or your waters breaking. These can occasionally signal conditions such as pre-eclampsia that need to be checked without delay.
What to keep in mind this week
Week 34 is a sensible time to focus on rest and preparation. A few practical, NHS-aligned things to keep in mind:
- Keep monitoring your baby's movements and never hesitate to call if something feels different. Do not wait until the next day.
- Think about your birth preferences. Reading about the stages of labour and jotting down a flexible birth plan can help you feel prepared, while staying open to changes on the day.
- Pack your hospital bag if you have not already, so it is ready well before your due date.
- Rest when you can and try to sleep on your side in the third trimester, which is advised as safer than lying flat on your back once past 28 weeks.
- Stay in touch with your maternity team and attend your antenatal appointments, where your blood pressure, urine and your baby's growth are checked.
You can map out the weeks ahead, including appointments and things to prepare, using our pregnancy journey planner for a personalised timeline.
Scans, tests and appointments
By 34 weeks the routine NHS screening scans are usually behind you. The 20-week anomaly scan takes place between 18 and 21 weeks, and the glucose tolerance test for gestational diabetes, if offered, is typically arranged between 24 and 28 weeks. The whooping cough vaccination is offered from around 16 weeks, and the RSV vaccination is offered from 28 weeks to help protect your newborn. If you have not yet had these, it is worth discussing them with your midwife.
In late pregnancy, your midwife may also talk with you about group B Streptococcus and what it means for your care. As always, decisions about testing and treatment are personal and are best made together with your maternity team.
Private growth and wellbeing scans can offer extra reassurance in these final weeks. Our wellbeing scan (to 35 weeks) checks your baby's growth, movements, amniotic fluid and blood flow, and is available up to 35 weeks, making this week a suitable time to book. A little later, from 36 weeks, our presentation scan (from 36 weeks) can confirm whether your baby is head-down or breech, which can be helpful information as you approach your due date.
Looking ahead
Week 34 is all about growth, rest and getting ready. If you have just arrived here, you may find it helpful to look back over week 33, and next you will move into week 35, another important step towards full term. Try to be kind to yourself, accept help where you can, and take these final weeks at your own pace.
At London Pregnancy Clinic, our fetal medicine team is here to support you through the third trimester with expert scanning and calm, unhurried care whenever you would like extra reassurance.
This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always speak to your midwife, GP or obstetrician about your own pregnancy.
