✓ Thirty-fourth week of pregnancy

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Thirty-fourth week of pregnancy

With the scientific advice from gynecologist Elisabetta Canitano, president of the non-profit association Vita di donna, let's see what happens to the body of the mother and that of the child during the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy.

Read also: Thirty-third week of pregnancy

Symptoms in the XNUMXth week of pregnancy

As the size of the uterus increases, the pressure it exerts on the bladder also increases, so it could happen sporadic episodes of incontinence (possibly caused by a sneeze or a fit of laughter). Fatigue e shortness of breath are now daily conditions and for some days it is possible that even the lower limbs begin to swell (for this it is necessary to drink a lot and hydrate)

Other frequent symptoms during the XNUMXth week of pregnancy can be:

hemorrhoids
heartburn
backache
cramps in the lower limbs
headache
pruritus
constipation
dizziness
epistaxis (nosebleeds)

Read also: What to drink during pregnancy: all drinks allowed and prohibited

Health advice in the XNUMXth week of pregnancy

Gestational diabetes

It is the form of diabetes that first appears in pregnancy and most often resolves shortly after the baby is born. It is characterized by an incorrect increase in carbohydrates (sugars) in the blood and, in fact, it is discovered through the blood test for the dosage of blood sugar (the level of sugar in the blood).

I risk factors main are theobesity before pregnancy; excessive weight gain during pregnancy; a diet too rich in sweets. The main risk to which the disease exposes is the fetal macrosomia that is, the child's excessive weight gain in the course of intrauterine life, due to the amount of sugar in the mother's blood that is too high. This eventuality can require a caesarean section, can increase the risk of the baby becoming obese during infancy and can expose him, soon after birth, to the danger of undergoing a hypoglycemic crisis (which, however, can be adequately controlled in the hospital).

Advice: In most cases, gestational diabetes is well controlled by correcting it eating habits and unfolding gentle physical activity every day for at least 40 minutes (walking is enough). Sweets and sugary drinks must be eliminated. Bread, pasta, rice must be introduced regularly and the consumption of vegetables must increase. If diet and physical activity are not enough, it is necessary to takeinsulin: this eventuality affects about 10-20 per cent of the women affected. Insulin must be prescribed by the doctor. However, even those who use insulin must continue to measure their blood sugar regularly, at the intervals recommended by the treating doctor, and follow a correct lifestyle.

Read also: Nutrition in pregnancy: everything you need to know

What to do in the XNUMXth week of pregnancy

Some checks must also be carried out in the last quarter, always following the operator's instructions in this regard. In particular, these are:

Blood test and CBC
Complete urinalysis (to check for the presence of proteinuria, i.e. too high a concentration of protein)
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) screening test
Gynecological examination

Read also: The examinations in pregnancy during the third trimester

The fetus in the XNUMXth week of pregnancy

Now the fetus is about 44 centimeters long and weighs about 2200 grams. When he is awake, the little one keeps his eyes open and closes them instead when he falls asleep. The movements of him are slower and slower because it doesn't have much space anymore. If he were to be born now, he would have a very high chance of surviving without suffering consequences. The growth of the nails has reached the fingertips.

These days the baby should have reached the position cephalic position (with the head down), ideal for childbirth. If not, there is still time for the future baby to turn around in the right direction.

Gestational age: eight months (DPP CALCULATION - Expected date of delivery)

FONTI: NHS; BabyCenter

Questions and answers

How much does the baby weigh at 34 weeks of pregnancy?

The little one now weighs around 2200 grams.

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34 weeks pregnancy
thirty four weeks pregnancy
XNUMXth week pregnancy
diabetes
weeks 29 40

Thirty-fourth week of pregnancy

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