At 34 weeks pregnant, you’ve reached an important milestone on the home stretch of your pregnancy journey. With roughly six weeks or so to go until your due date, you may be feeling a mix of anticipation, physical intensity, and focused preparation. This week brings continued growth for your baby and ongoing adaptations for your body, emphasizing strength and finishing touches rather than dramatic changes.
During this stage of the third trimester, your baby is nearly fully formed, and many of the foundational systems that support life outside the womb are maturing in ways that help with temperature regulation, movement, sleep rhythms, and sensory awareness. Meanwhile, your body continues to support this growth — and you may notice familiar third-trimester sensations like pelvic pressure, fatigue, or changes in movement patterns.
Here’s what’s new at 34 weeks, how you may be feeling, and a thoughtful, supportive to-do list for this week.
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What’s New With Baby
At 34 weeks, your baby is busy putting on weight and refining key systems in preparation for life outside the womb. According to developmental guidance, babies at this stage often weigh around 5.2 pounds and measure about 17.8 inches from head to heel—roughly the size of a bag of flour in everyday terms.
While your baby’s major organs are largely matured, this week continues to be about refinement and finishing touches:
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Skin and fat stores: The vernix caseosa, a protective waxy coating, becomes thicker and helps preserve moisture while also offering a barrier against friction during birth.
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Senses and responsiveness: Your baby can hear and respond to sounds, and movement patterns continue to feel coordinated, even as space becomes snugger.
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Bone strength and minerals: Important minerals like iron, calcium, and phosphorus are being stored, supporting bone and muscle strength now and after birth.
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Positioning: Around this time, many babies begin to shift toward a head-down position in preparation for labor, though every baby’s timeline is different.
While full-term is considered 37 weeks onward, babies born around 34 weeks generally have strong outcomes with appropriate care; they may, however, benefit from extra support and monitoring after birth, which many parents find reassuring to understand ahead of time.
How You’re Feeling
At 34 weeks, your body is continuing to adjust to carrying more weight and preparing for the physical process of birth. Many of the sensations you’re experiencing now are rooted in normal third-trimester changes, and while they can sometimes feel intense, they are also familiar markers of progress.
Physical Sensations You May Notice
Pelvic pressure and frequent urination: As your baby settles lower, you may feel pressure in your pelvis, which can also contribute to an increased need to urinate.
Tightening sensations: Irregular tightening known as Braxton Hicks contractions are very common at this stage and often feel like brief, painless firmness across your belly. These practice tightenings are your uterus honing its muscles.
Swelling in ankles and feet: Fluid retention and circulation changes can lead to mild swelling, especially after standing or late in the day. Elevating your feet when you can and staying hydrated may help.
Abdominal pressure and constipation: Digestive changes — including slower motility — can continue to contribute to feelings of fullness, gas, or constipation. Gentle walking, fiber-rich foods, and drinking water are often recommended to support comfort.
Fatigue: Carrying extra weight, supporting a growing baby, and potentially disrupted sleep due to discomfort or having to pee more often can leave you feeling more tired than expected.
Blurry vision or headaches: Hormonal shifts, fluid retention, and sleep disruption can temporarily affect vision or contribute to headaches in some people. Blurry vision with other symptoms (like swelling or severe headache) should be discussed with your provider.
Emotional Experiences
Emotionally, it’s common to feel a mixture of curiosity, readiness, and even impatience as you near the end of pregnancy. These feelings reflect both cognitive preparation and a natural focus on comfort and connection. It’s okay to move through this time without having everything figured out, and gentle self-compassion is a supportive companion.
Your To-Do List
The third trimester isn’t about doing “everything all at once,” but rather about staying grounded, supported, and prepared in ways that make sense for you and your family.
1. Keep up with prenatal care
By 34 weeks, you’re likely seeing your clinician every two weeks. These visits are important opportunities to discuss symptoms, monitor blood pressure and fundal height, and ask questions — including anything that may have come up in your mind since your last appointment.
2. Continue tracking baby’s movement
Routine monitoring of fetal movement, whether informally tuned to your baby’s natural patterns or discussed with your provider, remains one of the most reassuring ways to stay connected. If movement seems significantly different from what’s typical for you, your clinician will want to hear about it.
3. Prioritize restful sleep and comfort
Sleep can be challenging at this stage, but intentional rest is restorative. Side-lying positions (especially on the left) and supportive pillows can ease uterine pressure on blood vessels and improve circulation.
4. Hydration and balanced nutrition
Staying hydrated supports everything from circulation to digestion, and balanced meals with protein, calcium, iron, and healthy fats help supply steady energy. Prenatal vitamins continue to play an important role in filling gaps and supporting maternal wellbeing.
5. Prepare practical logistics, gently
While it’s still early for urgent tasks, it’s a helpful time to confirm:
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Car seat installation and safety checks
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Hospital registration and worksheets stored in your phone or bag
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Contacts for your clinician, partner, and support network
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Notify your workplace if you plan to start leave soon
6. Tune into your body’s cues
Sudden, regular contractions that become stronger and closer together, bleeding, or leaking fluid should always be discussed with your provider. While such symptoms are uncommon and often not serious, listening to your body is an act of care.
The Takeaway
At 34 weeks pregnant, your baby is almost fully formed and continuing to grow stronger with each passing week, while your body adapts to the demands of late pregnancy. This is a time for steady care, responsive preparation, and supportive rest, not stress or pressure.
Every week you move through with informed attention — to movement, comfort, care visits, and nourishment — is a meaningful step toward meeting your baby. You’re doing remarkable work, and the strength you’ve built so far will continue to support you through these final weeks.
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and we recommend that you always consult with your healthcare provider. To the extent that this article features the advice of physicians or medical practitioners, the views expressed are the views of the cited expert and do not necessarily represent the views of Perelel.
References:
1. Mayo Clinic. 3rd trimester pregnancy: what to expect.
2. What to Expect. 34 Weeks Pregnant.
3. Babylist. 34 Weeks.
4. The Bump. 34 Weeks.
