Week 34: When I See Your Face

Welcome to week 34 of pregnancy! As the weeks progress, it’s normal to feel an increased desire to “nest” or prepare for the arrival of your baby. This urge causes you to have a sudden surge of energy and desire to prepare your house for the arrival of your baby through cleaning and organizing. You may find yourself suddenly doing all the projects around the house you put off for the last several months. It is worth mentioning at this point that pregnancy and birth don’t always go as expected. For some their pregnancy journey requires more medical interventions, some women need the assistance of a cesarean section to deliver their baby safely and healthy. For those women looking ahead to a potential surgery date, it can feel daunting or scary. You may feel nervous and scared about surgery and the recovery afterwards. Take time to connect with your feelings, write them out, talk with your care provider and doula if you have one on your support team and practice some meditation and mindfulness exercises to help you process your feelings.

Your baby is 34 weeks! No doubt you and the support people around you are very excited to meet your baby. You may even have dreams about what your baby will look like. Your little one is still working on strengthening the muscles responsible for breathing. The movements of your baby may also be more distinct, being able to tell if it is a little hand, foot, elbow or knee pushing out. Furthermore, your baby is settling into a more steady wake-sleep rhythm by opening the eyes when awake and closing them when asleep. The eyes also perceive colour at 34 weeks gestation. The colour red can be seen by your baby as this is the colour of the inside of your uterus.