34 Weeks Pregnant With Twins or Multiples

You have finally entered the 34th week of your pregnancy, and you are expecting the arrival of your twins or multiples anytime soon. The thought of seeing your babies must be making you very anxious, but don’t panic. Take a few deep breaths and calm down. At every stage of pregnancy, there will be changes. Some of these changes will be predictable, while some, surprising. In this article, we shall discuss a few aspects you should be aware of if you are in the 34th week of pregnancy and are expecting twins/multiples. Read on to know more.

The Growth of Twin/Multiple Babies at 34 Weeks of Pregnancy

The growth of the babies inside your womb will be gauged with the help of ultrasound images. Your doctor will check for the development of the babies, and signs of birth defects if any. The chances of premature delivery are high at 34 weeks. Therefore, ensuring that your babies have put on the requisite amount of weight and are developing normally is highly essential.

Furthermore, the doctor will keep a constant check on the position of the babies inside the womb. An ideal position would make it fine for you to go ahead with normal delivery. However, if they are not in an ideal position, the doctor might suggest for caesarean (c-section) delivery.

At 34 weeks, there will be a considerable improvement in the babies’ senses. Although they cannot see, they can hear better. So, ensure you talk, sing or read to them. Sometimes babies would also kick. It is their way of responding to you or communicating with you.

However, the frequency of kicks might start dropping, or their intensity might reduce during this week. It mostly happens because of the increasing size of the babies and space constraint inside the womb. Expect kicks to reduce, but not stop altogether. Some mothers encourage them to move by gently rubbing their tummy.

What Is the Size of the Babies at 34 Weeks?

A nice ripe squash fruit is how big your twins or triplets will be inside your womb by now. Their fat amount keeps on increasing, which reflects in their weight as well. Most babies would tend to weigh close to 2 kilograms by now, which leads to difficulty in carrying them around. Their length is approximately 43-45 centimetres; hence they do not have much space in the uterus.

Symptoms/Changes at 34 Weeks of Pregnancy

Here are 34 weeks pregnant with twins symptoms that your body undergoes during this time.

• By the time you complete 34 weeks of pregnancy, you’d have some ongoing symptoms and some new ones. At 34 weeks of pregnancy, your vision might start getting blurred. Quite frankly, there is no conclusive reasoning behind this symptom, but many women have mentioned that this condition does exist. The latter months of the pregnancy tend to make this condition stronger. Since your hormones are all over the place and various nerves are being numbed, this symptom does have a possibility of occurring.
• Right from the initial stage of pregnancy, your feet may be bearing all the increasing weight of you and your twins or multiples in all its glory. Walking will get difficult because of the swelling, and you might find balancing difficult. You might also experience pain in your legs and your feet too.
• You will be feeling more tired or exhausted as the pregnancy progresses. This is majorly due to the immense changes your body has been adapting to. You may even feel stressed just by the thought of taking care of your babies. However, your energy will return once you deliver the children.

• Despite numerous suggestions, there will always be times when you fail to adhere to a proper diet or stick to a meal plan that is good for you. The increasing weight of your babies would add pressure on your intestines and lead to constipation and re-emergence of haemorrhoids. To combat these symptoms, increase your fluid and fibre intake.
• The 34th week of pregnancy can inevitably make most women feel like taking in a new breath of life, quite literally. At 34 weeks, your twins or triplets may descend lower towards the pelvis. The moment babies have their heads turned towards your canal, the upper portion of the uterus reduces in size. This reduction instantly makes way for the lungs and the diaphragm to take up that space, causing them to return closer to their normal state. And as a result, your breathing would improve and can be a welcome change for many.
• As you approach your due date, you might experience Braxton Hicks contractions, which is a common symptom at 34 weeks. The contractions can come out of nowhere and cause unnecessary panic.

Twin/Multiple Pregnancy – Belly at 34 Weeks

The weight of the twins at week 34 of pregnancy will be extremely evident, given the fact that your belly will have a highly rounded and expanded shape in the region below your navel. Because your babies move in the womb, and by the 34th week, they have grown in in size, you could also experience acidity frequently.

Twin/Multiple Pregnancy – Ultrasound at 34 Weeks

A 34 weeks pregnant with twins ultrasound is conducted to check the health of the babies and ensure safe delivery. With the help of ultrasound images, your gynaecologist would take several decisions regarding the birthing process. Numerous tests would be conducted, with advanced ultrasounds, to observe your twins or multiples closely and confirm their development.

34 Weeks Pregnant With Twins/Multiples – What to Eat

Your meal plan should continue just as it is going on at 34 weeks with twins, with a good focus on fibrous foods and high protein diet. In case your weight gain is beyond the healthy level, your doctor or your dietician may make specific alterations in your diet to help you control your weight quickly. This needs to be done while keeping the nutritive requirements of your babies in mind.

34 Weeks Pregnancy Care Tips

With your pregnancy term coming close to completion, some quick tips can make the entire period easier for you.

Dos

• Try and get the registration done to preserve baby’s stem cells.
• Make a contingency plan to handle your delivery if any unforeseen consequences arise.
• Refer books on delivering twins/multiples if you haven’t been able to read any.
• Avoid stress and meditate.

Dont’s

• Avoid drinking coffee or tea along with your meals since they interfere with iron absorption.
• Don’t wear clothes that make it difficult for you to move around.

Things You Need to Shop for in the 34th Week of Pregnancy

By week 34, you must have already bought most of the things you’ll need after the babies are born. Here’s a list of some items that are missed by many mothers-to-be:

• A nice maternity gown.
• Breast pump to store your first milk.
• Nursing Bra.
• Diapers – lots and lots of them for your twins/multiples.
• Sets of baby clothing.
• Baby tissues – you’re gonna need a lot of these too.

FAQ

1. Do Twins Born at 34 Weeks Need NICU Stay?

The majority of babies who are born at 34 weeks do well outside the womb and require little medical assistance. However, if your infants were born this week, they would probably spend at least a brief amount of time in the NICU.

Although each mother-to-be would have a different experience, at 34 weeks twin pregnancy, everyone would focus on the development and health of the babies. Eat well, rest enough and try to cheerful for the arrival of your little ones.

References/Resources:

1. Multiple birth – triplets or more; pregnancybirthbaby.org.au; https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/multiple-birth-triplets-or-more

2. 34 Weeks Pregnant; americanpregnancy.org; https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/week-by-week/34-weeks-pregnant/

3. Amniotic fluid; medlineplus.gov; https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002220.htm

4. Pregnancy at week 34; pregnancybirthbaby.org.au; https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/pregnancy-at-week-34

5. 34 weeks pregnant : baby’s development, the nesting instinct and protecting your joints; tommys.org; https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/im-pregnant/pregnancy-week-by-week/34-weeks-pregnant

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