Week 34

Your baby’s space is getting narrower and narrower. Despite this, their movements continue. Even though tiny punches and kicks sometimes hurt, enjoy these days. Because you will probably miss these aspects of pregnancy the most.

How many months is 34 weeks? You are in the 8th month of your pregnancy.

You may continue to experience groin pain during 34 weeks of pregnancy. This is due to tension and stretching in the muscles around the uterus due to growth.

So, is it possible to give birth at 34 weeks? Of course it is. If your groin pain is accompanied by one or more of the symptoms of premature birth, be sure to inform your doctor. (To learn the signs of premature birth, You can check out our article of 33rd week.)

1- You can compare and decide public and private hospitals in terms of advantages and disadvantages. You can check whether they are Mother-Friendly and Baby-Friendly, such as wages, room facilities, privacy, and birth intensity. (For detailed information about Mother Friendly Hospitals, You can check out our article of 33rd week.) The most important feature of Baby Friendly Hospitals is that they provide support that will encourage the mother to breastfeed after birth. In our country, most of both public and private hospitals are Baby Friendly Hospitals.)

2- Ask in advance whether there will be a midwife who will provide you with one-to-one birth support at birth. If your request is not met, or if you say that you want to give birth with a birth supporter (midwife or doula) with your own means but your doctor does not accept it, you can choose to change your hospital and delivery team. Remember, you’re only going to give birth a few times in a lifetime. And if you are supported enough, your birth will be healthy and positive.

3- In the medical literature, normal birth limits are between 38-42 weeks. If there is no medical reason, delivery can be expected until the end of 42 weeks. However, many doctors in our country wait until 40-41 weeks at most… Find out how many weeks your doctor waits at most. If all goes well, you can opt for a doctor who can wait up to 42 weeks.

4- Focusing at the moment of birth is very important for an instinctive birth! Do not have people with you who may negatively affect your focus on childbirth and who have a fear of childbirth. If she has not attended childbirth preparation training with you and is afraid of childbirth, politely ask your partner not to give birth. If you go to the birth with all your friends and family, you are more likely to give birth by cesarean section, as your focus will be negatively affected.

5- Accelerating birth without a medical reason, episiotomy, that is, vaginal incision, enema, perineal shaving, premature opening of the water sac are practices and interventions that can be used in our country. If they are going to perform such practices or interventions without a medical reason, you can ask your doctor to tell you this in advance. Do not confuse with: Of course, the doctor can make an emergency intervention when necessary, but doctors should not intervene when there is no need and should inform the expectant mother before any intervention if it is not urgent. Birth is a team effort, and in non-urgent situations, parents also have the right to have a say in all birth-related decisions.

6- If everything is going well during your pregnancy and your health condition is available, you can request that the birth begin spontaneously. Even if you have a planned cesarean section, you have the right to request it. (See our article on week 33 to learn about the advantages of spontaneous labor.)

7- Discuss the delivery positions you will be comfortable with your doctor in advance. Indicate that you do not want to be tied to the bed by giving unnecessary serum at birth and that you want to be guided in relation to active birth positions. Question and demand whether you will be encouraged to take different childbirth positions.

8- In our country, expectant mothers are not given water and food at birth due to the concern that they may undergo cesarean section at any time. However, hunger and thirst may prevent the expectant mother from focusing on birth. You can drink some water without overdoing it and snack on a small amount of something light. You should also talk to your doctor about this beforehand.

9- If you want to give birth with your spouse, ask the hospital where you will give birth and your doctor whether they accept it. In this case, it is an advantage that your spouse has received maternity education.

10- Ask your doctor if there is a possibility for relaxing applications such as taking a warm shower during childbirth. Water birth is also a relaxing form of birth for many mothers. If you want these applications, talk to your doctor beforehand.

11- If you want your baby to be given to your lap after birth without cutting the umbilical cord, request this from your doctor. Staying in this way for 1 minute prevents anemia in the baby. In addition, this practice allows the baby to separate calmly and safely from the umbilical cord, which is a symbol of trust throughout pregnancy.

12- If you want to apply Skin-to-Skin Contact after birth (your baby first comes into contact with you and second comes into contact with your partner naked), request it. Skin-to-skin contact is crucial for trust and bonding between baby and parents. And it also allows the baby to meet family germs first.

13- Inform your doctor in advance whether you would prefer general anesthesia or epidural anesthesia in case of cesarean section. In addition, if you prefer your baby to stay in your arms during the surgery after the epidural cesarean section, be sure to say this. Another name for this application is Mother-Baby Friendly Caesarean.

14- You can choose to apply vitamin K and Hepatitis B vaccine 2-3 hours after birth, not during the first hours that the baby tries to adapt to the outside world immediately after birth. Tell your doctor about this preference long before the birth, not during the birth.

If you attend a birth-oriented course that will bring you awareness about childbirth, you will enter the birth knowing the birth and having overcome your fear of childbirth to a great extent. And rest assured that doctors will not have any hesitation in accepting and implementing the birth preferences of expectant mothers and fathers who are conscious about childbirth.