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Now that
you are 34 weeks pregnant you have a little over a month until
the baby arrives. No doubt you are making lists of things
you still need to buy and you probably have the nursery complete.
You could have the baby at any time after the next few weeks,
but there is nothing to worry about. Babies born after 36
weeks are considered full term and do not have any health
problems. The lungs are fully developed by this time and the
baby will not have any problem breathing on its own.
During
this time, you may start to feel tingling sensations in your
pelvic area. This is from the pressure of the baby on the
pelvis as it starts to move into the birthing position. The
head is down at this time and you may have feelings of pressure
in the lower region of your stomach. You should be familiar
with the admission procedures at the hospital and perhaps
arrange a tour to see what to expect when you are admitted.
It is time to have your suitcase packed to bring with you
to the hospital. Even though the event may be weeks away,
it is best to be prepared so that you don forget any essential
items that you will need. This is true if you notice that
the baby has dropped, which means that your belly is lower
than it once was. You probably won notice the dropping, but
some mothers do feel a sinking sensation in their stomach
when the uterus does drop. You will find, though, that with
the baby resting lower, you can breathe much easier.
Turning
over when you are in bed may be very difficult because your
belly is large at this point in your pregnancy. One solution
is to wear satin pyjamas or nightgowns in bed so that you
can easily slide from one position to another. Restless leg
syndrome is another aspect of discomfort that expectant mothers
encounter at this stage when they are trying to sleep. This
is the sensation of a tingly or crawling feeling in your legs
that gives you the feeling that you have to keep moving your
legs in order to get comfortable. It could be caused by dehydration,
which is why it is important for you to maintain the fluid
levels in your body by drinking 8 glasses of water a day.
At this
stage, the baby weighs about 5 pounds and is about 18 inches
long. Many mothers start talking to their babies at this time,
if they haven done so before. It is something that you should
do so that the baby will get used to the sound of your voice.
Reading stories to the baby is encouraged as is playing music
to calm and relax the baby. The music will also help to calm
you as well. Another way you can relax at this time is to
have a perineal massage, which is a massage of the vaginal
area that helps to prepare your body for labour and birth.
When you
reach your 34th week of pregnancy, you should start making
preparations for the arrival of your little bundle of joy.
This involves preparing for labour and birth. One of the ways
in which you can do this is to start having perineal massages.
You should do this every day in order to avoid an episiotomy
during the birth. This is a small incision that the doctor
handling the delivery may have to make in the perineum in
order to enlarge the vagina so that baby can slip through
much easier.
It is
recommended that you start perineal massages in your 34th
week. There are two different ways in which you can conduct
this massage. You can have a professional therapist give you
the massage but due to the part of the body involved most
women prefer to take care of this themselves or to have their
partner assist them with it. You will need some form of lubricant,
such as olive oil, KY jelly, cocoa butter or ordinary vegetable
oil. Find a comfortable and private place in your home for
your massage so that you won be interrupted.
First
of all make sure you wash your hands and then coat them with
the lubricant you choose to use. Place your thumbs about an
inch inside the vagina and then press downwards and to the
sides at the same time. You should keep gently stretching
until you feel a slight burning or tingling sensation. Hold
the pressure for a few minutes or longer as long as you can
stand the sensation. After a while the area will feel a little
numb.
While
you keep applying the pressure with your thumbs, gently massage
the lower section of your vagina working the lubricant into
the tissues in the area. Repeat this motion for three or four
minutes. While you are giving yourself this type of massage,
you have to take care that you avoid the urinary area because
you could get an infection from the lubricant. Pull outward
on the lower part of the vagina while you massage the area.
This will help to stretch the skin so it will be easier for
the baby head to slip out during birth. You can do this massage
once or twice a day from now until you go into labour.
Research
has shown that women who do perform a perineal massage starting
in week 34 of their pregnancy still have the perineum intact
after the delivery. This is especially true for those giving
birth for the first time.
This type
of massage does not do any harm to the baby because you are
not in contact with the cervix or the birth canal. What helps
the mother relax also relaxes the baby, so you may find that
the baby movements slow down somewhat during the massage.
You can set a particular time of day for your massage, such
as just after you get out of the shower or just before you
go to bed at night.
For more
information visit http://www.Pregnancy-WeekbyWeek.info
Article
Author: Ling Tong
Article
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/
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