33-34 Weeks Pregnant – Symptoms, Body Changes, Bump Update – Pregnancy Diary
At 33-34 weeks pregnant, I really felt like we were approaching the end. And as much as I couldn’t wait to meet my new baby, I told myself to slow down and enjoy these last few weeks.
Baby Moon
At 33-34 weeks pregnant, we thought it was the perfect time to enjoy one last getaway as a family of three.
I was not comfortable flying anywhere, or going anywhere far.
But living in San Diego, we luckily have plenty of options within driving distance that make for a beautiful short trip.
We decided to take a trip up North and drove up the Pacific Coast Highway, stopping along Malibu, Santa Barbara, and we visited Solvang.
Neither one of us had ever checked out these places, and we were so happy we went to explore them.
The drive was beautiful and scenic, the weather was great, and the places were really fun to see, especially Solvang and Santa Barbara.
Only our toddler had trouble sleeping during our stay away from home, even though I followed my own guide on how to help your baby sleep while traveling. She was teething and her last molars were coming in, which just left her a little uncomfortable.
Overall, she did great though and I am glad we were able to have a fun trip and create core memories as a family of three.
Symptoms
Pressure and Bathroom Breaks
Around 33-34 weeks pregnant I suddenly felt an increase in pressure on my bladder – and hence an increase in bathroom breaks.
I thought it was too early for my baby to drop, especially since this was my second pregnancy.
But maybe it was a growth spurt that happened, or he changed his position.
And the change was obvious not only to me. My husband noticed that increase in bathroom breaks as well.
Fatigue
At 34 weeks pregnant, the fatigue returned.
I was fighting the pregnancy fatigue for so long during the first two trimesters, and was so happy when it was gone (thanks to taking an iron supplement).
But once the last few weeks of pregnancy started, my body couldn’t help it anymore.
It was tired. Growing a baby especially in the end is a lot of work. You’re carrying around a lot more weight. You’re trying to take care of yourself and your family. And you’re trying to prepare for baby’s arrival. So I guess it’s just natural that you’re getting more and more exhausted by the end of the day.
This time, no amount of iron supplement would help. I knew I needed to rest whenever I could, to give my body a break.
And I knew to enjoy these moments of rest – life with a newborn baby is exhausting, demanding, and sleepless nights were ahead of me.
So I tried not to feel too bad whenever I feel asleep during my toddler’s nap, or when I went to bed at 8:30pm. I just tried to enjoy the fact that I could get some rest during these times.
Body Changes and Bump Update
Being halfway into my third trimester, my belly just kept on growing, growing, growing.
The baby was growing well, and it definitely showed on the outside as well.
I was especially focusing on putting some lotion or oil on my belly 2-3 times a day. This was to make sure my skin stays moisturized. I was lucky enough to not get any stretch marks during my first pregnancy, and I was hoping to avoid them this time around as well.
I absolutely loved this pregnancy stretch mark lotion from Palmer’s and the natural skincare oil from Bio-Oil. The latter one was what I used the most in my first pregnancy, with great results.
I once read someone recommending to put lotion or oil on your belly x times a depending which trimester you’re in. Once a day in your first trimester, twice a day in your second and three times a day in your third trimester.
This really stuck with me and I tried to follow this guideline as much as possible.
