At 34 weeks pregnant, you're in the home stretch. You're excited -- but exhausted, too. Gone is your second trimester energy and glow. Now you may feel as if you're lugging around watermelon that is impossible to put down. That's because, in terms of weight, you are. BabyCenter.com reports the average baby weighs about 4.7 lbs. at this point, and you may be 20 to 25 lbs. heavier than normal. All that extra weight takes its toll: it's perfectly normal to feel exhausted.
Causes of Exhaustion
Your weight gain contributes to your feelings of exhaustion, but a number of other things may as well. A squirmy baby, the need to urinate frequently, backache, heartburn and a host of other physical discomforts can disrupt your sleep at night, making you feel like a zombie during the day. Moreover, as the baby grows, she puts more pressure on your lungs and diaphragm, leaving you short of breath and wiped out when performing the simplest tasks. Do not be alarmed by your low level of energy. After the birth of the baby, most of these physical discomforts will be eliminated and your energy levels will increase significantly.
Exercise
Though it may be the last thing on your mind, exercise might help alleviate some feelings of exhaustion during the third trimester. Exercise can help diminish physical discomforts, ward off some of the mental stress you may be feeling, and help you sleep better. The American Pregnancy Association highly recommends swimming as exercise for pregnant women. Swimming tones muscle, avoids stress on your joints and ligaments, and can give you the temporary feeling of weighing less than you do. Other beneficial forms of exercise include walking, yoga and squats.
Sleep Tips
A good night's sleep may be hard to find during the third trimester, but you can take steps to get as much sleep as possible. Avoid drinking excess fluids starting from early evening so that you won't have to take too many bathroom breaks during the night. Also, if the pressure of the baby on your lungs is preventing you from getting rest, try propping your back up with pillows to sleep in a semi-reclined position. If you have a large, reclining chair to sleep in, that may work even better.
Precautions
If your exhaustion is accompanied by dizziness, cramping, bleeding or sharp pains in your abdomen, call your doctor immediately. These may be symptoms of preterm labor or other problems. In the event that you are experiencing preterm labor, be encouraged by the fact that babies born at 34 weeks with no other health problems have a good long-term prognosis.
