At 34 weeks pregnant, your baby is in the late preterm stage. They look much like a newborn now but are still fine-tuning vital systems, especially the lungs and brain. Babies born at this point usually do well, though they may need a little extra support after birth.

Baby’s Growth & Size

• Weight: About 4.75-5 pounds (2.1-2.3 kg), the size of a Cantaloupe!

• Length: Around 17.5-18 inches (44-45 cm) from head to heel.

• Baby is steadily gaining fat, adding about ½ pound (225 g) per week.

Development & Features

• Brain: Still developing rapidly-billions of connections are forming, and brain volume will increase significantly in the coming weeks.

• Lungs: Developing alveoli (air sacs) and producing more surfactant, though not yet fully mature.

• Skin: Becoming smoother as fat fills in; the reddish tone is fading.

• Bones: Fully formed but still soft and flexible.

• Eyes & sleep: Baby now spends time with eyes open during alert periods and closed while sleeping; they also have more defined sleep-wake cycles.

• Movements: Strong and noticeable, though space is tight- rolls and stretches may feel more frequent than sharp kicks.

Vernix & Lanugo

• Vernix caseosa (the creamy protective coating) is thickening, covering the skin.

• Lanugo (fine body hair) continues to shed but may still cover parts of the body.

Position

• Many babies have moved into a head-down position, but some may still be breech or transverse. There’s still time for them to turn before birth.

Immune System

• Your baby continues to receive antibodies from you through the placenta, helping to strengthen their immune system for life outside the womb.

Key Point: At 34 weeks, your baby looks like a smaller version of a full-term newborn. The next few weeks are especially important for lung maturity, brain growth, and fat storage to prepare for life outside.