Why is my stomach hard and tight at 34 weeks of pregnancy?

At 34 weeks of pregnancy, it is already the late stage of pregnancy and the time of delivery is approaching. At this time, the abdomen becomes hard and tight, which is generally normal. The main reason for this phenomenon is false labor, also called prolonged labor. There will often be irregular labor contractions with varying degrees of strength. Don't worry too much at this time. Get a prenatal check-up in time and strengthen your daily conditioning.

1. Why does my stomach feel hard and tight at 34 weeks of pregnancy?

During pregnancy, any slight abnormality in the body is enough to make expectant mothers worry. In fact, if your stomach feels hard and tight at 34 weeks, it should be considered as false labor.

False labor, also called prolonged labor. Its characteristics are that the time of occurrence is irregular and the degree varies from time to time. Before delivery, false labor will become more and more frequent due to the traction stimulation of the lower uterine segment caused by the descending fetal head. During the 36th to 38th week of pregnancy, the myometrium is in an insensitive state and uterine contractions rarely occur. After this transition period, the refractory period of the uterus ends and a series of physiological changes are completed in preparation for delivery.

2. Common symptoms of false labor

In the middle and late stages of pregnancy, as the enlarged uterus begins to descend and the descending fetal head increases pressure on the pelvis, pregnant women often feel their abdomen falling and their backs unable to straighten.

Starting from the 28th week of pregnancy, the abdomen will often experience false labor contractions, especially when pregnant women stand or sit in one position for a long time, the abdomen is prone to hardening. Some pregnant women can't feel it at all.

False contractions are short-lived, weak, or limited to the lower part of the uterus. After several hours, it stops again and cannot cause the cervix to open, so it is not labor.

3. How to relieve the discomfort of false labor

If you're just a few weeks away from your due date, you can try the following tips to ease the discomfort of false labor:

Change your activity or posture. Sometimes walking can relieve your discomfort, and sometimes resting can relieve false labor. If these are real labor contractions, they will not stop no matter what you do, but will gradually intensify.

Take a hot bath and relax your body. Drink several glasses of water, as false labor can sometimes be caused by dehydration.

Try relaxation exercises, or taking slow, deep breaths. While this won't stop your false labor, it may help you cope with the uncomfortable feelings.

From the introduction in this article, we can know that the hardness and tightness of the pregnant woman's belly is caused by false labor. This is a normal physiological reaction and pregnant mothers do not need to worry too much. If you want to relieve the discomfort caused by false labor, you can refer to the methods of false labor in this article.