When you think of a full-term pregnancy, what comes to mind? Did you know that there’s been a recent change in “full-term” terminology? Let me explain, but first a little background of our late-term story.
I remember my pregnancy with Alea like it was yesterday. It was 40 weeks and 6 days of waiting and impatience and just dying to meet my sweet little girl. Throw in nausea and vomiting for almost my entire pregnancy, a little bit of sleeping discomfort and oh the struggle of leg shaving! Those last couple of months and especially those last couple of weeks are so uncomfortable, but I wouldn’t change them for anything.
Alea was born on April 3rd, but come March I was just ready to be done. I was over being pregnant. I honestly started trying all those “old wives tales” to try and induce labor and nothing would work. No matter how many squats I did, how many laps I did walking around the block or how much spicy food I ate, Alea stayed put!
And she actually wasn’t born until 6 days after her due date!
(She’s been a stubborn little stinker ever since, too!)
Let’s talk a little more about the changes in definition to the “full-term” terminology. As many of you know, in the past, a baby born anytime between 37 weeks at 42 weeks was considered “term.” Now, that’s changed a little. Now, pregnancy at 39 weeks gestation is considered full term. They’ve also provided different “term” names for each weekly stage after 37 weeks. See below:
Why the sudden change, you might ask? Well, research shows that babies who stay in the womb longer have better results and fewer health concerns after birth. During those last 3-4 weeks, babies’ lungs, brain, and liver are all finishing their crucial development process. A baby born when these vital organs are still in development could suffer health problems after birth or throughout life as well as learning disabilities down the road. Babies born before 39 weeks have an increased risk of spending more time in the neonatal intensive care unit and tend to have problems with breathing, feeding and thermoregulation.
It may be uncomfortable those last few weeks, but waiting until 39 weeks to deliver (as long as it is safe for mom and for baby), can drastically improve your baby’s health at birth and beyond! It’s worth that discomfort you’ll endure. Trust me!
What can you do with all of this information?
First take a minute to let it digest. It’s a lot to take in, but do your own research as well. Check out the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development initiative and read-up more about why this change has occurred and what it might mean for your current/future pregnancies.
What do you think about the change?
What “term” did you give birth to your little?
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Know Your Terms Initiative.
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I was 36 and 6 so a day shy of early term! Thankfully my man was perfectly healthy although they warned me before his birth that he may have breathing trouble due to how early he was.
I am glad they are pushing women more toward 40 weeks. I know several people who were induced (for no medical reason) around 38 weeks and they almost always ended in a C-section. And now I have heard insurance won’t cover induction before 39 weeks without medical reason and I highly agree with this decision because so many early inductions end in complications and C-sections.
Wow! Back when I had my 2 guys it was different, but both were preterm even then. Crazy how things change, but the more we know the better!
Mine were both two weeks early so I guess they’re both early term babies!
Wow! Will definitely keep this in mind…
Wow, so longer is better!
You are too cute! I went up to full term, 39 weeks and 5 days.
I LOVE THIS. I wish more people knew what full term was and weren’t so pushy on wanting their babies early. There is so much development that goes on those last few weeks in the womb.
This definitely has changed! Great information for me to have when we have kids, too.
I love seeing that these changes are being made! I think OB/GYN’s and some mamas have become a little too induction happy. I was induced with my son at around 37 weeks (he is almost 17 years old now), and he ended up having to have kidney surgery when he was 3 months old because the tube from his left kidney had not opened all the way up. Had he stayed in there until he was ready to come out, that may have corrected itself on its own. But we will never know. I am thankful that he is healthy today, but it makes me wonder if we could have avoided all the fear, stress, and anxiety of a tiny baby having a major surgery if he hadn’t been delivered so early.
Thank you so much for spelling this out! I never knew that the terms were changed. I thought 40 weeks was the norm. Pinning this for later 🙂
I’m so happy you’re sharing this! In the past I’ve always been vague on my due date with others so I’m not getting the constant questions if I’m early/late etc. It helped curb the anxiousness for baby’s birth 🙂
In the end, Jemma was born at 39 weeks exactly (although that was based on LMP and I think she was actually born at exactly 40) and Max was 39 weeks 6 days. We will see what this next little one does!
This is so helpful! Thank you for sharing!
This is such good info! Lydia was born at 39 weeks!
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Thank you for spreading the word on this! It is so important for people to know that even going to 42 weeks is normal and okay!
Afton came around 36 weeks because of my preeclampsia and diabetes, but otherwise everyone else was delivered at 39 weeks. Well, Vivienne was a couple days shy of that because she decided she was done with me after all that stomach flu nonsense I had the day before! Ha!