Answers to Going Full Term Questions Video Transcripts

What is a full term pregnancy? Video Transcript

A full term pregnancy would be considered in some reading materials 37 to 40 weeks and in others 38 to 40 weeks. Babies have issues when they are born before that time and so we really would like mothers to consider going a full 40 weeks for a term delivery.

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Is it possible to go into labor before the 40-week gestation? Video Transcript

Yes it is. Some women will go into labor, their water will break, they’ll have contractions, some will have pre-term labor. Any time you think you might be in labor, you need to let your health care provider know immediately about what’s going on with you.

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What risks for babies/moms if delivered early? Video Transcript

For babies the risk are basically all related to prematurity. There’s trouble with babies regulating their temperature because their body is not ready to do that. They have difficulty breathing because their lungs aren’t fully developed. There are suck and swallow issues because that development comes late in the pregnancy and so they have trouble feeding because they don’t have their suck and swallow coordinated. They have an increased risk for infection as well and an increased risk of jaundice and the increased risk of jaundice is related to feeding difficulties. Their muscles aren’t fully developed until 40 weeks and in the five weeks of a pregnancy the baby’s brain grows one third of its size so at 35 weeks it’s two thirds the size it needs to be and then the last five weeks it grows a whole one-third in size. So your baby really needs that full 40 weeks.

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