37 weeks. This used to be considered the start of "full term", a period running from 37 to 42 weeks. While the average length of pregnancy is 40 weeks, a baby coming during that time frame was considered fully cooked.
Those guidelines have changed recently, and the five week period split up into several subsections:
37w0d - 38w6d weeks: early term
39w0d - 40w6d weeks: full term
41w0d - 41w6d weeks: late term
42 weeks and over: post-term
This is partly due to greater understanding of the final weeks of development in utero, particularly in the areas of brain and lung, and partly in a related effort to curtail the desire for elective c-sections in weeks 37 and 38 just because "baby is full term".
I wouldn't mind if this baby chose the earlier part of the "full term" period, I can tell you!
I think baby dropped for a little while today, but he/she may have swum back up a bit now. Still head down, which is good, and laying pretty much the same way as Ed did if the occasional butt-and-foot bulges are any indication.
Interesting. I haven't seen it broken down quite like that. It makes sense. I know my hospital won't do a scheduled C-section before week 39 (G was 39w1d), which makes sense. Lungs are very important organs! Yay for head down - perfect!
ReplyDelete