? for those that have had babies at varying wks of gestation (i.e. 37wk & 40wk, etc)

[DeChRi]

Not sure if that title made much sense....

For those that have had 2 or more kids that have come at really varying times: Do you feel like your earlier ones were really ready to come when they did? Or that for some reason they came earlier, but really were meant to cook longer?

Like if you had a 40wk-er, then a 36 or 37wk-er..and both were just fine at birth..no real problems, did well. Did you feel like they came when they were meant to?

Still not sure if I'm articulating this well. My first 2 came at 39+5wk (8lb2oz) and 39wk (8lb9oz) and both did amazingly well. Very healthy, nursed great, really seemed at the perfect time to arrive. I am 35wk now and while I am hoping for a 38+ wk-er, I'm worried this one is set to come sooner, for a variety of reasons.

So my mind was wondering....if I have a 37wk-er, or a 36wk-er...I just feel like they came before they should've based on past births.

Does that make sense at all? Any experiences from anyone else?

[MaerynPearl]

I felt like my 40w4d DS was not ready to come... but my 39w3d DD most definitely was...

Granted we forced him out and she came on her own... neither had any problems after birth (DS was having a few which is why I was induced)

I doubt this answers the question since it seems to be about backwards of what you are asking about! lol

[klocke]

I have had 3 children so far.

ODS was born at 41 weeks and I think he was ready to come.

ODD was born at 37 weeks and I don't feel that she was really ready. I become very sick with gallbladder issues that resulted in me going into labor. She had difficultly feeding and even staying awake the first few weeks. She was also the most jaundice, beyond normal breastfeeding jaundice, and was anemic. Even now at 3 1/2 she is our most difficult child and has a hard time showing emotions. She's been like that since birth so I feel it is a result of her coming before she was ready. Unfortunately my body had other things in mind at the time.

YDS was born at 39 weeks and was also more than ready.

Not to say you can't have a 37 weeker who is fine and ready to enter this world I just don't think my daughter was ready at the time. Another differing factor is that when she was born she was covered in vernix and lanugo hair. We lovingly say she was our little monkey because she had so much dark black hair all over her. Neither of my boys had either when they were born.

[etsdtm99]

my first came at 39 weeks.. 2nd at 41 (induced, he was ready but not over-done) .. both were totally fine and ready to come out.. alert, not extra sleepy etc.

[Pinoikoi]

I had two inductions right around 40 weeks, and one that came on his own at 37 weeks.. the 37 weeker was DEFINITELY ready to be born.. he was a quick delivery and nursed right away.. my 40 weekers were lazier nursers, but it may have been due to the inductions.. which were LONG labors.

[Realrellim]

My first one was born at 39w3d and my second arrived at 36w6d. I personally was surprised she showed up when she did because I figured we had another week, but she was fine and hasn't shown any signs of being a preemie at all. She clearly was ready.

Oddly, I think my first was late. If she had come out a week or two earlier, I think we would have avoided most or all of the emergency situation and NICU stay that we had due to undiagnosed preeclampsia. I went into labor on my own with her but when we headed into the hospital when my contrax were closer together, we discovered her heart was nearly stopping with each contraction and had an immediate c-sec. She was smaller than #2 (4 lbs 9 oz vs 4 lbs 15 oz) even though she'd cooked nearly three weeks longer, and there were some associated issues with blood sugar and oxygen levels as well.

[peaceful_mama]

My first was induced 3 days before EDD, unnecessarily. He had the worst jaundice and we never did work nursing out--not for a lack of me trying! I honestly do not believe he was ready. I think if I'd "let him cook" he would've come an entire week or more later, like my DS2. He was also only 6 lbs. 6.5 oz.

DD was 9 days prior to EDD, natural. She was 100% ready. She *looked* significantly less tiny even though she was only a few oz. heavier 6lbs. 11oz. and was actually a half inch shorter. She took off nursing immediately and didn't stop for almost 22 months.

DS2 was 41 weeks exactly, and that was where he needed to be I think. He was happy, healthy, 8lbs. 2 oz. He also though took longer to get nursing...don't really know why there. I was *extremely* thankful at that point that he was a homebirthed baby and we were not at all pressured to use bottles or formula. He's now almost 18 months and still happily nursing. AND whether you want to say this was home waterbirth or personality or what, he always has been the most mellow, easygoing, happy little guy anyone would ever want to meet. Literally from the very beginning, if somebody else was holding him and he would start to fuss for food, the *second* he got to me, he would immediately stop. I could even do something quick for the older 2 or go to the bathroom or grab a glass of water to take with me to go nurse or whatever and he would not cry as long as he was with me. It was like he *knew* now that I was going to take care of him so he didn't need to continue to cry. (He's still a lot like that, he will fuss cry whatever till I pick him up, then he'll just stick his thumb in his mouth till we get to bed and 'boo.')

[lovingmylife]

My son was born at 38 weeks when my water broke. Short labor. He bf within 15 minutes of being born, very healthy.

[47chromosomes]

My first came at 38 weeks, my second at 40. Both were very healthy, and, I think, ready to be here, but my 38-weeker was a sleepier baby, and had some trouble maintaining body temp--which was remedied by spending time skin to skin, so no big deal. I think they both came when they were ready.

[MyFullHouse]

I've had two babies at 40w1d, one at 41w and one at 42w. My first 40w1d baby was probably slightly undercooked. I didn't notice any differences in the other three, solidifying my opinion that dates are random and each baby has its own time tables.

[sostinkinhappy]

My DD was 41w2d at 7 lb. 12 oz. & perfectly healthy, my DS#1 was 38w4d at 8 lb. 8 oz. and perfectly healthy, and DS#2 was 38w1d at 8 lb. 2 oz. and perfectly healthy.

I think they all came when they needed to, despite the nearly three week difference between the first and the others. Based on my delivery history, my OB has scheduled my c/section at 37w4d in hopes that we can get a baby with no breathing problems but not have me go into actual labor....not sure we are going to make it that long based on all the contractions last night though! (I am 35w5d today).

[matey]

MY ds came at 36.5 weeks. He was small, sleepy, and in my opinion, he could have used some more in utero time, but the water broke and out he came. He has had some minor problems, food allergies, reflux and eczema, all common in early babies. But overall, he is healthy. He's still small, but I think maybe that's just him. I dont know, it seems weird to say he should have stayed in longer, because part of him is the struggle we had in the beginning and all we did to overcome his issues.