[rivkah]

Since there has been a discussion of pre-term birth on this board, I was goofing around on the internet about pre-term birth rates etc.. It seems like there is a growing body of evidence that the last 2-4 weeks leading to a "pre-term" birth, can be incredibly important. However, I always thought 40 weeks was full-term. It seems like some people speak of 36 weeks as pre-term. I am confused.

 

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

I've always heard and considered 37 weeks to be full term. A 37 weeker is almost always not considered a preemie, though sometimes a 36 weeker is. Personally, I won't homebirth before 36.5 weeks, probably not before 37 weeks (depending on my prenatals go up to then). I was born at 37 weeks, 5lbz10oz and was considered a very normal full term birth. Went home the next day and everything.

 

[beachcomber]

Yup. Anything from 37 weeks on is considered full term.

 

[MangoMommy]

I've always heard 38w+ was fullterm but that 37 wasn't considered premature either.

 

[goin' green]

I've heard the same - 37 weeks is full-term. Before is pre-term (not premature). Premature is only if the baby is immature upon birth (needs ventilator, etc.). Mostly just semantics though...(premature vs pre-term)

 

[snowmom5]

(barging from July) 37 weeks = full term

 

[MangoMommy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by goin' green I've heard the same - 37 weeks is full-term. Before is pre-term (not premature). Premature is only if the baby is immature upon birth (needs ventilator, etc.). Mostly just semantics though...(premature vs pre-term)

My 36 weeker needed oxygen and was in an incubator for 5 days...was he premature or pre-term? I'm curious now, I've only had his peds (he's followed by a developmental ped now, he's 6) refer to him as premature and never pre-term.

 

[nerin]

i've been told any baby born before completing the 36th week is preterm (ie. being at least 37w0d). dd1 was 37w3d and dd2 was 36w4d, a difference of less than a week but dd2 was considered preterm. thankfully, she was very very healthy (6lb14oz) and had no problems besides a touch of jaundice, but not being completely "full term" made a HUGE difference in my labor and delivery.

when i went into labor, they insisted i come into the hospital right away, but when i got there, i was told that i was too far along to stop my labor and too early for them to let me do anything to progress my labor (eventually, they even stopped me from walking the halls!!!). evil evil evil place to be for 36 hours.

 

[Sarahstw]

World Health Organization definition of term is 37 - 42 weeks.

 

[boscopup]

"term" is 37 weeks. Some doctors will specify a difference between "term" and "full term", with "full term" being 40 weeks.

36 weeks is "pre-term", but a baby coming on its own at 36 weeks may be just fine and fully cooked. It can go either way. If the baby is not fully cooked, then it's "premature". If it's fully cooked but just born before 37 weeks, it's technically "pre-term", although if you say that baby is a preemie, the moms of premature babies might get offended.

Technically, I've had a true premature baby (29 weeks - obviously needed NICU help) and a "pre-term" baby that was not premature (36w6d). I consider that second baby to be "full term" though, because he was fully cooked and really only 1 day off term anyway. He had some preemie tendencies, but never had to even enter the hospital, and he was 7 lbs 4 oz, so average newborn size. Just had tons of vernix, got jaundiced, had nursing issues in the beginning, and slept a bit more than a 40 week baby (wasn't lethargic - the jaundice wasn't causing the extra sleep... he "woke up" around his due date just like my preemie did).

The 36 weeker of the PP that spent 5 days in the NICU, I'd call a premature baby, but he's also pre-term, since he was born before 37 weeks. It's the premature part that's most important to know, as that can affect long term health. It's also important to look at how early a baby was when looking at developmental milestones, and do an "adjusted age" (adjust the age to how old they would be if they had been born on their due date). Big difference between a 4 month old that went to 40 weeks and a 4 month old that was born 2.5 months early. Later on, you don't notice the difference so much. My 29 weeker technically caught up with milestones by 6 months, but you could still tell a difference between him and other 6 month olds. Now at almost 5, there is absolutely no difference between him and a child who was born at 40 weeks. You don't really need to do adjusted age on a 36 weeker, as 4 weeks won't likely make a difference in the developmental milestones (since there's such a wide range of "normal"), although if your baby wasn't doing what a 2 month old should do at 2 months, then it'd be ok to give baby a few weeks before going into a panic. Beyond that, there would likely be no difference though.

 

[MangoMommy]

Very interesting, I never thought of the divide but there is a difference between a 36w who was ready and one who was not. I was induced, he was not ready but we had an emergent situation and he needed to be out. I had been in the hospital myself for about a week on bedrest prior to the induction. He did have troubles nursing, gaining weight, was in OT as a 3 mo old, was very sleepy and was only 5 lbs at 36w. They actually estimated him to be no more than 36w, possibley a little younger because of his size/behavior. (he was SO skinny, they considered IUGR too.)

 

[ChrissieColinsMom]

If my placenta previa persists I'll be a scheduled c/s at 37 weeks because that's considered term.

 

[simplykate]

Midwife said 37-42 weeks is normal gestation time.
Lot of it depends on genetics, for example asian women tend to go earlier, around 37=38 weeks.
I have to get to 36weeks plus6 days to be allowed to birth at home, and she'll let me get to 43 weeks before wanting to do an ultrasound to check on things.

 

[WeasleyMum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MangoMommy I've always heard 38w+ was fullterm but that 37 wasn't considered premature either.

That's what I thought, that "term" was anywhere from 38-42 weeks, 40 just being the median.

 

[Erinz]

This is interesting. I've never thought about it before! Just knew 40 was "full term" and anything past 37 and before 43 was generally safe, as per averages. So really.... I can say I'm term in 3 weeks? YA BABY!