What's more, your baby's gestational age can be off by as much as two weeks, even if you had an early ultrasound to date your pregnancy.
If you schedule a delivery before 39 weeks and your due date is off by a week or two, your baby may be born before 37 weeks' gestation. In the past, some caregivers scheduled delivery before 39 weeks for convenience or other non-medical reasons. Their patients may have been happy to avoid the discomfort of the last few weeks of pregnancy since they believed the baby was ready to be born anyway.
ACOG and SMFM want to make it clear that delivery should only be planned before 39 weeks when continuing the pregnancy would put the mother or baby at significant health risks. Of course, sometimes delivery before 39 weeks can't be avoided, such as when your water breaks or contractions come early. If you go into labor between 37 and 39 weeks, your caregiver will not try to delay your labor since most babies born at this point are fine.
That said, it's still best to wait until 39 weeks to schedule an induction or c-section. In other words, the risks of delivering a few weeks early are not great, but why take any risk at all with your baby's health, if you can avoid it? Staying in the uterus past 41 weeks is not optimal for the baby's health either. Babies born during this window have the best chance of being healthy, compared with babies born earlier or later.
In order to make this clearer, the two organizations developed these new labels for the last weeks of pregnancy:. Once you reach 41 weeks, the chances of your baby having problems starts to increase, and your caregiver will likely require you to come in for testing to make sure your baby is continuing to thrive in the womb.
This is because the placenta is an organ that ages as the pregnancy progresses, and beyond 41 weeks it may not function as robustly in delivering oxygen and nutrients to your baby. If your pregnancy goes past 40 weeks and 6 days, your provider may recommend that you have a nonstress test or biophysical profile. If the tests show that the baby is not thriving, your caregiver may decide to induce delivery.
If you don't go into labor by 42 weeks, your caregiver will likely recommend inducing the labor. That's because the risks for you and your baby increase significantly after that point.
After 42 weeks:. While you're thinking about the big day, you might enjoy our video series on childbirth. We cover the signs and stages of labor, pain management, medical procedures, decisions about your newborn, and more. BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals.
We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. Definition of term pregnancy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Committee opinion number Bentley JP et al.
You'll have a lot on your mind toward the end of your pregnancy, so remember that your healthcare provider is on top of this, and she will give you all the information you need before any decisions are made about inducing labor. You're in good hands! There's no surefire way to prevent a late- or postterm pregnancy.
However, you are more likely to go past your due date if. In some cases, to keep your pregnancy from progressing to the late- or postterm stage, your provider may recommend something called stripping membranes. This can sometimes help to soften the cervix and kick-start contractions. If you just can't wait to give birth, you may be starting to wonder about the effectiveness of some old wives' tales like castor oil being used to begin labor. Keep in mind, there's not enough medical evidence to support the safety and effectiveness of castor oil, so if you're considering alternative ways to jump-start labor, check with your healthcare provider first.
In consultation with their healthcare providers, some moms-to-be end up having a scheduled cesarean section delivery or an induction. There are a variety of nonmedical reasons an elective delivery could be considered, including living in a rural area far away from the hospital; reducing end-of-pregnancy discomfort; or easing childbirth anxiety or fear. If you're interested in an elective delivery, ask your healthcare provider whether this may be a safe option for you and your baby.
It might feel as if you've been waiting forever to meet your baby, but your little one will be here before you know it. Make sure you're aware of those telltale signs of labor and how to time your contractions so you'll know when it's time to call your healthcare provider. While you wait for the big day, don't forget to download the Pampers Rewards app to start earning rewards and discounts on all those baby products you'll need.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine have defined the final weeks of pregnancy as follows: Preterm — before 37 weeks Early term — start of week 37 until the end of week 38 Full term — start of week 39 until the end of week 40 Late term — start of week 41 until the end of week 41 Postterm — start of week 42 onward.
NCBI: Common questions about late-term and postterm pregnancy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol ;— Bulk pricing was not found for item. Please try reloading page. For additional quantities, please contact sales acog. Patient Education Materials For Patients. Featured Clinical Topics. Jump to Jump to Close. Search Page. Resources Close. Number Reaffirmed The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Obstetric Practice Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine This document reflects emerging clinical and scientific advances as of the date issued and is subject to change.
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