39 Weeks

Every Week Counts

We know, you can’t wait to meet your baby face-to-face. Experts, however, are learning that scheduling a birth earlier than 39 weeks for non-medical reasons can cause problems for both mom and baby.

Castleview Hospital encourages all our expectant moms to know that going to a full 40 weeks is what your baby needs for full growth and development. Labor should only be induced for medical reasons, not for convenience or scheduling concerns.

Here’s why your baby needs the full 40 weeks of pregnancy:

• Important organs like their brain, lungs and liver get the time they need to develop and mature.

• A baby’s brain at 35 weeks weighs only two-thirds of what it will weigh at 39 to 40 weeks. Allowing the brain to mature helps lower the risk of learning disabilities and behavior problems.
• Babies’ lungs are one of the last things to develop, those last two weeks can make a huge difference. In fact, babies born at 37 weeks are three times more likely to have breathing problems than those born at 39 or 40 weeks

• Baby is less likely to have vision and hearing problems after birth.
• Baby has time to gain more weight in the womb. Babies born at a healthy weight have an easier time staying warm.
• Late preterm babies can struggle with sucking and swallowing. Allowing baby 39-40 weeks can help decrease feeding issues.

To learn more about Castleview’s Childbirth Services and our physicians, call 435.636.4854