This is a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.
The moment I read my very first positive pregnancy test I instantly became a mother. I reached down and gently rubbed my stomach and I had the overwhelming feeling of wanting to take care of my tiny baby. I knew at that moment that I would always do my very best to provide the best possible life for my baby to be. I began with eating the most nutritious well-balanced meals, I walked regularly and I thought a lot about what kind of parents we would be. After a long 10 months of gestation and a grueling attempt at natural birth I had a cesarean section at 40 weeks.
The first step to a healthy baby is a healthy gestation. That includes nutritious well-balanced meals, regular doctor checkups, prenatal vitamins and being well informed.
In the past, a baby born anytime between 37 weeks and 42 weeks was considered “term.” With new research, we now know that vital steps in a baby’s development occur at 37 and 38 weeks. Therefore, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine announced new, more precise definitions of the 37-week to 42-week period to reflect the increased health risks to babies born before 39 weeks.
- Babies born in weeks 37 and 38 are now considered early term.
- Babies born in weeks 39 and 40 are called full term.
- Babies born in week 41 are called late term.
Waiting to deliver until at least 39 weeks in a healthy pregnancy, gives your baby the time they need to fully grow and develop. Your baby’s lungs, liver, and brain go through a crucial period of growth period between 37 weeks and 39 weeks of pregnancy. Waiting until 39 weeks, now called full term, gives your baby the best possible chance for a healthy start in life. It is important to know these terms so you and your health care provider can talk about what is best for the health of you and your baby.
We now have a total of four children, all born via cesarean section. I am so thankful that we were in good hands with our healthcare provider that understood the importance of a healthy Full Term gestation for each of our children. It is such an easy way to ensure a great start to a healthy, long life.
Log on for more information about the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Know Your Terms Initiative
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Know Your Terms Initiative.
