Opinions please: A friend of mine said 37 weeks is no longer considered full term. She said 39 weeks…

the lungs aren't even fully developed at 36 weeks. it depends on your doctor

I use to think 38 weeks to 39 weeks was full term but that's because I had my 15 yr old daughter at 38 weeks, haha.

Technically if you're going to go off that idea, a baby's lungs aren't fully developed until a year after they are born. They're developed just enough to survive outside of the womb by week 37.

New studies found that 37 weeks is early term and you aren't full term until 39 weeks, also being born so early could cause breathing and development issues with the baby. my doctor told me the same thing when i had a scare my water broke, that if i had my baby at 37 weeks he'd have to spend some time in the nicu.

my OB says 37 is still full term it must just depend on the doctor, my specialist says it as well

They changed it a few years ago, I want to say around 2013. They found that a few things like the lungs and brains aren't fully developed until around 39-40 weeks. Although babies are born earlier with no problems. You can find it on government and national research sites. Older doctors are typically the ones that aren't following the new terms but that's also why in some places they have a law where you can't be induced until 39 weeks unless medically necessary. 😊

@temp, Correct. I was also told it depends on the baby and their size and development. I've known women to have babies at 34 weeks and can leave a few days later and some born at 37 weeks and spent a week in NICU. They give baby steroid shots for lungs, light therapy for high billibrun levels and they also have to do some stuff for three GI track as I well because baby's that weren't ready to be born have digestive issues sometimes

@dang_dridri, That makes sense!

that makes me wonder how all the older people survived because full term used to be considered at 37 weeks ...but I always go with what my doctor says which mines told me she's taking my son at 39 weeks

@brycesmommy, My doctor won't take my baby (if he doesn't come on his own ) until 41 weeks :(

@melina.a.613, that's good though I feel like the longer they stay in there the better ...she's only taking mines early because of my blood pressure

@melina.a.613, yep it just depends. I mean if your baby is born before what they consider "full term" (39+ weeks) doesn't mean anything will be wrong or mean that they'll even have to stay in NICU at all. It all depends, also remember that the due date is an estimate, hence why baby is sometimes further or less developed when born compared to the sonograms, etc. all of those are for estimates and can be a little off.

@brycesmommy, I'm sorry you have blood pressure issues. @dang_dridri Very true. I'm just hoping he doesn't get too big in the mean time (because they haven't exactly monitored him as they should) and he becomes too big for me to deliver vaginally at that point

@melina.a.613, oh yeah. That's true, I'm in the same boat, if he gets too big they'll probably induce you because that could be dangerous for you and baby after awhile.

39 weeks has been full term for a while. I think 2013 is when they changed the ACOG guidelines? Some docs don't go with it. Basically more research has been done and the lung development is *mostly* done by 37 wks, but it's even better by 39. Plus the weight gain in the last couple of weeks is important for temp/blood sugar regulation after birth.