Has anyone had a baby at 36 or 37 weeks and were they healthy?
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My daughter was taken at 36 weeks, 3 days unnecessarily (BAD dr, long story!!). She never had one health issue besides moderate jaundice, which I cleared up with sun exposure and around-the-clock breastfeeding.
Due dates are approximate! I wouldn’t worry too much honey! Your body is naturally getting ready for labor, and odds are your baby is completely healthy and ready to be born!
I’ll be praying for you, okay? Good luck!
Other Comments:
There are babies born at that gestation that have been healthy. But you should try not to have the baby till 38-40 weeks. This is because the lungs may not be fully developed at 36/37 weeks. 38 weeks is considered full-term.
And I’d like to say that I agree with the poster who said inducing early is never a good idea, it isn’t. Induction it’s self should be put off all together unless it’s absolutely necessary or a high risk pregnancy that requires it. Induction leads to c-sections.
Babies born between 37 and 42 completed weeks of pregnancy are called full term. Babies born before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy are called premature. About 12.5 percent of babies (more than half a million a year) in the United States are born prematurely.
Premature birth is a serious health problem. Premature babies are at increased risk for newborn health complications, as well as lasting disabilities, such as mental retardation, cerebral palsy, lung and gastrointestinal problems, vision and hearing loss, and even death. Many premature babies require care in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), which has specialized medical staff and equipment that can deal with the multiple problems faced by premature infants.
Most premature babies (71.2 percent) are born between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation (1). These are called late preterm births. Almost 13 percent of premature babies are born between 32 and 33 weeks of gestation, about 10 percent between 28 and 31 weeks, and about 6 percent at less than 28 weeks of gestation (1).
All premature babies are at risk for health problems, but those born before about 32 weeks of gestation face the highest risk. These babies usually are very small, and their organs are less developed than those of babies born later. Fortunately, advances in obstetrics and neonatology (the branch of pediatrics that deals with newborns) have improved the chances of survival for even these smallest babies.
Not only are premature babies often small and sick, but also they may look and behave very differently than full-term babies. For example, their skin may be thin and wrinkled, and their heads may look too large for their bodies. But these babies look the way they should at their stage of development. They will begin to appear and act more like full-term babies as they continue to develop and grow.
While my babies were on time or late, I have a friend who had her first baby at 35 weeks, and he was perfectly healthy. Her second and third were born at 36 weeks, and again both were healthy also. She recently gave birth to a set of twins at 32 weeks – again, both healthy.
36-37 weeks is pretty close to full-term, and other than a low birth weight, most babies born in that time frame are healthy.
i don’t want to scare you 36 to 37 week old babies are usually fine but if you can i know its not up to you but if you can wait as much as you can as long as the dr doesnt say otherwise my cousin had her son at 37 week and he was perfectly fine he weighed 6lbs 5 oz and was 19 in lon but i had my son at 36 weeks and he weighed 5lbs 5 oz and was 18 in long he had to stay in NICU for two weeks because he had a hard time breathing when he was born but after a couple hours he was fine, then they were giving him antibiotics so thats why he had to stay but then he had jaundice, then he didn’t know how to eat, he didn’t know how to suck, swallow, and breathe at the same time so we had to help him eat and i couldn’t take him home until he learn how to eat because they were afraid he would loose to much weight, and when he would eat he would get tired and fall asleep, he wouldn’t even drink an oz but he got through i brougt him home after 15 days and he has been fine he is now 14 months and weighs 27 pounds and he is the happiest baby i have ever seen. he grew so fast and he is very healthy
Although 37 weeks is considered full term, it’s best for baby if s/he can remain inside mum for those final weeks. Inducing early – without medical reason – is never recommended.
One of my friends had her first baby at 36 weeks. She was healthy, but since hvaing her 2nd at 40weeks she said she has been amazed at the difference in alertness, moods, breastfeeding and size.
37 weeks is considered technically full term.
My cousin’s son came at 36 weeks. He was perfectly healthy and is still perfectly healthy at age 7.
i went into labor on my own when i was 37 weeks and my daughter was healthy 7 lbs 7 oz and she was my first child
my son was born at 37 1/2 wks. He was a very healthy 8 lbs 9 oz baby!! good luck
My friend just had hers at 36 weeks and he was in perfect health
I’ve seen hundreds of 36-27 week babies come out perfectly fine!