Gestation is the most complex human process that has a beginning, the moment of conception, and an end, the birth of the baby. During 38 weeks (40 counting from the date of the last menstruation) the baby develops inside the mother’s womb until it is ready to go out into the world.
Pregnancy, I read once and excuse the allegory, is like cooking a stew over low heat. You can not rush the fire so that it is ready before, because it does not come out well, the taste is not the same. The stew is just right, if we are patient and keep it simmering for as long as you need. Under normal conditions, the baby must also remain in the womb until the birth is triggered naturally, it is he who decides when to be born .
Deliveries … at term?
Labor is triggered by a conjunction of synchronized biological factors between mother and baby. It is the latter who sends endocrine signals to the placenta and to the mother so that her body starts the secretion of oxytocin, the hormone responsible for causing uterine contractions that give rise to birth.
A full-term delivery is considered one that occurs between weeks 37 and 42 of pregnancy , but obviously being born in week 37 is not the same as being born in week 42. There are no less than five weeks between one and the other, a difference that It can be abysmal when it comes to baby development.
Every day that passes in the womb is critical to your health. Between weeks 37 and 39, major organs such as the lungs, brain, and liver continue to complete their development.
In fact, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has decided to introduce some nuances in the definitions of what a term delivery is, clarifying that induced deliveries and caesarean sections scheduled before the 39th week are not considered normal term deliveries, and therefore they are discouraged .
Calculation margins
The baby is born in the 40th week, in theory, but this is not always the case. It is not necessary to evict him at the 40th week as if he had an expiration date, if the child has not yet been born it is because he is not yet ready to do so.
A late-term delivery is calculated, the one produced between weeks 41 and 42, since a calculation margin is established, since the conception could have happened later than was believed, therefore the delivery date moves one or two weeks .
Beyond 42 weeks there are certain risks to the health of the mother and the baby, such as aging placenta, reduction of amniotic fluid, macrosomia or meconium aspiration.
It is unlikely that the baby has not decided to be born before week 42. Less than 10 percent are born this week. If this happens, that after week 42 the baby has not shown signs of leaving, it is essential to carry out an exhaustive medical control to detect any possible risk and, where appropriate, assess induction.
Impatience, doubts, fears
As the due date approaches, the anxiety about holding the baby is increasing. After 37 weeks, any small abnormality may make us consider the convenience of early labor, but it is important to properly inform the doctor about the extent of this complication and assess what is best.
Induction with synthetic oxytocin and elective cesarean section (without compelling medical reason) are not always the best alternative, since the complications they bring can be greater.
Letting the baby be ready to be born
Gestation is a wonderful process, almost miraculous I would say. It seems incredible that this perfect little person has been formed within us for nine months.
When the baby is ready to be born , returning to the above, when the stew has reached its point, a hormonal response of the mother is triggered that prepares it to be born. The baby becomes alert and receptive to recognize its mother and the environment, to favor what is known as the moment of imprinting, which in the case of deliveries that do not occur naturally, that response is altered.
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