Late Pre-Term Babies? What's that?

It seems like I'm always hearing about friends or friends of friends who are getting induced or having scheduled c-sections before their due dates.  There are obviously good reasons to do this. The fact that it is becoming more and more common seems concerning.

First let me say a "due-date" is not when you are DUE.  It's a guess as to when your baby might arrive.  It's not an exact date, and people look at that date as if your belly is going to explode if the baby is not out by then.  A due date is 40 weeks gestation.  The problem with this is that 40 weeks is NOT the average gestation of women who go into labor naturally!!!  The average gestation of a healthy first-time mother is 41 WEEKS, 1 DAY.  So if inducing 1 week early, you could be inducing 2-3 weeks early in reality (your baby may have wanted to wait until 42 weeks!)

Many mothers are anxious to see their babies, and when a doctor suggests delivering early, they say "Yes!"  Unfortunately, they don't take the time to research if that is a good idea or not.  Babies even born a week early can have symptoms of a "Late Preterm" baby.

Photo by Natalia Wilson ~ Copyright: February 25, 2010.

Feeding:  Babies may be more slow to eat.  If breastfeeding is important to you it may be good to discuss the necessity of an early delivery.

Breathing:  Babies can need help breathing.  Especially if you are carrying a white boy, this can be an issue to consider.  It's called "Wimpy White Boy Syndrome."  When we toured our NICU before our boy/girl twins were born, we asked the NICU nurse about this.  She said it is a very real occurrence.  For some reason, male Caucasian babies' lungs seem to develop later.  My doctor suggested a scheduled c-section for my twins at 37 weeks.  I asked for another week, since I knew we had a boy in there.  He asked that I come in for two visits that last week instead of 1.  He wanted me to have non-stress test AND a BPP that last week.  I was OK with that.  That week proved to be very important.  My baby boy was having trouble breathing, and my husband said the nurses were having a discussion as to whether he should go to the NICU.  Luckily he figured it out and didn't have to go, and we were able to get him breastfeeding right away!

Temperature:  Like other preterm babies, late preterms can have trouble regulating their body temperature.

In the last weeks of gestation, babies put on about 1/2 pound each week.  That is a lot when you're talking about baby weight!  Late preterm babies may also be more likely to get jaundice and infections.

For more information:
Awhonn Late Preterm Infant Initiative - What Parents of Late Preterm (Near-Term) Infants Need to Know.
About:  Late Pre-term Babies
March of Dimes - Premature birth
When Research is Flawed:  Management of Post-Term Pregnancy
Westside Doula - Due Date


You have chosen your doctor because you feel comfortable making decisions WITH him or her.  If that is not true, then switch doctors!  You need to do your own research, so you are able to have a discussion about these things with your doctor.  Let's face it...doctors are human.  I'm sure they'd like to have your baby come M-F between the hours of 9-5 if possible.  Maybe not all of them...but some.

I wanted a natural birth with my kids.  My first child I was uninformed, was not prepared and did not know my options.  After 30 hours of natural labor, I went w/ what my doctor and hospital nurses were telling me was best.  It was not, but everything turned out OK.  With my twins, I was OVER prepared, and knew all my options.  Unfortunately, my twins were both breech.  I did my research and made decisions WITH my new doctor that made both of us comfortable with our plan for the end goal:  healthy babies.

Night Leg Cramps During Pregnancy

Oh my! During my twin pregnancy, I had HORRIBLE leg cramps in the middle of the night. So bad I had to get out of bed and would end up flopping around the floor like a fish out of water. They were completely debilitating, and lasted several minutes. Even after the episode, my calf was left hurting.

My doctor said that it's not really known why leg cramps during pregnancy happen, but it's common. He said taking extra calcium seem to help some women. My doula (also an RN and homebirth midwife) also advised calcium. She recommended an extra 1200 MG. Don't take calcium w/ other vitamins, as it can block their absorption. 1200 MG needs to be broken up, since the body can only absorb 600 mg at a time. So, I broke it up into 2 doses, with my last dose right before bed. It didn't stop them, but it GREATLY reduced the number of episodes I had, and they definitely were not as severe. My doula recommended BlueBonnet liquid calcium, because she claimed it absorbed better. It seemed to work, so I didn't dare try anything else.

I also found that if I could catch the cramp before it really took hold, and flex my foot (point toes UP), it could curb the cramp. Your reaction is to point your toes, but do the opposite!

So if you find yourself with awful cramps during pregnancy, ask your doctor about taking calcium!

Pregnancy and Sleep...Great Sleep!

If you are 7+ months pregnant, you just won't sleep well, right?  Not necessarily!

Amazingly enough, with my twin pregnancy I slept full nights of sleep right up until the very end at 38 weeks.  On top of having 60+ pounds on me, I was due in July.  And it was the hottest summer on record for where I live in the hot south.  How was I getting such amazing sleep?  Hypnosis!

No, not hypnosis like you've seen as an entertainment act.  I used the Hypnobabies Self Study course.  I listened to a hypnosis track every night going to bed, and it helped me relax and feel good and if I got up in the middle of the night and wasn't asleep after 10 minutes, I just turned my ipod back on and listened some more and would soon be out again.  And yes, I can boast that I was well rested going in for my c-section at 38 weeks and 1 day!

If you'd like to try this for free, Hypnobabies offers a free "Relax Me" track.  This track has nothing to do with pregnancy.  So if you're not pregnant, but just need a nice way to fall asleep, try it!  If you are pregnant, try it too.  And if you like it, I recommend looking into Hypnobabies for childbirth course.  It made my twin pregnancy such a positive one.  There is also a free track that explains what Hypnobabies for childbirth is all about. 

Happy sleeping!