glamgirl

When do you reckon a baby is considered premature?

Is a baby born at 37weeks considered as premature???? Just wondering!!!

Emmea12uk

nope, 37 weeks is full term!!36+6 is premature tho

leedsforever

i thought it was 36 weeks it was premature!!!
But i can see that 36+6 is premature too !!!

turbo_mom

Yup 37 weeks is considered full term. 36 weeks would be premature but baby would most likely be just fine born at 36 weeks.

TashaAndBump

All babies are different. Some babies born at 36 weeks (prem) are just fine, while some need help with breathing.. That said, some babies born at full term need help with breathing. Like I say, every baby is different.

To answer your question, if your baby was born now (at 37 weeks), it would be considered full term, and would most probably be fine - normal labour, normal delivery, healthy after the birth...

That said, My daughter was born at 38 weeks but obviously wasn't done cooking - she was not breathing at birth and had to be resussitated and go into an incubator. (Not trying to scare you! There is no reason whatsoever why your baby would need respiritory help at 37 weeks)

To sum up, it all depends on the baby, but at 37 weeks the chances of having a perfectly healthy baby are the same as a baby born at 42 weeks (i.e. 99% likely to be fine).

Hope this is the answer you were looking for - Do you feel you may go into labour soon then? Are you getting signs?

glamgirl

well, i went to antenatal classes today and i was told that i could be in labour soon as im having back pains and had to begin use TENS machine already...
Im scared and nervous, hope all will be well... how you getting on with the newborn baby?

Carley

A baby born after 40 weeks is post term.
A baby born after 32 weeks but before 37 weeks is pre-term.
A baby born before 32 weeks is a premature baby.

The NICU doctors told us this when we had Jacob.

TashaAndBump

Well, she's hardly newborn now (nearly three months!) We're getting along really well Can't believe it's only been 10 weeks in some ways as now I can't imagine life without her! lol

Don't be scared... labour is a lot easier if you embrase it and work with it. Just try to remember that it is all a natural process, your baby and your body know what they are doing and will work together to bring your baby out to you - each contraction is good - it brings your baby closer to you! Just breath through each contraction until it is over, and remember that the only muscle that needs to be tensed is your uterus - the rest of your body can stay relaxed - don't tense everything up or resist the contractions - you will make things harder for yourself that way.

Hope your labour does go well, whenever that is...

Take care hunni

glamgirl

awww, thank you! Thats the reason i love bnb more than my OH! Its so encouraging, i just have to think positive, its just that some people come and tell me things that freaks me out i just have to pretend i didnt hear anything! But yea i can`t wait that feeling of having your baby in your arms, i bet its well worth it....

TashaAndBump

Oh it's more than worth it! It's the most incredible feeling ever - it's unimaginable. Try to imagine pure euphoria... then times that by 10... You're still not there.

Just wait. You have such fun ahead of you!

Try to think of that when you're going through labour: Each and every contraction brings you closer to that perfect happiness - to your beautiful and perfect little baby

Another tip for labour - I found bottles of frozen water a god-send... I put them in the freezer when I was 38 weeks so they were ready (and went into labour pretty soon after!). At the hospital, I was taking sips inbetween my contractions and rubbing them over my forehead and neck. It was fantastic - couldn't have coped without! lol Those, along with rocking back and forth on my hands (while sat up) were like my own kind of pain relief... Nobody would deny that labour is painful, but you have a significant amount of control over that pain - much more than many peolple realise. Just try to work with the contractions and your baby, to ease yourself further towards the eventual birth.

One last thing - The second your baby is born, all the pain will be forgotten

Good luck, hun x