First babies born early or late?

Are firstborns usually early or late?

No two pregnancy experiences are alike. Even when you become pregnant the second or subsequent time, you’ll see that each is different from the other. Likewise no two birth experiences are similar. If your first baby was full term, the second one could surprise you by popping out earlier than your expected due date. Likewise your first delivery could be a vaginal one and the second could end up being a caesarian delivery. So, you really can’t compare pregnancies.

But mothers are of the opinion that firstborns usually arrive late and often go past their due date while the second and successive ones tend to be early. However, there is no truth in this old wives’ tale because babies don’t arrive when they are supposed to. The due date in fact is just an estimate. Statistics show that only 4% of babies are born exactly on the due date – that’s about 1 in 30 women. 80% of women deliver sometime between 37 and 42 weeks. And a good chunk of the remaining 20%, deliver prematurely. If the pregnancy goes beyond 42 weeks, the baby is considered overdue. This is more a case when overdue pregnancies run in the family.

So, are firstborns early or late?

Various surveys and data collected over the years don’t show any conclusive reports. Though there is no fixed norm, the general pattern is that first babies are more likely to be early (37 weeks or less), less likely to be on time (38-40), and more likely to be late (41 or more). A few results skew towards a 15 to 16 percent chance of first babies being born late, compared to a 9 or 10 percent chance for other babies.

Know more about New born baby and pregnancy week by week tips

Why is 40 Weeks of pregnancy so Important?

As you approach your delivery due-date, there is a lot of anxiety and frustration. All the same you

are excited and nervous as you look forward to the arrival of your newborn. But needless to say,

the last few weeks before childbirth can be quite stressful and exhausting. Every movement and

every small activity seems uncomfortable and painful - what with a bulging belly weighing you

down like a huge boulder. If only there was a way to fast forward the weeks to get to your due

date.

While it’s natural for most pregnant women to go through these feelings, going the full course and

staying patient can prove to be healthy and beneficial in the long run.

Why is it important to wait till 40 weeks of your pregnancy?

Even though your baby is considered full term at 37 weeks, staying pregnant until 39-40 weeks has

tremendous benefits for both, you and your baby. Research shows that every week of pregnancy is

important for the baby’s development. If you’ve tracked your pregnancy week by week, you’ll see

the rapid progress your baby makes during each week. The last few weeks of pregnancy are as

important as any other week – as many vital organs are still developing at this stage. Consider

this, at 35 weeks gestation, your baby’s brain is only about 2/3 the size that it would be at 39-40

weeks. This is also the period when the folds of the brain - which help co-ordinate the sucking and

swallowing action – are developing. Studies show that full term babies are able to suck and

swallow more effectively than babies born earlier.

So if you’ve had a healthy pregnancy so far, you’ll be doing more good than harm by waiting for

another few weeks to allow your baby to grow into a healthy full term baby.

A baby born before 37 weeks is considered pre-mature. Unless there is a complication or a medical

reason, don’t push to have the baby earlier. Because full term babies are healthier. They have

fewer complications, and need fewer medical interventions. They also spend less time in the ICU

so they are sent home faster.

Here’s more reason why you should give your baby 40 weeks of pregnancy?

 The last few weeks are crucial for the development of baby’s brain, lungs and liver -

which are growing at accelerated rates

 Babies born at 40 weeks are able to suck and swallow better, because of advanced muscle

development

 Premature babies are at an increased risk of having vision and hearing problems later in

life

 During the last six weeks or pregnancy the connections needed for balance, coordination,

learning, and social functioning is added in the brain. It is also during this time that the

baby’s brain size doubles in size.

 A premature baby’s lungs are not fully developed at birth, so it’s likely to suffer from

respiratory problems.

Extra fat accumulated during the last few weeks of pregnancy allows baby to prepare for

birth

Babies born before 38 weeks have an increased risk of learning and behavioral problems
Compared to babies born early, full term born babies perform better at school due to
better developed brains

 A premature baby’s liver is underdeveloped and hence not able to perform its function of

removing bilirubin from the body. Excess of bilirubin can cause jaundice in early babies.

A quick look at pregnancy symptoms at 40 weeks

You’re in the final weeks of pregnancy almost reached the end of the journey. With the big day

just around the corner, it’s a good idea to keep your hospital bag ready – because the baby may

pop out any time. Meanwhile, here are some symptoms that are typical during 40 weeks of

pregnancy

You may run out of patience due to sheer tiredness

 Getting a good night’s sleep may be difficult

Your body is preparing for labour, so watch out for those early signs of labour – like

abdominal cramps, bleeding/spotting

 A lot of women experience the ‘nesting instinct’ – an obsession to clean the house and

prepare for baby’s homecoming.

 Your baby drops further down into the pelvis. As a result you could have some discomfort

in the lower abdomen.

 Since the baby has been pushed down, it exerts extra pressure on your bladed, increasing

the frequency of your visits to the toilet

 Sometimes, even before the onset of labour, the water bag may break (rupture of the

amniotic sac). It’s normally a sign that labour will begin in the next 24 hours.

This is also the time when you may experience the Braxton Hicks Contractions. These are

irregular, false contractions which may be hard to be distinguished from the real labour.

Get More Tips On Week by week Pregnancy