4 Benefits of Term Pregnancy for the Fetus and Pregnant Mother, Pregnant Women Must Know

Expectant parents will experience heart palpitations as they await the birth of their child. Speaking of pregnancy, there are term pregnancies that all mothers should know about.

Definition

For those who have never heard, a term pregnancy is a pregnancy condition that lasts for 37-40 weeks.

This is actually normal because usually new mothers will give birth at that age range.

Launching the pageMarch of Dimes, full-term pregnancy lasts between 39 weeks, 0 days and 40 weeks, 6 days.

Simply put, this time is a week before to a week after the Estimated Due Date that the doctor has predicted.

Based on dataThe American College of Obstetricians  & Gynecology, there are several terms in pregnancy depending on the age of the baby’s birth, including:

• Early term: 37-38 weeks
• Full term: 39-40 weeks
• Final term: 41 weeks
• Postterm: 42 weeks onwards

If birth occurs before 37 weeks, it can be said that the baby was born prematurely.

Premature birth conditions are also grouped based on when the child was born into the world, namely: 

• Very premature babies: 23-28 weeks
• Full-term premature baby : 29-33 weeks
• Late premature babies born: 34-37 weeks

As a note, babies born before full term have a greater chance of experiencing various complications.

Namely respiratory problems, low blood sugar, and other problems that require him to be treated in the NICU.

In fact, the World Health Organization’s official website notes that approximately 15 million babies are born prematurely each year.

Of these births, around 1 million children lose their lives due to complications of premature birth.

Even if premature babies survive, there are still babies who have to experience problems in their growth and development.

Not only physical disabilities, premature babies are also prone to learning, vision, and hearing impairments.

Globally, prematurity is the leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age.

In almost all countries with reliable data, preterm birth rates are increasing.

Viewed globally, premature birth is supported by a number of aspects so that it cannot live long.

These include low parental income, lack of adequate care, costs, breastfeeding support, and basic care for infections and breathing difficulties.

In high-income countries, almost all babies survive.

Suboptimal use of technology in middle-income settings leads to an increased burden of disability among preterm infants who survive the neonatal period.

Benefits of a Term Pregnancy

Even though it sounds a bit scary, every week is very important for the growth and development of the fetus.

In the womb, the baby’s vital organs such as the brain and lungs have developed in the final stages of pregnancy.

There are various benefits of term pregnancy that you should know:

1. Baby’s Organs Develop Perfectly

In the 3rd week of pregnancy, the fertilized egg will begin to develop and form a sac containing the embryo and placenta.

Fetal blood cells begin to form and hundreds of other cells develop.

The following week, the fetal heart tube is already present and beats up to 65 times per minute.

At the end of the first month of pregnancy, the fetus is already smaller than a grain of rice.

This is the moment when pregnant women begin to feel the symptoms of pregnancy.

The pregnancy hormone HCG will also temporarily stop menstruation.

As pregnancy progresses, several important organs of the fetus will grow, usually in the last few weeks of pregnancy.

Like a baby’s brain that has developed at 35 weeks of pregnancy.

Likewise, the lungs and liver also develop very rapidly before birth. 

2. Avoid complications

As previously reported, babies born before 37 weeks are twice as likely to experience respiratory problems.

A term birth will help the baby to be stronger and its important organs to develop.

In addition, being born full term also prevents the baby from experiencing long-term complications.

As is well known, babies born prematurely are more likely to experience behavioral problems and develop more slowly than other children born at full term.

3. Better Delivery

Do you know?Parents, that term pregnancy also helps provide a better and more positive birth experience.

There are times when the baby is not born on time, induction will be an option.

With a term pregnancy, you will give birth on time so the risk of bleeding can be reduced.

Induction does not have to be an option and the uterus remains healthy because it does not contract as often as it does.

4. Baby breastfeeds more smoothly

One of the problems that premature babies are at risk of experiencing is difficulty sucking and swallowing.

This is because the digestive system and reflexes are not yet functioning properly.

Therefore, another benefit of a term pregnancy is that the baby has good breastfeeding abilities.

When your little one is born, he or she can already get the nutritional intake he or she needs.

However, term pregnancy is not always good, especially if the mother and fetus have to be born immediately.

The doctor will advise the baby to be born immediately if the pregnant woman experiences preeclampsia , gestational diabetes , pregnancy hypertension , or other conditions that endanger the pregnancy and fetus.

QuotingMayo Clinic, the risk of the mother giving birth prematurely is if the following conditions exist:

• Being underweight or overweight before pregnancy
• Living an unhealthy lifestyle such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or using drugs
• Having pregnancies that are too closely spaced
• Suffering from certain diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and blood clotting disorders
• Twin pregnancy
• Have a history of premature birth or have a family member who has experienced it
• Not paying enough attention to pregnancy, such as not having regular check-ups with the doctor or not taking the vitamins recommended by the doctor

Parents, hopefully this information is useful and broadens our horizons.

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Republished with permission from theAsianParent Indonesia