Confusion..

charcharx

everybody just knows pregnancy is 9 months.. But it's 40 weeks that you class pregnancy as being. But 40 weeks is actually 10 months ..and I know 36 weeks is classed as full term, but 40 weeks is just the norm for pregnancy.

Surely im not the only one confused by this haha

missemmawoodhouse

39 weeks is full term. No confusion there.
https://m.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/Definition-of-Term-Pregnancy?IsMobileSet=true

CharminglySouthern

missemmawoodhouse said:

39 weeks is full term. No confusion there.
https://m.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/Definition-of-Term-Pregnancy?IsMobileSet=true

Yep. 39 weeks is full term. Not 36 weeks.

bb89012

A month is longer than 4 weeks/28 days, that's why.

celainev

To be fair, here in Canada the rules have not changed (as far as I know) that term is considered after 37 weeks. It is only American studies that I can find that say 39 weeks.
If you can find a Canadian article, I would appreciate it! But I'm pretty sure the rules haven't changed here.

That being said, I'm keeping this baby inside me as long as possible. And Canada has stricter rules about when to induce and reasons for a C section.

SummerFall03

chaelainev said:

To be fair, here in Canada the rules have not changed (as far as I know) that term is considered after 37 weeks. It is only American studies that I can find that say 39 weeks. If you can find a Canadian article, I would appreciate it! But I'm pretty sure the rules haven't changed here. That being said, I'm keeping this baby inside me as long as possible. And Canada has stricter rules about when to induce and reasons for a C section.

Really? I have heard the opposite? I schedule my c section next week, although this will be my second c section delivery. I've also had a handful of friends who chose to have c sections, and that was only because they had a bad experience with their first natural delivery.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like it all depends on the OB? Or is there some actual rule in Canada?

Knottie59802221

So as far as I can tell, anything after 36 weeks is safe to be born, but they're not considered fully cooked until 39 weeks.  Also, the 40 weeks accounts for 2 weeks before conception.  The countdown starts the first day of your last period but I know the exact day I conceived and it was 15 days after that.  So technically, if my baby is born exactly on my due date, I'll only have been pregnant for 38 weeks.  

celainev

SummerFall03 said:

Really? I have heard the opposite? I schedule my c section next week, although this will be my second c section delivery. I've also had a handful of friends who chose to have c sections, and that was only because they had a bad experience with their first natural delivery.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like it all depends on the OB? Or is there some actual rule in Canada?

I doubt their is a rule... And it may differ depending on where you live, but from my experience as a postpartum nurse and my aunt's, who is a L&D nurse in Washington, I have never heard a story of a OB scheduling a c section or early induction for someone with no history or high risk. Where as in the states, according to my aunt and my SIL (who had a scheduled induction a week prior to her due date) it is quite common to "schedule" births with either c section or induction.

Again, I am only speaking of personal experience and it may differ between provinces. My friend, in Alberta, is the same weeks pregnant as I am and her prenatal care has been completely different. So I assume it could be the same with this.

mayason85

yep its 10 moths the 9 months thing is a scam! 

AggieKim

Please everyone remmeber that 4 weeks is NOT one month. One month is about 4.5 weeks (February is the main exception). That's why 40 weeks = 9 months.

And full term was altered from 36 weeks at one point in time to much later. 38 or 39 maybe. My doctor didn't offer to induce me until 39 weeks and I kept refusing and ended up giving birth without intervention at 41wks 1 day.

mvhyde

Like pp said, the four weeks to a month is just shorthand. On average (as there are ~52 weeks in a year) there are ~4.33 weeks in a month.
Multiply that by 9 and you get 39 weeks.

So 40 weeks is approx 9 months.