How many weeks pregnant is considered full term to give birth?

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Thi Man - Doctor of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital

According to statistics, 80% of pregnant women give birth between 37 and 42 weeks of gestation, of which 9% give birth after 40 weeks. 11% of pregnant women give birth prematurely before 37 weeks due to some unusual cause. So how many weeks pregnant is full term?

The gestational age is calculated based on the last menstrual period. The first week of pregnancy will begin on the first day of your last menstrual cycle. The following weeks are added in turn.
Doctors combine all 3 methods to calculate the due date, including: method of calculating the last menstrual period, ultrasound and physical examination to predict the due date of the pregnant woman.

Full-term pregnancy is a full 40-week pregnancy (up to the due date). However, a pregnancy of > 38 weeks is an adult and can be easily nourished outside the mother's womb. Accordingly, babies born between 39-41 weeks will have the fewest complications, while babies born earlier or later than this time will have a higher risk of complications. Specifically, the delivery time of pregnant women will be defined and divided as follows:
Before 37 weeks: premature babies From 37 - 38 weeks: premature babies From 39 - 40 weeks: babies born at 41 months weeks: babies born at the end of term 42 weeks or more: babies born at the end of term.

However, there is no fixed number to determine how many weeks pregnant will give birth equally to all pregnant women. The health factors of the fetus, psychological factors, external stimuli as well as the mother's body, that a pregnant woman can give birth 1 to 2 weeks earlier or later than the expected date of birth is completely. normal. In particular, for mothers who are pregnant for the first time, the baby is often born 7-10 days earlier than the due date.

The first group - risks due to pregnancy such as: having more than one pregnancy (multiple pregnancy), too large fetus or too much amniotic fluid... making the uterus stretch too much, easily leading to early labor. The second group: abnormalities of the uterus (large uterine fibroids, opening of the uterus), urinary tract infections, chronic diseases of the pregnant woman (high blood pressure, diabetes...), low birth weight or overweight during pregnancy, systemic infections causing high fever or abdominal surgery during pregnancy... The third group - risk due to habits such as: not going to regular antenatal care, smoking, Drinking a lot of alcohol during pregnancy or arbitrarily taking drugs not prescribed by a doctor...

Vaginal bleeding in the late stages of pregnancy can be a sign of placental abnormalities or premature birth or labor. The more blood volume, the more severe the severity. Vaginal amniotic fluid discharge: pregnant mothers see vaginal discharge more than usual, like water, discharge massively or continuously, smell a bit fishy and slightly viscous... this could be a sign of amniotic fluid/premature rupture of membranes/premature rupture of membranes. Need to go to the hospital as soon as the vaginal amniotic fluid is detected. Abnormal pain in the uterus and lower abdomen: cyclical, continuous contractions that do not go away after 1 hour of rest, especially when the gestational age is less than 37 weeks, the mother needs to go to the hospital immediately because it may be signs associated with premature birth. The fetus does not move or moves less than usual. Other sudden signs of pregnancy: fever over 38 degrees Celsius, fainting, shortness of breath, severe headache, chest pain, vomiting, visual disturbances, convulsions all need to be treated soon. In the last months is a very sensitive time for pregnant women, with only small abnormalities can also be signs of premature birth, stillbirth. Therefore, pregnant women should actively conduct regular antenatal check-ups to monitor the baby's health and take early intervention measures if any abnormalities occur.
To protect the health of the mother and baby comprehensively as well as help the mother feel more secure during labor, Vinmec provides a package Maternity service. With this package, the mother will have regular antenatal check-ups and routine tests to monitor her health. The fetus is monitored for fetal heart rate and uterine contractions by obstetric monitor at 37-40 weeks of expected time of delivery. If the baby is born prematurely, they will be cared for and raised with international standards. Premature births are organized in a methodical manner under the coordination of many specialties: obstetrics, anesthesiology, and especially neonatology and paediatrics. This helps to reduce the risks and increase the effectiveness of treatment for health problems that premature babies may have. As a result, the technique of treating premature babies at Vinmec has achieved extremely positive results, saving the lives of many seemingly hopeless premature births.