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The duration of pregnancy is a contractual matter. Although it begins with conception, the date of delivery is usually counted from the first day of the last menstrual period. It is commonly assumed that the due date will be 40 weeks of pregnancy, i.e. 9 months. It is impossible to say unequivocally how long a pregnancy lasts. Premature and late deliveries are also special cases.
Duration of pregnancy
Naegele’s rule is usually used to determine how long a pregnancy lasts. In this calculation, your due date is based on the first day of your last period. This method is used in all pregnancy calculators and takes 280 days (40 weeks) for the duration of pregnancy. It should be remembered that it will not work for women with irregular menstrual cycles.
Even with regular cycles, there is no guarantee that the Naegele rule will work. Therefore, it is assumed that duration of pregnancy is an average of 38 to 42 weeks.
When are we talking about preterm labor?
Preterm labor occurs when the baby is not developed enough to live independently outside the mother’s body. This indicates a solution situation before 37 weeks of pregnancy. If you give birth at 38 or 39 weeks of pregnancy, it will be ahead of schedule, but it will not be premature. In the case of twin pregnancies, preterm labor occurs in nearly three quarters of cases.
Premature birth is an undesirable phenomenon as it poses a threat to the health and life of the baby. If necessary, doctors may decide to delay labor with tocolytic drugs. When labor is successfully arrested, corticosteroids are administered to accelerate the development of the fetal lungs. Preterm babies require special care and regular visits to a specialist doctor.
Babies born prematurely have a chance to develop properly, but are more prone to various diseases and complications. The most common are:
- respiratory distress syndrome;
- disturbed physiological muscle tone;
- bronchopulmonary dysplasia;
- necrotizing enterocolitis;
- increased risk of cerebral palsy;
- visual and hearing disorders;
- delay in independent walking.
Is pregnancy after due date risky?
Post-term pregnancy lasts longer than the norm provides. Already a pregnancy lasting longer than 41 weeks is considered a high-risk pregnancy, while a post-term pregnancy does not end before the 42nd week. If the pregnancy is prolonged, the risk of complications for the pregnant woman and the newborn increases. Utero-placental failure may appear. The consequences of a pregnancy that lasts too long include:
- fetal hypoxia;
- injuries and malformations of the fetus;
- meconium enters the amniotic fluid;
- meconium apiration syndrome;
- postpartum hemorrhage;
- the risk of having to perform a caesarean section.
If the 40th week of pregnancy has passed and your delivery is late, your doctor will need to closely monitor your condition. Induction of labor is sometimes unavoidable to reduce the risk of complications.