The faster the time of childbirth approaches, the more the expectant mother is worried about the question of what week the first child is born. No specialist can determine the exact date, since the date depends on many factors, including the individual characteristics of the organism, heredity, and so on. This article will answer when the first and second births take place, in what week boys and girls usually give birth, which affects the timing, what are the reasons for premature or late births.
Pregnancy is a very important and crucial period in the life of every woman.
What affects the term
As shown by the observations of American researchers who studied this issue on the example of 125 pregnant women, only 4% of expectant mothers gave birth on time. The majority (about 70%) gave birth 10 days after the date, which is pre-determined using ultrasound. In other cases, pregnancy lasted 37-42 weeks. The experts who conducted this observation identified several factors that affect the duration of pregnancy and childbirth:
- Woman's weight (for example, if the norm is exceeded by 100 grams, then 1 day is added to the gestation period);
- The age of the expectant mother (every year the gestation period increases by 1 day);
- Date of birth of the first child (relevant for multiparous). If the first birth took place later than 38 weeks, then each subsequent baby will be born earlier.
Other factors that determine how many months and weeks a baby is born include:
- Heredity (if close relatives of a pregnant woman give birth later or earlier than the established date, then the likelihood of a repetition of such a situation increases significantly);
- Maternal lifestyle and nutrition during pregnancy. For example, frequent stress can cause preterm labor;
- The presence of certain pathologies;
- Taking medicines;
- Fetal weight;
- Multiple pregnancy.
It is important to know! In obstetric practice, gestational age is calculated in weeks (not months or days).
The norms for the term of birth of the first child
With the normal course of pregnancy and the absence of any negative factors that lead to late or premature birth, the term for the birth of the first baby is 40 weeks. In this case, an earlier period is also allowed - from 37 weeks. It is not uncommon for women to give birth later than the due date, namely at 41 or 42 weeks, which is also not a serious deviation from medical standards.
On a note. Specialists can only estimate the date of birth. In many ways, the specific period depends on the readiness of the female body for this process, as well as the child himself to be born.
Indicators that a full-term baby must meet
What week do they give birth to their first child?
In most cases, primiparous mothers take up to 39-40 weeks. However, it is not uncommon for pregnant women to walk over the prescribed period.
Such a long duration, as well as an excess of the norm, are explained by the fact that the body of a woman giving birth for the first time has not yet gone through these processes. He needs more time to prepare for the upcoming labor.
Interesting. The process of expulsion of the fetus in the firstborn is sluggish, therefore in most cases it lasts a long time (about 7 hours or more).
To understand how many weeks a baby is born in a particular case, it is necessary to calculate the gestational age. In the early stages, several methods are used:
- The most common method is to set the start date of your last period. After that, it is necessary to add to it the number of weeks and days that have passed since the countdown. It often happens that a woman does not remember the first day of her last period. Also, the reliability of the calculations may turn out to be doubtful for the reason that in some women the cycle is not regular (or the blood in a pregnant woman appeared due to problems associated with bearing a child). In addition, expectant mothers often mistake implantation bleeding for menstruation, which occurs 6-10 days after conception.
- To exclude possible errors, the gestational age is established according to ultrasound data, which is carried out at 10-14 weeks. The doctor sets the size of the fetus and compares them with medical standards.
- You can understand when the baby should be born by the date of fertilization of the child (by the time when the woman had ovulation). The resulting value will be 2 weeks less than the period calculated by the start date of the last monthly period.
- An experienced specialist can roughly determine the gestational age at 4-5 weeks of gestation, focusing on the size of the uterus. The fact is that 2 weeks after conception, the uterus resembles a chicken egg in size. Also by this time it acquires a bluish tint. A month later, the volumes reach a goose egg.
In the later stages of pregnancy, the period is established by the time the baby begins to move in the womb. Other criteria in this case are the volume of the abdomen and the height of the uterus. For the result to be as accurate as possible, it is recommended to compare the calculation data made in different ways.
Girls birth statistics
According to statistics, girls are born earlier than boys. As observations show, the first are ready to leave the mother's belly at 38 weeks.
Boys birth statistics
Compared to girls, boys are in no hurry to be born. So, how long does primiparous give birth to boys? According to experts, most often babies are born at 40-41 weeks, in some cases they stay up to 42 weeks.
Reasons for violation of deadlines
There are a number of negative factors that can lead to delayed childbirth, or, conversely, provoke the premature birth of a child.
Premature birth
Births that occur before 37 weeks are considered early, and babies are premature. The most dangerous periods, regardless of the gender of the child, are:
- 22-27 weeks;
- 28-33 weeks;
- 34-37 weeks.
The reasons for the premature birth of a child can be:
- Infectious diseases of the genital organs. One of the most common factors. If the amniotic fluid becomes infected, there is a risk of violation of their integrity. Early outpouring of water provokes untimely labor. The situation is complicated by the fact that the birth canal is not yet ready for the process of expulsion of the fetus, the cervix is not smoothed, and the mucous plug has not moved away. In such cases, a caesarean section is urgently performed.
- Multiple pregnancy.
- Constant stress.
- Polyhydramnios.
- Large fetal weight.
- Uterine defects. This includes some pathologies of the cervix. It can be a shortened neck or a violation of the obturator function. Such deviations can be congenital or acquired (for example, due to abortion) in nature.
- Great physical activity.
- Poor nutrition, lack of vitamins.
- Placental abruption or previa. Her condition is assessed based on the results of ultrasound and CTG. If the doctor detects aging of the placenta or detects the likelihood of its detachment, the woman is prescribed appropriate treatment. The therapy is aimed at improving the baby's blood flow and nutrition. In more difficult situations, medications are prescribed that accelerate the maturation of the fetal respiratory system.
- The rupture of the water bubble ahead of schedule.
- The need to call premature birth. The causes are diseases of the endocrine or cardiovascular system of a pregnant woman. In order to preserve the child's health, as well as the health of the expectant mother, the doctor in such cases prescribes an emergency caesarean.
The likelihood of premature birth increases if the expectant mother had an abortion, or she had miscarriages.
Important! A child born between 27 and 36 weeks must weigh more than 1.5 kg. Babies whose birth weight is less than 1 kg cannot be saved.
If a woman has noticed signs of premature birth, she urgently needs to see a doctor. Among the alarming symptoms are:
- Feeling of stretching in the lower abdomen (as with menstruation);
- Feeling of heaviness, which presses on the bladder;
- The presence of bloody discharge from the uterus (in small quantities);
- Painful sensations similar to contractions (last more than half an hour);
- Leakage of amniotic fluid;
- There are no fetal movements.
During the examination, the doctor will assess the condition of the woman and the child and, if necessary, suggest inpatient observation.
On a note. Do not panic - the process of childbirth can be artificially suspended with the help of special procedures and drugs.
Premature birth can kill the baby, so it is important to see your doctor regularly
Prolonged labor
Prolonged pregnancies that last more than 42 weeks are also not normal. In a later period, surgical intervention is required, since in the process of natural childbirth there is a serious risk of injury to both the baby and the mother.
Factors under the influence of which the gestation period can be delayed:
- Endocrine disorders in a pregnant woman. The fact is that the process of childbirth is regulated by hormones. Therefore, negative changes of an endocrine nature (metabolic disorders, a decrease in the level of certain hormones) lead to the fact that the signal about the coming birth is not received. As a result, contractions do not start on time.
- Increased menstrual cycle. If a woman's periods were regular, but the cycle duration was 30-35 days, the baby will be born later than the set date. In this case, we are talking about a natural process, and not about a pathology, and a pregnancy that is prolonged for this reason is called prolonged.
- Heredity. The genetic factor can cause both early and late childbirth if the mother or grandmother of a pregnant woman had the same physiological characteristics. With this knowledge, you can prepare in advance for your own labor.
- Taking medicines. These can be drugs aimed at fighting chronic diseases or designed to reduce the tone of the uterus. Therefore, before you start taking medication, you should consult with your gynecologist.
To understand that the pregnancy has dragged on, you need to pay attention to the following signs:
- Drawing pain in the abdomen;
- Discharge of blood from the vagina, change in the shade of clots;
- Change in the shape of the abdomen (except in cases of active movement of the child). You need to immediately go to the hospital if the abdomen is asymmetrical, firm to the touch and retains this appearance for more than half an hour. Abdominal prolapse is also an alarming symptom;
- Leakage, outpouring of water. This sign is hard to miss. The outpouring of water means that the integrity of the fetal bladder is broken, and it is time to start labor;
- There is no movement of the child. The first activity of the fetus is observed already at the 20th week of gestation (with the second pregnancy - at 16). If such manifestations disappear, you should be wary. A doctor should be consulted if movements do not return for more than 12 hours. The only such case, after which the baby's activity resumed, is the norm. The regular absence of movement is a reason to urgently go to the hospital.
Prolonged labor is no less dangerous than premature labor
Terms of the first and second birth
According to statistics, babies in multiparous babies are born a little ahead of schedule - at about 37-38 weeks. This is explained by the fact that the female body is now preparing faster for labor.
Rules
In order to give birth on time, it is important not to allow the influence of negative factors on the female body during pregnancy (frequent stress, exercise, unhealthy diet, etc.). It is also necessary to regularly visit a gynecologist, take tests and undergo examinations.
Knowing how many weeks the first and second child are born will help a woman psychologically prepare for this difficult process. During gestation, it is very important to monitor your health, follow the doctor's recommendations, and open the details of your health to the doctor during the consultation. Only if these rules are observed will the probability of having a healthy baby on time increase many times.
