The Wall Street Journal
A Push for More Pregnancies to Last 39 Weeks
By LAURA LANDRO
Published March 1, 2011
“For an unborn baby to develop fully, obstetrics groups firmly recommend 39 weeks in the womb—and not a day less, if labor will be induced without a medical reason.
Doctors and mothers, though, have been less rigid, often pre-scheduling induced deliveries a week or even two weeks ahead of the 39-week mark. The assumption is there’s no harm if modern medicine accommodates a busy obstetrician, a hectic family schedule or simply the mother’s desire to get to the finish line and give birth. Then there is the vanity factor: A popular request this year is to have a baby on a once-in-a-century birthday, 11-11-11.”