Any known benefits to baby of staying in womb after 39-week mark?

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I'm almost certainly going to have an ELCS for DC2 after EMCS last time. The consultant said they are usually done in the week prior to your due date. So any time from 39 weeks onwards. I know that natural birth has benefits for clearing the baby's lungs but is there anything else from a developmental perspective that happens during the last week of pregnancy that my baby would miss out on if I were to have a CS at say 39w+1?

Thanks

I suppose it depends on how sure you are of your dates. The only problem would be if your baby gestation is actually less than was thought. Sometimes this is a problem with babies who are induced over term and then it is found out they weren't quite ready to be born.

Plenty of babies are born absolutely fine before 39 weeks. Although I have had no exprience of a c section, I am sure its much nicer and safer to have a planned section.

Thanks reallytired - I'm pretty sure on dates, I have a 31-day cycle and all three scans I've had (had an early one at 8 weeks) suggest the baby is bang on average for those dates. I was induced (unsuccessfully) last time and wondered if the dates were wrong but my EDD was calculated on the basis of scans because I became pregnant straight after a miscarriage so I'm assuming that's a fairly reliable way of working it out?

I have no medical background, but ds was born at 39 weeks by el cs, and I did have a few problems with him bfing... he was a very sleepy baby and had problems latching on properly. Nothing that really held us back, I bf'd for a year in the end, but the bfc did say that it's quite possible he may well have spent another three weeks in utero so his bfing action might have been better if that had been the case. No proof of that though... he's been pretty much ahead of many other children his age ever since, walking at 9 months, talking proper sentences before 2 years etc, so it didn't really hold him back.

My DS made an appearance at 33 weeks! The medical team told me that if he could make it to 33 weeks they are fully developed - after that they're just putting on weight.

PS - he was fine, sleepy for 6 weeks (but then so was I) and is advanced now for age.

Thanks, both - that's v helpful. Headfairy I did wonder about the BF. Had some problems last time round but that was at 42 weeks and probably more to do with the fact that I was run-down after a v prolonged labour followed by major surgery. Glad to hear you made it work eventually though. BTW, how did you find the BFC - was she just on call at the hospital or did you find her yourself?

You're welcome... I have absolutely no idea if ds's latch problems were related to him being born a week early though, he was my first, and bfing is always hard at first, esp with first baby.

I was given the contact details of the bfc by my HV. Actually her contacts details were all over the pamphlets we got from the MW at our antenatal classes, but I hadn't noticed until the HV gave me her number. Later on I noticed her name was everywhere, on every poster I saw at the docs, HV, post natal ward etc.

There was a two week wait for appts with her, but I was panicking about my pfb, so I paid £150 for a private session with her. She came to my house and sat with me throughout a feed (no mean feat, ds took at least 2 hours!) and offered me lots of suggestions. I also had follow up appts at her clinic (but they were free as they were part of my post natal care) but to be honest looking back with my oh so experienced eyes now () I think I just needed to relax a bit and perservere!