When exactly is "full term"?

[moomin35]

I keep reading and hearing conflicting things - is full term considered 37 weeks or 39 weeks?

I thought anything before 37 weeks was considered premature so I imagine anything after is considered full term, albeit early.

37 weeks is considered full term.

Yeh that's what I thought too, but I've heard someone say 39 weeks is considered full time and also a website (think it was the American baby centre one) which says 39 weeks too...

37 weeks is considered term, 40 weeks is considered full term, so your EDD is usually at 40 weeks.

37- 42 weeks is full term. Americans are obsessed with not going over 40 weeks and often induce even before that, which might have been the context of discussions on 39 weeks?

Oh, also 39 weeks is considered the safest time for a planned section, balancing risk of going into labour before and benefit to the baby. So in that context 39 weeks is often referred to.