FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The March of Dimes is urging new moms to listen to the latest research that shows every last week of pregnancy is crucial.
They said elective C-sections and scheduled births on are on the rise, and this trend is not always in the best interest of the baby.
Lisa Warlick said newborn Maxwell was worth every moment of her 9 month pregnancy, but those final weeks were tough:
"My feet would be like balloons and my hands would be swollen and numb," Warlick said.
She decided not to request an early induction and waited.
"I knew that since he wasn't due -- no contractions, no other things-- that he needed to stay in there a lot longer," Warlick said.
The March of Dimes released new research that shows most expectant moms are confused about when a baby is truly full term.
Their new data shows for the health of the baby, its best to try to make it to 39 or 40 weeks
"They can decide along with mother nature," Dr. Thomas Trevett said.
Trevett is a specialist at Northside Hospital-Forsyth and said elective early C-sections and inductions have gotten too popular for reasons like scheduling convenience or comfort.
"Babies that are born after induction of labor at 37 weeks and 38 weeks tend to have more complications in the neo-natal period than babies that are born after 39 weeks," Trevett said.
Experts at the March of Dimes told Channel 2's Linda Stouffer there is a new understanding that the final few weeks of pregnancy are crucial for development of an infant's lungs, eyes, ears and brain growth- the connections supporting balance and learning.
Specialists told Stouffer if there's no medical reason to pick an earlier date, they want more moms to decide it's worth the wait.
For a labor of love, Maxwell was delivered at 40 weeks and 2 days
"The doctors were all like ‘Oh, he looks great.'" Warlick said. "It was just perfect. It just made the moment so much more wonderful knowing that he was healthy. It's awesome."
WSBTV
