# 40+ weeks babies=more alert?



## rebelmama (Dec 23, 2007)

My son was born 42+6 weeks and has been very alert since he was born. He has also been holding his head up since then(not fully by any means but definitely had the skill). It's enough that everywhere I go with him people comment on it including strangers on the street. They never believe he's a newborn. He is definitely advanced for his age and though I do not think that that's the most important thing in the world for a child to be I am just wondering if anyone else with "older" babies has noticed a correlation with alertness and skill level in their newborn. Or if there are any studies showing that the further past 40 weeks a mother goes the more "mature" her baby will be on arrival? Just curious if it's that or the fish oil I took throughout my whole pregnancy







?! As a sidenote, my pediatrician was quite surprised when she first examined him after birth as he didn't show any physical signs of being old such as dry, cracking skin which she said is typical for overdue babies.


----------



## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Dd was 41 weeks 2 days and much as you describe.

Ds was 43 weeks 5 days and much more newborn-y.









Neither showed any signs of post-maturity. Ds was especially heavily coated in vernix.

-Angela


----------



## jess152 (Jan 20, 2008)

DS came along a week and a half late and also had great head control, right from the start. Everyone commented on it too!


----------



## cappuccinosmom (Dec 28, 2003)

My last two were both born a few days past 42 weeks, no signs of post maturity.

They were both very alert and slightly ahead for their ages with developmental stages for about the first 6 months.


----------



## onelilguysmommy (May 11, 2005)

yep, mine was almost 43 weeks, had head control and could roll from birth, wqs very alert, etc. no anything on him, he came out clean and peeling severely. he was never "newborn-y" at all. the doc AND our doc even said he came out acting 2+mo.

my second was born at almost 41 weeks and was more babyish. hes done everything later than the first one, except for being super alert as well, everything else was a lot more on schedule with what everyone is told is "normal"


----------



## kltroy (Sep 30, 2006)

My first was born at 39 weeks scheduled c-section for breech presentation. Very newborn-y.

My daughter was born at 41+2 VBAC. We also had delayed cord clamping. She was a pound bigger and is overall MUCH more robust than my son was. I don't know what to attribute the difference to... vaginal birth? Delayed cord clamping? Cooking an extra 2 weeks? Better breastfeeding b/c I knew what I was doing?

who knows?


----------



## _betsy_ (Jun 29, 2004)

DD was 40 weeks, 3 days, and was very awake, alert and intense since Day 1. Could hold her head up (more than any other newborn most people have ever seen) and has always been ahead of her milestones.

She's our first and weighed 6 pounds 13 ounces at birth, and we had a rough start to nursing. I didn't take fish oil or even DHA supplements. I don't even eat fish.


----------



## laralee16 (Nov 12, 2005)

Mine was born at 39 weeks, 6 days. VERY alert.


----------



## nighten (Oct 18, 2005)

Mine was born at 39 weeks, very alert. I think it's luck of the draw or anecdotal, honestly.


----------



## GooeyRN (Apr 24, 2006)

My 36 weeker was more alert than my 40 weeker. He looked premature even though he was a good size. (8lb 7oz) (Neither was induced, they both came when they wanted to) He was severely jaundiced and lethargic, though. But in my opinion, no. I feel babies all "cook" at a different rate since we are all different "ovens" that "bake" differently with each pregnancy. I have seen babies between 38-42 weeks old and you can't really tell a difference, other times the 38 weekers are more alert, sometimes the 42 weekers are more alert. It is such an individual thing.


----------



## barefootpoetry (Jul 19, 2007)

DS1 was 38.5 weeks and very newborny as Alegna put it. DS2 was 41+ weeks (he came out on time but the MWs estimated him to be older) and was very alert after the birth, and has been holding his head up well from day 1.


----------



## ChetMC (Aug 27, 2005)

All three of our babies were "late." Officially, our second DD was only a couple days over forty weeks... but they insisted on using a due date that was wrong. By my dates, and all three of our kids were born between 41 and 42 weeks.

None of our kids had signs of being overdue like the dry, cracking skin. However, all of our babies more mature than average.

Supposedly, newborn babies have trouble regulating their own body temperature... ours never have. The nurses at the hospital even noted this with DS. All were strong and could hold up their heads, bare their own weight and push themselves from over (from front to back). They nursed fast and slept for long stretches. Some of this is certainly genetic, but I imagine that the extra time inside didn't hurt.

In general, I didn't feel like we really experienced the 4th trimester that people talk about. DS had fewer alert periods than the girls in the early days, but he was very alert when he was awake.

I don't worry so much about babies born on their own at 38 or 39 weeks, but I do wonder about the scheduled c-section babies. A lot of the moms that I've known who've had them, had them booked 10 days before their actual due date. Meanwhile, our babies were being born on their own 10 after their official due date... giving our kids three more weeks in the womb compared to those babies. Three weeks is a long time for a tiny baby like that.


----------



## Norasmomma (Feb 26, 2008)

My Dd was 41 weeks exactly-she was as the nurse said "the most alert newborn" she'd ever seen. DD looked everyone in the eye and made full eye contact(with her HUGE blue eyes, she still has those), all my family and ILs said she was SOOO alert. She was as the OP described her son, could hold her head up, turn her head and just was not the "typical" newborn. She still isn't typical, she is the most outgoing, talkative, 2 year old I have ever seen(oh maybe my SIL's kids are on the same level).

I also took fish oil and from day one I said her cognitive skills were at a high level because of that. I truly believe this because of the research I did about fish oil in utero, it makes a big difference. She still gets the comment of "Wow she's so outgoing and bright." My BIL is always amazed when he sees her, he is always saying how smart she is. IDK, I think it has to do more with her personality, that's just how she is.


----------



## BetsyS (Nov 8, 2004)

My two were born at 41 weeks and 41 5/7 weeks.

They were both very alert as newborns. They also both had very dry, cracking skin, very long finger/toenails, and they both had meconium (the second without labor). The second one has so much hair that it looks like a baby toupee.


----------



## Liquesce (Nov 4, 2006)

My 40 week child was more alert, *but* my 37 week child had a touch of jaundice which could account for her greater sleepiness overall, and her head control was much better. Of course she was also about a pound and a half heavier.


----------



## peskyflylady (Apr 14, 2008)

Hmmm, both my children were late, both extremely strong and alert. However, the one born at 40 weeks 2 days is stronger than my daughter who was born at 41 weeks 3 days.

The difference between the two is that I was much more careful about my diet with the last pregnancy because I had gestational diabetes with the first and knew I was going to have to be careful. My doctor is convinced that all the protein my diet consisted of makes strong, healthy babies. I had a lot more protein with the second child from a lot earlier on.


----------



## EBeth0000 (Aug 19, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *onelilguysmommy* 
yep, mine was almost 43 weeks, had head control and could roll from birth, wqs very alert, etc. no anything on him, he came out clean and peeling severely. he was never "newborn-y" at all. the doc AND our doc even said he came out acting 2+mo.

my second was born at almost 41 weeks and was more babyish. hes done everything later than the first one, except for being super alert as well, everything else was a lot more on schedule with what everyone is told is "normal"

Ditto for our 43 weeker. No peeling, though. DS much like a 4-6week old, rolled over at 3 days, could hold head up on tummy and great head control when held upright. very alert as well but I've heard that's common all natural births at term. No studies that I've heard of yet.


----------



## njbeachgirl (Oct 8, 2006)

My son was born at 41 weeks 2 days and had several signs of postmaturity. Long nails, peeling, absolutely no vernix, and something with the placenta and something with his feet too (dn't remember what MW said). He has also had head control since birth and is super alert- and yes, people comment on it all the time! He smiled early as well and is now 8 weeks but seems so much older. I think DD was a little more "newborn-y". She was 40 weeks 2 days.


----------

