A baby is considered “done” by the 39th week of a pregnancy and BIG enough to be born. But, when it comes to babies….bigger is better.
You’ve reached the 39 week mark of your pregnancy……
IT’S TIME !
But, nothing has happened.
Should you “induce” ?
Your doctor is all for it. And you’ve definitely had enough.
Baby is big enough
The medical establishment consider ALL baby’s to be “done” by the 39th week of a pregnancy.
And to all intents and purposes, they are “right” – all the bits and pieces are definitely there. A baby born at the 39th weeks should have no trouble “making” it.
It is BIG enough.
Extra time in the womb, just fattens baby up a little bit.
But, when it comes to babies….
Bigger is BETTER
This is what a group of economists have concluded.
Yes, you read that correctly – ECONOMISTS reached this conclusion, this has nothing to do with the medical fraternity. Now economists don’t usually think about things on an individual level, they’re looking at the issue from the perspective of SOCIETY.
And…….. they’ve found bigger babies are better for the economy.
Birth weight matters
Now the idea that a person’s birth weight can have economic consequences to that individual, is not new.
Being born TOO SMALL, read TOO EARLY, is a BIG problem.
A premature baby, by definition, has a VERY low birth weight. And being born extremely early and surviving, is a big challenge – this leaves these individuals “disadvantaged’.
Premmies are not what these economists are thinking about.
They want full term babies to be bigger, because…..
The big baby WINS
Twins don’t weigh the same at birth – there is a “big” one and a “small” one. The difference is seldom huge, typically the difference amounts to 284 grams.
284 grams is NOTHING. The equivalent of three small apples.
But……….when it comes to academic performance, that 284 grams adds up. The bigger baby is the smarter baby.
ALWAYS !
The Florida twins
The economists crunched the numbers, managing to merge the birth records and school records, of all the sets of twins born in the state of Florida, between 1992 and 2002. This data set included 14 000 sets of twins.
The team found, the heavier twin was ALWAYS smarter.
The effect was seen across the board.
It happened in
- Twins born into low economic families and more wealthy families
- White, black and Hispanic twins
- Twins born to old Moms and to teen Moms, and everything in between
- Twins attending “good” schools, and not so “good” schools
- American born twins and twins born outside of the country
The difference in academic performance showed up in kindergarten, and persisted throughout the children’s schooling.
When it comes to brain power………..
284 grams matters
A nation’s brain power, ultimately drives it’s economy – so having bigger babies is good for business.
Unfortunately, birth weights are trending downwards, while Mom’s weights are trending upwards.
One of the biggest reasons for this, is that more premmies survive. Which is “good”. There are also more premmies. Eish ! This is not so “good” and the reasons for this are “complicated”.
But, the other big driver for this increase…………
Birth dates are “chosen”.
It’s 39 weeks
Let’s get the show on the road.
Labour is induced. And deliveries are increasingly via c-section. Mother Nature is no longer choosing, birthdays.
If you can. Let Mother Nature decide – she knows when she’s done.
The extra 284 grams added in that last week or two, is not just padding – it’s potentially BRAIN POWER.
The final touches happen in the last weeks before birth
Mother Nature waits till the end, to add the finishing touches, these finishing touches ensure the baby makes the transition from the womb, to world, smoothly.
Having a baby means you will need to budget for new shoes
Being pregnant is an expanding process. Fortunately with a little effort, you return to your former shape and size, well almost, your feet WILL be bigger.
A nation’s diet, trumps it’s economy, when it comes to education
The quality of a nation’s breast milk, impacts how smart the nation is. The more omega-3, the smarter the nation, the more omega-6, the dumber the nation.
If you are an expectant Mom or know someone that is – invite them to participate, so they can create Better Body Chemistry during their pregnancy and raise a HAPPY HEALTHY little one.