Unexpectedly Early: Supporting Premature Babies & Their Families

Timing is everything when it comes to a pregnancy.

From choosing an opportune time in your life to plan a pregnancy, to using an ovulation calendar to determine a window when fertility is highest, to calculating the date of conception and due date, to impatiently waiting for your new bundle to arrive, keeping track of time is an important part of the process.

Of course, when it comes to children, all parents quickly learn to expect the unexpected. That first lesson often occurs if the baby arrives earlier (or later) than anticipated. If the baby arrives a few weeks before the due date or a couple weeks late, it is within a range typically associated with normal, healthy births. However, a baby born earlier than 37 weeks of pregnancy is at greater risk for complications including lifelong health impacts.