Staying Well

40 weeks may seem like a long time to be pregnant, but do you know the health risks associated with an early elective delivery?Pregnancy may seem like an overwhelmingly long waiting game to meet your baby, and as a result you might consider an early elective delivery.An early elective delivery is a non-medical procedure performed to deliver your baby on a specific date two or three weeks prior to your pregnancy's full term.According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, doctors have been warning against early elective delivery since 1979. However, some women do not want to wait the full 40 weeks and decide on an early elective delivery at 37-38 weeks.Even though it doesn't seem harmful to induce labor before the full term, there are some major risks for both you and your baby.One of the most significant risks is that your baby is still growing and developing organs up until the last week of your pregnancy. Your baby's lungs, brain and liver are among the last organs to develop at the end