Messages Friends and Family Can Share with Parents-to-be

At least 39 weeks is best for baby!

Babies need time to grow:

9 months X 4 weeks per month = 36 weeks of pregnancy, right?

WRONG!

In a healthy pregnancy, babies need at least 39 weeks to develop fully. When babies are delivered by induction or c-section before 39 weeks they can sometimes experience complications that may keep them in the hospital longer.

If a mother is having a healthy pregnancy with no complications, the family should support her through those last tough weeks of pregnancy and encourage her to go into labor naturally for her health and the health of her baby.

Importance of Fathers

Fathers are very important before, during, and after pregnancy. Family and friends of the mother and father can encourage participation of the father in the pregnancy and the baby’s life. Women whose partners are involved with a pregnancy have better success at quitting smoking during pregnancy, are more likely to breastfeed, are more likely to seek prenatal care, and less likely to have their babies die in their first year of life.

For more information about dads, visit www.fatherhood.gov.

Safe Sleep

There are steps you - and everyone who cares for your baby - can take to ensure safe infant sleep.

Visit DSHS webpages Safe Infant Sleep or Sueno Infantil Seguro for ways to reduce baby’s risk.

Welcome the Baby into a Safe Home

Make sure everyone who will have contact with the baby has had their flu and TdaP shots.

Baby-proof the whole house and have older homes tested for lead.

Make sure the baby is never left alone or in an unsafe place, like a hot car or around water.

The Texas Department of State Health Services does not endorse external links to other websites or documents created by other agencies. These links and documents are informational and may not be accessible to persons with disabilities.