Baby Viability

I know most pregnant women are anxious for 40 weeks and then a lifetime to follow. Having had miscarriages, I still feel like the bottom can fall out from under me. In my heart of hearts, I know everything is going well and the baby is doing great. But the one comforting nugget of information is with each passing week, the baby becomes more and more viable if I delivered very early. I originally heard the real viability date was 24 weeks. Well on Private Practice a couple weeks ago, a baby born at 24 weeks had no shot of making it. That was a dagger and yes, I am aware it is a fictional show and Addison Montgomery is not actual an Neonatal extraordainaire.

Today I turn 25 weeks, which means in baby terms that I have completed 24 weeks. I set out to find out the viability at this point and moving forward. Here is what I came across in my quest for peace of mind.

Completed Weeks at Birth / Survival
23 weeks 10-40%
24 weeks 40-70%
25 weeks 50-80%
26 weeks 80-90%
27 weeks >90%
30 weeks >95%
34 weeks >98%


A baby's chances for survival increases 3-4% per day between 23 and 24 weeks of gestation and about 2-3% per day between 24 and 26 weeks of gestation. After 26 weeks the rate of survival increases at a much slower rate because survival is high already.

The chart below I found on babyandbump.com and it shows the instances of complications at different gestational weeks. This one is a bit more sobering.

23 weeks - 10-20% survival, 90% rate of serious medical complications
24 weeks - 60% survival, 75% complications
25 weeks - 70% survival, 55% complications
26 weeks - 80% survival, 45% complications
27 weeks - 85% survival, 40% complications
28 weeks - 80% survival, 35% complications
29 weeks - 90% survival, 30% complications
30 weeks - 95% survival, 25% complications
31 weeks - 96% survival, 20% complications
32 weeks - 97% survival, 15% complications
33 weeks - 98% survival, 12% complications
34 weeks - 98% survival, 10% complications
35 weeks - 99% survival, 8% complications
36 weeks - 99+% survival, 5% complications
37 weeks - full term!


All throughout pregnancy, I kept saying to myself if I get to X point (longer than previous failed pregnancy, first trimester, 20 week ultrasound) I will breathe easy. But the truth is I probably won't until he is here.