Thanks to everyone who participated in my themed weekend! If you're hungry for more information on labor & delivery, feel free to click on that tab under "Categories" on my right side bar. That's where you'll find all of my past posts on the topic.
Here are a few of my favorites...
Final Hours: What to Do the Week Before Labor & Delivery
Drugs vs. No Drugs in Labor: What I Chose and Why
If you're currently pregnant, I thought I'd leave you with a few thoughts about "due dates" from Peggy O'mara's book - Having a Baby Naturally (Atria Books, 2003).
"Not so long ago doctors would give a very rough estimate of arrival, telling their parents to expect the baby in late January or early February, for example. Nowadays, midwives and doctors calculate the due date [differently]...However, most people don't realize how rough this calculation really is, even when it is combined with a first trimester ultrasound to measure the baby's size. Eighty percent of pregnancies last somewhere between thirty-eight and forty weeks. Only 5 percent of babies arrive on their actual due date..."
I think maybe when people ask me when I'm due with #2 (when I get pregnant, that is), I'll say something vague like, "Oh, in mid-February..." So much less pressure, don't you think?
I'm so glad you put this in here. Due dates REALLY bug me. They are based on a 28 day menstrual cycle and how many women have a 28 day cycle every month without fail? I sure don't. My little guy came 3 weeks early and was a healthy 7lbs, 2oz. On the other hand my sister-in-law went two weeks over and her son was just a little over 8lbs. I hate when doctors take a healthy pregnancy and enduce labor just because their calendars say it's time. How about letting the baby and body tell the doctor when it's time for a change?
Oh yes! I did this w/#2, and it came in very handy when she was 10 days "late." Her due "date" was Sept. 17, & I told people she was due at the end of Sept., so I didn't have to put up w/any nagging comments!
Yes! What a great idea. If I have another one, my plan is to either go vague (late July) or simply say a date LATER than the actual one. I know someone who always said their due date was 10 days later than the actual due date. That way, she didn't have to deal with all of the calls and questions!
Mine was 10 days late, so I was sick and tired of people bugging me! And it began LONG before then, too.