One of the first things every pregnant woman is asked is: When are you due?
It’s a super common question and one that can be easily answered. That’s because it’s one of the first things your midwife or doctor figures out when you have your first prenatal visit!
Unless you did fertility treatments like IVF, you may not know the exact date you conceived. So your midwife or doctor uses the date of your last missed period and your average cycle length to determine your due date.
The problem is, it’s not accurate science. It is a guess. However, many women view it as an expiration date. Baby will come on this day!
But only something like 5% of babies are born on their actual due dates, so the odds are, you will have your little bundle earlier – or later.
So what does this all mean? Some midwifes and doctors are starting to use “due weeks” instead of a hard-and-fast due date, because it is not only more accurate, but it takes the pressure off delivering on a specific day that is (basically) arbitrary.
The bottom line is, babies play by their own rules and no one knows exactly why they choose to come when they come.
As hard as it is, try not to focus on your due date (or even your due week!). We all want that predictability for planning or just peace of mind, but there is really no way to tell how and when your baby will make his or her appearance earth side.
Putting too much significance on a single date (or really, a single week) can put too much pressure on the mom-to-be, who already has enough on her plate.
Everything Birth
At Everything Birth, we hope you have a happy, healthy and peaceful birth!