Due Dates are Irrelephant!

Before I dive in to this blog head first, I am going to dip my toe in timidly by saying that I am not innocent in recognizing just how flexible a "due date" is. With my second daughter (eight days past her EDD in August thankyouverymuch) I sat on my labor ball twenty-four-seven agonizing over the idea that my child would never come out naturally. That being said, I squeaked in at 41 weeks and 1 day with a totally natural 4 hour birth. I focused so much on those numbers, 40 weeks, 41 weeks. My due date was July 31st, so whatever day it was in August was how many days I was overdue. Here is where I want to ask- who in the world came up with these numbers and why do we obsess over them?

Photo Credit: Pius Mahimbi

Forty weeks is the estimated gestation of a sweet human baby. That is 280 days. However, conception doesn't occur until 14 days in, so really a woman is pregnant when she is on her period according to this system. In almost every single situation there is no way of really knowing when conception occurs, doctors estimate based on the average women's cycle and then based on an average pregnancy a magical date is generated. Except, it's not magic. The growing baby doesn't have a calendar or smart phone to remind them to get going. A women's uterus does not suddenly snap when that time comes. There is no physiological eviction notice that is served when the clock strikes midnight. For many women, a due date comes and goes like any other day. In fact, only about 5% of babies (a generous estimate) are born on their due date. To put it in perspective, there are 21 days that a baby is considered "term": 39 - 42 weeks (according to ACOG), and mere probability with no other factors would give a 4.76% chance of a baby being born on any of those days.

All of this is not undermining the fact that going past a due date isn't fun. There is merit to the due date: the estimation allows a care provider to monitor uterine growth, assist in diagnoses and treatment of certain conditions, and of course give a mother an idea of when is probably not the best time for a romantic Parisian vacation or something. My point in all of this is you (or I) might pass a due date and that's okay! What is more important than popping a baby out on that arbitrary date circled on your calendar is allowing your body and baby to prepare for the labor and delivery process. There are so many things working together right at the end for a perfect harmony of labor and by allowing it to happen despite frustration or anticipation you are doing your mind and body a world of good.

Joyfully, Jess

Note: Photo credit to Pius Mahimbi. To view more of this artists work please view the Flickr account on this link