Due Dates or Guess Dates?

Mama, I know it's hard being pregnant. Your back hurts, your feet are swollen, you are uncomfortable no matter what you do. Everyone keeps asking you if the baby is here yet and giving all their advice on how to induce labor naturally. This may be helpful, unless it's your grandma telling you to just have sex because that’s what worked for her. YIKES! Not necessarily helpful. We've been where you are. It takes lots of patience with yourself.  

Did you know that an average of 5% of babies are actually born on their due dates? Don’t stress about that magical date of when your baby may or may not arrive. When moms hear ‘due date’ they think ‘due by’ and that can cause unnecessary stress and anxiety. Pregnancy typically lasts between 37-42 weeks not the usual 40 weeks that is calculated to term. The average length of a pregnancy for a first-time mom is 41 weeks and 3 days. You are not really ‘past your due date’ unless you carry your baby past 42 weeks. We shouldn’t place such an importance on the due date because it is a guesstimated date. If you refer to it as a guess date or a due month it will help you have a more positive experience around the arrival of your baby and take the stress away over a single date. Generally, due dates are estimated on your last menstrual period, and it’s predicted under the assumption that we all have 28-day cycles and ovulate on day 14. Not all women are the same. 

 If your provider suggests you be induced because you’re past your due date make sure you are well informed on B.R.A.I.N.S, which means benefits, risks, alternatives, intuition, and nothing. A first-time mom who is induced has a greater chance of having a Cesarean. We should mentally be prepared to go a week later. Our body and our baby know when to be born.  

So, what can start labor? Your baby will release a tiny hormone from their brain. It will travel to the placenta, into your bloodstream and signal the mom's brain to release what we call prostaglandins (which help soften the cervix) and also oxytocin, also known as the love hormone, that will help to stimulate labor contractions. With the presence of stress and anxiety, cortisol and adrenaline will go into ‘fight or flight’ mode and work against your body going into labor. I know it can be hard but try to cultivate a mindset of peace and contentment. Natural ways to induce labor may help if your baby is ready to be born. There are a lot of things you can do to prep your body for labor which will help you during labor but won't necessarily put you into labor. We get it you want that baby out! I promise you will not be pregnant forever.