Full Moon and Science...

lifesabeach85

So I tend to be a bit of a skeptic when it comes to old wives tales (I eat pineapple with no fear of labor induction, I reach my arms over my head without worrying about choking my baby, what can I say I live on the edge)

However my mother is a true believer in the full moon/labor connection so I asked my doctor today and to my surprise she said "yes, sort of"

According to her, while it has not been shown to lead to contractions starting, the change in the barometric pressure in conjunction with the full moon CAN lead to waters breaking (if they are basically ready to go anyway - no need to panic). Or at least there is a correlation.

Anyway I thought that was sorta cool. Thoughts/comments/doubts welcome!

dkizz82

Well let me tell you as a teacher, full moons affect kids so I have no doubt it can affect a pregnancy if you are really close anyway.

amorgan71313

I worked in a psychology office for a few months years ago and it was always a little (or a lot) crazier than usual during a full moon!! I believe it

acgonzalez22

My sister went into labor during a hurricane and the hospital said it was because of the pressure, so why not the moon too.

ashleyo1992

I had a labor scare last week. I say scare because I was 36 weeks at the time and luckily stalled at 4 cm d. But it's all the family can talk about now. My mother asked me when the next full moon was because that aparently will be when I go back in to labor lol.

breezymeema7

A good friend of mine works as a l&d nurse. I've asked her about the whole full moon thing and she said for whatever reason, it almost always gets busier at work on a full moon. Not always more babies being born, but women coming in for all sorts of different reasons.

ambercdc

I was born on a full moon, and there was an article in the newspaper about the record number of births that night. Definitely think there is something to it

lifesabeach85

dkizz82 said:

Well let me tell you as a teacher, full moons affect kids so I have no doubt it can affect a pregnancy if you are really close anyway.

I'm a teacher too - I've never thought about this!

The main correlation I notice with my students is that whenever papers are due and midterms and exams are coming up is an extremely dangerous time to be a grandparent. They get sick and die at much higher than average rates. Every semester.

Thj417

The moon cycle definitely effects us in a multitude of ways. Work in mental health field full time.

That said, last pregnancy I was past my due date, there was a full moon, but no baby came lol!! It took several more days of waiting.

cubberss

I believe it! My boss is a doula and says she has way more clients go into labour on full moons, and that the hospital is always crazier then, too.

HarleenQuinz86

I work with people in memory care and the full moon and new moon definitely make their sun downing way worse than any other time of the month.

brielee333

I didn't think I believed it. Then I had preterm contractions on the last two full moons. The first time, I had to go to the hospital for three days to get them to stop. I have a c section scheduled for a few days after the next full moon. Part of me thinks she might end up trying to bust out again.

jentatu

My husband totally makes fun of me because I believe that the full moon causes choas. I work as a nurse at my local hospital, and every time there is a full moon all hell seems to break loose!

KaylaLovesNoah

That. Would. Be. Awesome! I'll be 39 weeks exactly, so baby would only be a week early! I'm totally in to that!! :-bd

Saratiff

So seriously I am nurse worked in a hospital for four years. I believe in science. There is no science that says full moons bring on labor, or crazy behavior whatever.

But I can also tell you that a full moon will fill up an empty hospital and make the sweetest patients ( and not so sweet for that matter) go crazy as sure as death and taxes. We can tell a full moon without looking out the window.

brielee333

My mother in law is a nurse and I am a teacher. We recently had a conversation about how nurses and teachers believe in the power of the full moon. From the looks of this, we were on to something.

pabeybaby

My dad was a paramedic for many years and always said they had the most calls during a full moon. A friend of mine is a 911 operator and she said the same thing. Awoooo!

Kwest1007

Working in healthcare, I def believe in the effects of the full moon!

dkizz82

lbeach5885 said:

dkizz82 said:

Well let me tell you as a teacher, full moons affect kids so I have no doubt it can affect a pregnancy if you are really close anyway.

I'm a teacher too - I've never thought about this!

The main correlation I notice with my students is that whenever papers are due and midterms and exams are coming up is an extremely dangerous time to be a grandparent. They get sick and die at much higher than average rates. Every semester.

Ha! I teach the little guys and I swear they don't shut up and the are I trouble all day. I won't even know it's a full moon when I go to work but I'll know in a matter of hours. Lol.

dkizz82

KaylaLovesNoah said:

That. Would. Be. Awesome! I'll be 39 weeks exactly, so baby would only be a week early! I'm totally in to that!! :-bd

Me too! Since I'll be full term I say bring it on!

kelseyrayay

This is kinda funny to me! Not saying I believe it but the first time I started having contractions and going into labor when they had to stop it was on the last full moon we had. Let's hope this doesn't hold true on the next one.

CaliforniaDream87

Meh, I'm still a doubter. We shall see I guess!

alexispete

My mom is a labor and delivery nurse and she swears that this is true. She says that every full moon L&D is slammed and that she knows I will go into labor next week because of it

kettlekitten

The distance of the earth from the moon affects tides.... So why not humans? After all we are 70-odd percent water....

chshannon

So when is the next full moon?

SashaDenn25

Its July 31st and my mom just keeps saying oh the full moon is that night, i,think youll go then. My thoughts?? My mom was crazy before that statement! Lol My other thoughts...I think it will be interesting to see how many moms with first week of August due dates go into labor that night even if it is just a coincidence.

Edit: wanted to add the councidence part just bc in a skeptic about the whole full moon thing.

holli0801

Yup, our L&D is always busier with full moons. They schedule extra staff.

KendrakayeT

The July 31st full moon is also a BLUE moon (2nd full moon in the month)!

benmel31

KendrakayeT said:

The July 31st full moon is also a BLUE moon (2nd full moon in the month)!

Just to add some humor to the blue moon part, I was reading comments on a FB post of people wanting to know when exactly they could see the BLUE moon because they had never seen the moon blue before!

gladdyola

I was thinking about this earlier!
EDD is August 2nd but if the full moon is the 31st maybe she will come a few days early! It would be really fun to share a birthday with her (July 30th)

Definitely a believer that things get crazy on a full moon, let's see what happens!

mimigrace12

It'll be quiet interesting to see on August 1 how many people are posting birth announcements!

Robin910

Due August 5th, it would be nice if it were true but I highly doubt it will effect me. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with everyone though!

louiseambrose

My EDD is 8/29, which is a full moon. I'm counting on it to jump start labor that night.

kristigirl02

My EDD is Aug 3rd. My doctor is going to induce me that day, so I'd rather deliver naturally on the 31st! Fingers crossed!

EmEeGee

When I worked in an adult hospital our computer system allowed us to see the incoming complaints and admission causes for the ER (no actual patient information -HIPPA and all that) and it was super entertaining to check it out on night shifts during a full moon. I can't speak to the L&D aspect of it... But the crazies came out in full!

MrsCeballos

Due date is on August 1st so if my water broke on the full moon I would be A-OK with that. Plus it's my hubby's first day of leave from work so it would just work out wonderfully. Bring on the full moon!!

ptelfra

For some reason I've had a feeling since about my 7th month of pregnancy that I'll go into labor and or have baby boy on July 31st.. and now finding out about this full/blue moon just creeped me out!! Imagine!! I really had no idea since I don't pay much mind to the moon and its effects etc idk, that would be really weird though. EDD August 8th but let's see @-)

dkizz82

ptelfra said:

For some reason I've had a feeling since about my 7th month of pregnancy that I'll go into labor and or have baby boy on July 31st.. and now finding out about this full/blue moon just creeped me out!! Imagine!! I really had no idea since I don't pay much mind to the moon and its effects etc idk, that would be really weird though. EDD August 8th but let's see @-)

That's my EDD too and DH and mom have said she'd come August 1. Maybe I'll go into labor July 31 and have bet August 1.

MissV22C

Hubby is a police officer and definitely vouches for full moon madness, though he finds that for the most part it's an increase in issues and crimes with individuals affected by mental illness - generally a lot of hospital drop offs around this time.

Due 11th of August so I suspect/hope it won't bring anything on, much as we'd love to meet her!

Huler

dkizz82 said:

Well let me tell you as a teacher, full moons affect kids so I have no doubt it can affect a pregnancy if you are really close anyway.

Yes!! I can always tell if it's a full moon by what's going on in the classroom. Ten years experience.

cjollyrn

EDD 8/3. Totally wouldn't mind the full moon jump starting things. And I worked nights in the ICU for the last 5 years...totally crazier on full moon nights. Plus, I always thought that the full moon lasted at least 3 days...