Speaking of Due Dates!

Emerald27 · April 2014

Based on this research, our "due dates" aren't totally relevant anyway.

Check this out:

"The length of a human pregnancy can vary naturally by as much as five weeks"

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130806203327.htm

Arctic_Seal · April 2014

I have always figured this a bit. I grew up on a hobby farm and gestational periods and due dates were never exact. I figure people are a bit like animals like that you don't know how long it takes you, specifically, to grow a baby.

crystal8503 · April 2014

5 weeks is a bit much and there are woman who take this very seriously, which puts their unborn child at increased risk. The placenta gets old and isn't able to peovide what it needs to in order to keep a baby healthy and thriving while in utero. While I do find this to have merit because every body is different, I do think there is a point in time when a woman needs to listen to their doctor.

Emerald27 · April 2014

crystal8503 said:
5 weeks is a bit much and there are woman who take this very seriously, which puts their unborn child at increased risk. The placenta gets old and isn't able to peovide what it needs to in order to keep a baby healthy and thriving while in utero. While I do find this to have merit because every body is different, I do think there is a point in time when a woman needs to listen to their doctor.

I'm not a fan of doctors setting an arbitrary induction date for their patients, but I do think it's important for mothers to be monitored for proper amniotic fluid levels, umbilical cord resistance, and placenta calcification. As long as all is well, baby can keep cookin' until he/she is ready.

Surromel · April 2014

I would look at 5 weeks variation probably being between 37 weeks to 42 weeks. Still not too far past the "due date" of 40 weeks, but with much of a chance of it coming earlier (which many do). I've never heard someone say they went to 44 weeks, that sounds crazy!!

Justabean3 · April 2014

Surromel said:
I would lo
ok at 5 weeks variation probably being between 37 weeks to 42 weeks. Still not too far past the "due date" of 40 weeks, but with much of a chance of it coming earlier (which many do). I've never heard someone say they went to 44 weeks, that sounds crazy!!

I read the article at first at 40-45 weeks, ahhhh. But no I think you are right and it is variance from 37-42 weeks.

jellybean0110 · April 2014

Surromel said:

I would look at 5 weeks variation probably being between 37 weeks to 42 weeks. Still not too far past the "due date" of 40 weeks, but with much of a chance of it coming earlier (which many do). I've never heard someone say they went to 44 weeks, that sounds crazy!!

I was going to say exactly this! I didn't read the article but since there is a 5 week span between 37 and 42 weeks which is the span that is generally considered full term by the medical community it's not really that surprising. I went into labor on my own with DS at 41w. My SIL has 4 and she was never induced with any of hers because she always went into labor before 40w. So yes, every woman (and every pregnancy) is different!

SusieBW · April 2014

Emerald27 said:

5 weeks is a bit much and there are woman who take this very seriously, which puts their unborn child at increased risk. The placenta gets old and isn't able to peovide what it needs to in order to keep a baby healthy and thriving while in utero. While I do find this to have merit because every body is different, I do think there is a point in time when a woman needs to listen to their doctor.
I'm not a fan of doctors setting an arbitrary induction date for their patients, but I do think it's important for mothers to be monitored for proper amniotic fluid levels, umbilical cord resistance, and placenta calcification. As long as all is well, baby can keep cookin' until he/she is ready.

ITA with this. I was 41w1d with DD when I agreed to a c/s because of issues with my af levels. I had really hoped for a natural birth, and part of me wanted to give it at least a few more days, but with 2x/week NSTs and u/s to monitor how things were going from 39w on, I trusted that my doctors knew what they were talking about when they told me that it was the safest thing for DD and for me if we got her out of there right away.

But otherwise, I agree that the 5 week span from 37w to 42w sounds about right. Everyone is different, and even every pregnancy is different.

mghnmouse · April 2014

I always call them "guess dates" because they have yet to apply to me. Same for my mom. I was her third and came 11 days "late" doctors would have freaked today over that. My babies come when they are ready to. I know several mom's that have gone to 43 weeks and they could have gone longer based on the health of the placenta and appropriate amount of AF, and their babies were thriving. I agree that it does not work that way for every woman, but I dislike "due" dates being used as a deadline. So much room for error and a week is a huge deal to a baby as far as lung development.

Lele74 · April 2014

Interesting read. Thanks for sharing!

crystal8503 · April 2014

Emerald27 said:

5 weeks is a bit much and there are woman who take this very seriously, which puts their unborn child at increased risk. The placenta gets old and isn't able to peovide what it needs to in order to keep a baby healthy and thriving while in utero. While I do find this to have merit because every body is different, I do think there is a point in time when a woman needs to listen to their doctor.
I'm not a fan of doctors setting an arbitrary induction date for their patients, but I do think it's important for mothers to be monitored for proper amniotic fluid levels, umbilical cord resistance, and placenta calcification. As long as all is well, baby can keep cookin' until he/she is ready.

I'm not trying to take anything away from you or say your thinking is wrong, I just think there are too many people out there who push the envelope because they know better than their doctor. I fully agree doctors need to listen to their patients and not push their views, but there is also a time when the patient needs to understand the doctors only goal is a healthy and living baby. I don't think pregnancy is cookie cutter, but people need to educate themselves on all aspects of delivery because your end result not not be what you want. I didn't have the med free, laboring away from my bed, vaginal birth with delayed cord clamping and immediate skin to skin. Instead I listened to my provider and safely delivered a healthy baby by cesarean after 26 hours of labor with regression in dilation. The big picture is much more important than who got to be right and this his the sad trend I'm seeing. Not everyone is as level minded as you, or me, or tons of other women here.

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