So it's June 11 and according to our little Widget from 3dpregnancy, I am 7 days overdue. Not so according to our midwife. Our Widget takes it cues from the so-called Naegele's rule for how to calculate due dates. According to the German obstetrician Dr. Naegele (1778-1851), pregnancy lasts 10 moon months, that is, 10 months of 4 weeks each, or 40 weeks total (apparently, this was the common understanding among most obstetricians at that time, as it had been from the time of ancient Rome). Though Dr. Naegele's rule has since been disputed by Drs. Mittendorf and Williams (with a study released in 1990), Dr. Naegele's rule remains the standard by which most U.S. obstetricians (and online pregnancy calendars like the one we've been using from 3dpregnancy) predict due dates. As a result, many women (me included!) get very antsy as the 'due date' they've been given passes. Even more troublesome, the norm of 40 weeks gestations results in more inductions and in turn complications than necessary. For as Drs. Mittendorf and Williams have found, most white middle-class first-time moms gestate for 41 weeks and 1 days, while women who have given birth before gestate for 40 weeks and 3 days. If I conceived 9 calendar months ago, on September 11, as we think I did, I am at 41 weeks and 1 day today. I'm due, but not overdue.
p.s. While our midwife gave us June 11 as our due date, one week later than the June 4 due date given to us by our ob.gyn., the ultrasound technician we saw back in January gave us May 31 as the due date. However, studies show that due dates predicted as a result of ultrasounds after the first trimester have an even higher error margin than Dr. Naegele's rule or first trimester ultrasounds.
4 comments:
Thanks for the update and the interesting info! I did not know that about first-time moms. Don't you find it fascinating that since you know how to do research, you research everything that interests you to the nth degree? I do that too. It must be an academic thing. Am looking forward to hearing of baby's arrival!
patience, patience!!
My doctor described the decision to go into labor as one made "by committee" between the the baby, the placenta and the mother. The mother's body might send a note to the other two saying, "I'm ready" and one of the others might respond, "nope, not yet." Only when all parties are in agreement does the whole thing proceed. I found it to be a strange thing as a modern, thinking woman to have my body off attending meetings without my mind having any say in the matter. It's amazing the things a woman's body can do! Here's to women!! And may the timing turn out to be just right.
Well, as someone whose baby arrived two full weeks before the due date, all I can say is enjoy the calm before the storm!
I second Tara's comment about how fascinating and weird it is what one's body can do without the mind being involved. Although having said that, I was utterly surprised at how mental the actual pushing part of labor was for me. I didn't experience the urge to bear down that they always talk about, and thus had to think each push through mentally, even mathematically. Completely unexpected and counter-intuitive. But of course no birth can be predicted or planned...
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