What is it about those two little words…”due date”? They can cause stress, excitement, and so much anticipation…but yet, we all know it really is sort of irrelevant: that ONE date. I have started referring to a “birth window” (2 weeks around the due date), which seems so much more relevant, but society surely hasn’t caught onto this idea.
Sunday (April 12) was my due date. I had really seriously convinced myself I was going to go early with this baby; my body just felt ready and everything seemed to be accelerated. Our midwives chuckled when I told them my predictions. They said, well, perhaps you will…but in our experience, many second/third/fourth time moms feel this way and then voila they deliver on time or after their due dates. Just when you feel you couldn’t possibly make it to term…you do.
In fact, our midwives have a theory on predicting due dates. At some point late in pregnancy, a woman will plateau in her belly measurements. This is typically because the baby is dropping lower so your belly is not going out as much anymore. When the midwives see two plateaued measurements, 75% of their women see the midwives 3 more weeks. My measurements plateaued 2 weeks ago and I’ve seen the midwives once since. I have an appointment tomorrow. If I fall within their 75%, I have a little over a week to go.
It’s not that I wanted to go early. I didn’t. Not really. Well, maybe a week early would have been ok. A week and a half maybe? I am just tired of being pregnant. But early last week I was having dinner with some friends and we were talking about what we were grateful for, and I blurted out that I was grateful to still be pregnant. Every day that this baby stays in-tact means that baby is getting bigger, stronger, and fatter. All things that should make life on the outside easier (knocking on wood).
Nevertheless, making it to your due date is kind of fun. I celebrated my due date by going to yoga in the morning. As I’ve mentioned before, the studio is a fantastic place of support for me, and many people there shower me with compliments and well wishes. On Sunday, many people commented or made it a point to say hello to me. Ironically, many asked when I was due. I loved saying “TODAY!” The looks of astonishment and smiles were so fun. Afterwards, I went to Starbucks and had a few people ask me how far along I was. “Pretty far, considering TODAY is my due date!” Again, I received big eyes and amazement. I had many people check in and wish me “Happy Due Date.” I joked with some of my friends that restaurants should offer free food on your due date, like they do on your birthday.
All in all, I am feeling much more peaceful now that my due date has come and gone. I honestly felt so much more angst about whether I was going to go into labor the 3 weeks prior to my due date than I am feeling now. Now, I know it’s going to happen soon…like in less than 10 days. The window is narrowing on D-day and this gives me a lot of comfort.
So while I think a due date is sort of irrelevant, I do think it’s special. Many women often remember their due dates along with their childrens’ actual birth dates. I think this is because we spend so many months thinking and planning around the due date. It certainly warrants some sort of special treatment, right?
Did you make it to your due date? Did you celebrate or feel it was a special day? Did you have any feelings change on/after your due date passed?
guest
My first pregnancy I delivered 4 days after my due date and for my second pregnancy I delivered on my actual due date (which was extra fun). I loved celebrating my due date the first time around and for the second. Didn’t get a chance with #2. My doctor told me in France for first time moms they put the due date at 41 weeks. Don’t know if that’s true but it makes a whole lot of sense to me!!
grapefruit / 4819 posts
My first DD was born on her due date (spontaneous labour) and I was irrationally thrilled with that fact. I was convinced DD2 was either going to be early or arrive on her due date as well, but she’s a stubborn little thing and labour started at 2:00 am the morning after her due date, followed by her arrival only six hours later. I like to say she was 8 hours late but I have to admit, I’m still a bit disappointed I didn’t go two for two with having babies on their due dates! :-). Good luck and hope baby arrives soon!
guest
Forgot to say, CONGRATS making it to your due date and good luck in the days ahead
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
I was so sure I would go past my due date. I’d remind DH that it could happen anytime, but almost in a joking way, since haha of course I’d go past. Joke was on is since I went into labor two days before the due date. I also joked that the baby COULD be a girl (team green but 100% convinced it was a boy). Wrong on both counts.
squash / 13208 posts
My DS had a due date on my birthday so its hard not to think about every year – he was born 3 weeks early though so no sharing bdays here!
pear / 1696 posts
I was so convinced I was going to go over due (not sure why) with LO but he came at 38&4. I was in such denial I didn’t call my OB for seven hours after my water broke(he was breech so I needed to go in!)!
apricot / 490 posts
I loved telling people at a bakery (while I was scarfing down almond croissants) that my due date was three days ago!
Enjoy this special time no matter how uncomfortable you are!
pomegranate / 3401 posts
With my first, I didn’t make it to my due date….I only made it to 30w5d!
This time around I’m praying that I hit that magic due date!
pineapple / 12053 posts
@Foodnerd81: I was the same. I had appointments on and after my due date because I was sure I was going to be a week, if not two, late. I was shocked when my water broke 4 days before my due date!
blogger / pineapple / 12381 posts
I love this! It certainly would take a lot of pressure off of expectant moms when everyone is calling them and asking if baby is coming yet!
grape / 85 posts
Interesting about the belly plateauing theory. I went 2 weeks past my due date and one of my few sources of pleasure toward the end was telling random strangers who asked my due date, “Two weeks ago!”
blogger / nectarine / 2010 posts
I had both of my boys on their due dates. I was so convinced that my second was coming early. I looked done, I felt done, but he wasn’t done. I think I must have been feeling done so soon because he was a full 2lbs bigger than my first when he arrived. I wish he’d come early! If there’s ever a #3 (and pigs fly) I will fully anticipate arrival on his due date.