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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

What gestation did you give birth?

94 replies

Madden21 · 30/04/2025 23:40

Curious to know! For those of you who are 100% sure on the date of conception, what gestation did you give birth?

I’m sure on my due date, however the NHS have put me a week earlier which is obviously impossible. I imagine baby is just measuring bigger than expected. I’m sure I’ll be encouraged to induce or book a c section if baby is ‘overdue’.

When I’m ‘40 weeks’, I’ll actually be 39 weeks based off when I know we conceived.

So, did your baby come on the due date you calculated or were they early/late?!

OP posts:
maddiemookins16mum · 07/05/2025 19:55

36+1 for me. She was 100% conceived on my 40th birthday. I still blame the white port in Lisbon 20 years on.

GetDressedYouMerryGentlemen · 07/05/2025 19:49

Have you factored in the (roughly) two week of not being pregnant yet that are counted in the system of dating from your last period?

As I.have said earlier in the thread no one pushed me for sweeps or induction before 42 weeks although mine was born 15 years ago. You can refuse intervention and say you are happy to wait for natural to take it's course but by the time you are lugging a fully formed baby about you might feel differently about hurrying things along. I was total over being pregnant by 38 weeks, bored witless by 40 weeks and begging my midwife to step in at 41 weeks.

Madden21 · 07/05/2025 19:02

CountryQueen · 07/05/2025 17:54

Why would they start “hounding” you? Is there more to this such as a high risk pregnancy hence the scan at 7 weeks?

it’s well known they don’t like people to go overdue. They like you to start considering sweeps and inductions and so on. They’ve dated me 1 week earlier than physically possible so I personally wont even entertain the idea of a sweep and induction before ‘41 weeks’ as I’ll actually only be 40 weeks.
And no, the pregnancy isn’t high risk but I have had multiple early miscarriages.

OP posts:
Holidaysandsunshine · 07/05/2025 19:00

I was 100% sure and they brought date forward by a week and I was sure baby would be a week late (aka correct according to me) but baby arrived just a smidge after due date. 40plus1 so maybe they where right or maybe baby was ready at 39 weeks. Who knows. FYI all my babies have been brought forward a week and arrive around due date but I wasnt so sure with others. So it could also be something about me!

CountryQueen · 07/05/2025 17:54

Why would they start “hounding” you? Is there more to this such as a high risk pregnancy hence the scan at 7 weeks?

JustAMum31 · 06/05/2025 22:39

My dates matched the NHS dates exactly 😊Went for my 12 week scan expecting a more accurate date…to be given the exact same date and told there was no need for a revised date as it was accurate.

I ended up having to be induced at 39+4 but it took a looooong time and baby was born bang on 40 weeks on the due date given 😊

SomeDanceToForget · 06/05/2025 22:31

Madden21 · 06/05/2025 22:11

@SomeDanceToForgetDid the NHS get your due dates correct?

Sorry, just realised that my post didn’t really explain that.

They matched my dates with my first.

With my second, my own dates put me 6 days ahead of what they said. So according to them I suppose I gave birth at 40+5, but I was sure of my dates so I class it as 41+4. They said she looked overdue, I think they could tell by her skin from what I remember. She was also about a pound heavier than my first. I’m confident that I was right about my dates.

elm26 · 06/05/2025 22:13

My dates matched NHS dates exactly, I was induced at 38 weeks and gave birth dead on 39 weeks. X

Madden21 · 06/05/2025 22:11

@SomeDanceToForgetDid the NHS get your due dates correct?

OP posts:
SomeDanceToForget · 06/05/2025 01:12

First was born at 39+6.
Second was born at 41+4. I was due to be induced the next day.

elliejjtiny · 06/05/2025 01:07

41+4 - spontaneous - on the day I had an appointment to discuss induction
40+6 - spontaneous - on the day I was supposed to be induced
40+2 - spontaneous - this time I was in the hospital minutes away from being induced, ds3 still does everything last minute!
35+3 - cat 3 emergency c-section
36+6 - cat 1 emergency c-section.

All of the hospital due dates matched mine. The consultant thought my due date might be wrong with ds4 because he came out more poorly than they thought he should be and his brain looked like a 33 week baby. I a as certain of my dates though and he weighed 7lb 2oz and 50cm long so there is no way he was a 33 week baby.

MaybeItsJustTimeToStop · 06/05/2025 01:05

38+1
39+5
Both spontaneous labour's. Both NHS due date aligned with my dates.

TandemFeeder · 06/05/2025 00:54

39 weeks and 38+6. Both spontaneous labours.

mondaytosunday · 06/05/2025 00:47

I know when I git pregnant as last period was in my honeymoon and I was regular as clockwork. First baby my waters broke at just under 37 weeks (second baby planned se toon at 38 weeks so doesn’t really count). Both very big - 4.7kg the first one. I don’t recall them changing the dates they went off mine.

uncomfortablydumb60 · 05/05/2025 23:34

38+3, 40w, 40w+3 hours!

Thismomlikesknitting · 05/05/2025 23:19

First come on due date
Second come 41 weeks
Third 38 weeks
Fourth 36 weeks

MummyJ36 · 05/05/2025 23:14

DC1 went to 42 weeks! They arrived on the day I was booked in for my induction. I know not everyone in my shoes would have chosen to wait until 42 weeks but it felt like the right decision at the time. I wasn’t really mentally ready to give birth for the majority of my pregnancy and something just seemed to lift once I got 41 weeks plus and lovely DC2 arrived after a sweep.

DC2 arrived 39+4 but they were an ELCS as they were a big baby so the choice was made for me.

Stopthatplease · 03/05/2025 14:25

First went into labour 38+5, born by emcs at 39 weeks. Second had planned c section booked for 39+1, went into labour at 38+5 and went ahead with the section later that day anyway.
Due date moved from 12th April to 6th April by NHS scans with second child. Kind of relieved it all happened early, suppose i was lucky that i didn't get to 42 weeks with either of them, it gets mighty uncomfortable by the end.

Unicornetto · 03/05/2025 13:59

They measure from 40 weeks of your last period not from when you conceive. Then the date usually changes at your 12 week scan based on measurements, well it did 8 years ago not sure if they still do the same!

BakewellGin1 · 03/05/2025 13:54

I was 35 weeks and 39 weeks with mine.

I knew my exact date with first as me and DH were only just getting back together and he was away with work both before and after.

Imagine the chaos it caused when they insisted date of conception was two weeks prior (which was actually impossible as no sex with anyone never mind DH)... yeah thanks midwives that was helpful to the newly rekindled relationship!!

DelphiniumBlue · 03/05/2025 13:50

36 weeks, 37 weeks, 37 weeks.
I think 40 weeks is an average, except of course no one goes to 42/43 weeks these days. So not an average in the true sense of the word, more a sort of approximation.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 03/05/2025 13:35

I was 10 days early with ds1 and ds3, and a week early with ds2.

lilylooleelala · 03/05/2025 13:34

My daughter came exactly on her due date, very early morning/midnight.

Whenyoupickapawpaw · 03/05/2025 13:25

41+3, first time mum. Waters broke on the day of my planned induction and contractions started soon after.

Utterlyincandescently · 01/05/2025 10:23

41 weeks exactly, according to my dates. 40+4 by their dates, but I knew the exact day we conceived because it was a condom mishap lol