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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think there's no need for such specificnees in pregnancy?

87 replies

ChaosTrulyReigns · 05/02/2014 11:53

I've noticed a new vogue for saying "I'm 26+3"(that was an example, other degrees of pregnancy are available).

Wha?

Yup, if you're nearly due or overdue and are practically counting in milliseconds, it's completely understandble, but whyohwhy during the term?

Surely "6ish months" , or "two-thirds gone" is utterly fine?

It's quite spoiling my enjoyment of the baby name boards on Nethuns.

OP posts:

Dahlen · 05/02/2014 11:56

But when you're up the duff all those details that are incredibly boring to everyone else are really important to you.

squeakytoy · 05/02/2014 11:57

Yanbu.. The same goes for posters who put their children's ages in weeks/months rather than months or years.. A 25 month old is a 2 year old.. A 24week old baby is six months old..

Joysmum · 05/02/2014 12:00

It was important to us when I was pregnant because we liked to track the development of our baby rather than just looking at her as being a bump and inconvenience on the outside.

lougle · 05/02/2014 12:01

You'd care very much if you were 23+6 and went in to labour - you'd very much hope that you got to 24 weeks so that you'd have care for your baby.

Why does it bother you?

And actually, referring to babies in weeks is perfectly normal - a baby who is 2 weeks old has lived for double the amount of time a baby who is 1 week old has. Similarly, a 19 month old child is very different to a child who is very nearly 2, etc.

Dromedary · 05/02/2014 12:03

YANBU - it's a bit obsessive, isn't it? Really only of the slightest interest to the parents.

Pigletin · 05/02/2014 12:03

I agree with squeakytoy, the more annoying things is when you refer to your 17 month old (16 weeks/37 days, etc etc)...It makes me want to vomit.

ikeaismylocal · 05/02/2014 12:04

I could never work out how many months I was, I seem to remember pregnancy isn't actually 9 months.

I only knew how many weeks I was because I had an app which told me. I didn't say the amount of days though because I couldn't remember

Fiveleaves · 05/02/2014 12:08

A bit unnecessary in real life but on forums it depends on the context as we're often trying to gauge what is normal eg '18+3 and no movement yet' or 'shooting pains at 12+2 normal?' Specificity here isn't essential but it helps and when people have experienced similar at the same time it is reassuring. IRL though I would approximate in weeks or months.

JoinYourPlayfellows · 05/02/2014 12:09

It's not a new vogue.

It's been how people have referred to their pregnancy for the entire time I've been on MN.

It's MN - it's a place where it's OK to be obsessed by your pregnancy and share that with other pregnant people.

If you're not pregnant, just don't read the threads about being pregnant.

Pigeonhouse · 05/02/2014 12:11

Gosh, why does it matter? I would never have specified weeks and days when pregnant - mostly I would have had to stop and count anyway - but I certainly specified months if asked the age of my one year old.

There's a huge difference between a 13-month-old and a 20-month old, so replying 'He's one' in answer to a question isn't actually that informative. Now he's 22 months, I just say 'almost 2'.

Only1scoop · 05/02/2014 12:15

I've only been around for 6 months....joined during 2nd prg ....amazed me a little I never knew such specifics unless I sat down and worked it out....I'm more of a 20wks (rounded up or down type person)....although it started to rub off if I'm honest....

ISeeYouShiverWithAntici · 05/02/2014 12:15

It's a pregnancy thing

When I was expecting my first, I kept a DAILY DIARY for him, full of how much I was looking forward to meeting my tiny little prawn and all that. how much he was growing, kicking, thoughts on names, Appts, symptoms, etc. It was all really REALLY important to me.

I sometimes read it now if I feel in need of a laugh though. but it's mine so I'm allowed.

BrunoBrookesDinedAlone · 05/02/2014 12:16

Tell them you're 82+4.

JoinYourPlayfellows · 05/02/2014 12:16

Also, pregnancy is normally measured in weeks, not months.

So you know how pregnant you are in weeks.

I used to do a crude conversion for people who hadn't recently been pregnant.

But it was far easier to just use weeks like I did with my doctors and midwife.

JoinYourPlayfellows · 05/02/2014 12:17

I sometimes read it now if I feel in need of a laugh though. but it's mine so I'm allowed.

Post it online!

It is mean and unfair to keep all that laughter to yourself :o

ToffeeOwnsTheSausage · 05/02/2014 12:23

When I rang to tell my Nana I was expecting the amount of weeks and days were very important to both say. I was even upset that the scan had me 1 day less pregnant than I knew I was as I knew I had conceived. Things like this can matter to some people.

Ragwort · 05/02/2014 12:23

Even worse is when women are about 2 minutes late with their period and are jumping up and down with excitement 'could I be pregnant' .

I didn't realise I was pregnant for the first ten weeks, people would ask me 'how on earth didn't you know' - I never kept track of my dates and I was of menopausal age.

YANBU OP - it is a slight obsession with some women, hopefully it wears off.

Ragwort · 05/02/2014 12:25

Toffee - did you keep a track of your sex life?

Years ago no one bothered about this sort of detail - it was roughly nine months and that was it. .

ISeeYouShiverWithAntici · 05/02/2014 12:26

I did put it on here once. I'm not typing the bugger out again! I'll see if I can find it.

Pigsmummy · 05/02/2014 12:29

It has always been tracked weekly. YABU and grumpy

JunoMacGuff · 05/02/2014 12:30

YANBU.

And I also agree with referring to your childs age in months. NEVER past 2 years should someone do this. The maths is too hard and I stop caring. 'DS is 34 months old'.. waaah I stopped reading. Just say he's 2. Or 2 and a half, or nearly 3, if it matters.

I cringe everytime I see someone say they are '26+4' or whatever. It is ENTIRELY irrelevant. Nothing is different from today to tomorrow to next week.

The only times I can not cringe, is at 23+X, for viability, and anything over 40.

Nousernameforme · 05/02/2014 12:32

I'm 40+6 went in for appointment today got the wrong day mw phoned to see if they could see me anyway and they are not allowed to till 41 exactly even though they had space. So it does have its purpose. However I got caught so fast after first with second baby I didn't know when i was due exactly until my 20 weeks scan because of breastfeeding periods were erratic for ages afterwards

GwendolineMaryLacey · 05/02/2014 12:34

I think it does matter at 2. If I talk about my 2yo doing or not doing something, pretty much the first question someone would ask is whether she is just turned 2 or nearer 3 because it makes a big difference.

As for the original question, I can't bear such snottiness over something so harmless. So what if someone is excited about their pregnancy? Shall we get it made into a midwife's handout that on no account must the pregnant woman be in any way excited or mention it to others in case she bores the arse off them? Can we extend that to your work, your house renovations, your car, your mother, your mother's friends and the dog please? I don't give a toss about any of them tbh.

JunoMacGuff · 05/02/2014 12:36

Gwendoline but you can say 'she has just turned two', 'she is almost three', 'she is 2 and a half'.. whatever. But telling me she is 25 months, or 30 months.. it's actually cringey.

PreggersGoesPop · 05/02/2014 12:38

I use weeks+ days if I'm posting about something specific to that stage of pregnancy. For example someone might post that they're 34 weeks and baby is breech and I might reply that my baby didn't turn head down until 35+4 or if its about labour starting I might say my last one started at 39+5.

In real life I only ever use weeks and days at MW appointments or on the phone to MAU because they ask for it. In day to day conversation I'm just x-amount of weeks either rounded up or rounded down. Right now I'm exactly 36+4 but if someone asked I'd just say 36 weeks. When people ask when I'm due I don't say exactly either, I just say a vague "a few weeks".

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