To wonder if some women fib about their due dates to friends and family?

[bowserthegreat]

Because virtually everyone that I know that has has babies in the past few years has had them 'a few days/a week early'. All 3 of mine were late but no one else ever seems to go over due.

DH's friend's wife has just had her third and told me confidently during pregnancy 'Oh mine are always early, this one will be too' and lo and behold, it was born a week early.

Another woman that I know has just had her second baby, and again, as with her first, her second was 'a few days early'.

I've heard before that famous people give a fake due date so that it looks like they've had their baby early. AIBU to wonder if 'real' people do this too?

I prefer being vague, too. Because it's a whole 5-6 weeks when baby is likely to come and yet people get really fixed about the due date being "the" date. I'm almost puzzled why anyone tells the truth given it's such an imprecise science.

Colleague has wife with baby due next week; that baby could come any second or in about 3 weeks. No way to tell. Colleague seems fixed on the due date as when it will definitely arrive.

Even funnier because colleague is a medical doctor (sigh).

What an odd thread! Have NEVER come across a single person who thought that being early was somehow superior to being late.

My due date was the 23rd by the scan but the 27th by my own dates, so I told everyone the 27th. My thinking was I didn't want to be fixated on the 23rd as I was pretty sure it was too early. Of course I ended up fixating on the 23rd anyway and got no sympathy when it came and went as everyone thought my due date was still days away!

My first was born on the due date, second was 37+2 and the third was 3 days over.
I've never heard anyone brag their baby came early, and anyway anyone with half a brain would know it's nothing to do with the mother the baby comes when it's ready.

With my son I told the doctor my due date, and he was born on that date. And I got the sex right. Does that make me a super brilliant parent?

Of the other three, two were born early, the other late, but all within a week of their EDD.

I did have to laugh at my ex BIL, who looked up from the football fixtures list and asked my sis what day of the week her EDD fell on.

I correctly predicted birthdate (& weight within 1 oz!) of 3 of my 4 DC.
Rather wrong on Number 4, though. Guess I lost the knack.

I lied.

I didn't show until almost 7 months (am of average height and weight - no idea what went on). And looked about 6 months pregnant at 39 weeks. So when I told people my due date they all said,

"No, you're not that far gone."

In the end I put the due date back about 2 months. Not with family or close friends, just with randoms who asked. Was easier.

I have heard mention on here of parents who brag about their baby's APGAR score, so I suppose it's possible that a determined bragger might use an early arrival as proof of their offspring's advanced abilities.... "Little Artemisia was stifled by my uterus, she was so desperate for some stimulation that she popped out early".

42 fecking weeks, does that make me a shit mum?

Gosh OP, quite the opposite in my family. Being late is a badge of honour! well maybe not that, but definitely perfectly normal and healthy. I have close family who suffered serious complications from premature birth, noone would be so crass as to say early is good to them.

I was a bit vague about my due date both times, partly to stop myself expecting things to happen on/by a particular day.

However, after the event if anyone asks how early/late I happily tell the truth. It never occurred to me that timing of birth was a success/failure thing though!

Very odd thing to be competitive about

But in answer to the OP, yes they do. They also fib to HCPs. Which is why HCPs have no choice but to go with the dating scan results.

Women do not really get much say in the matter and it cannot be controlled!

I told the truth the first time around, went overdue and found the incessant "havent you had it yet?" drove me bonkers So I kept the dates vague the second time around and was all set to out and out lie in order not to go through that again, but in the end had an elective CS. Well meaning people making enquiries about you when you are near your due date have no idea how annoying it can get!

I planned to, to stop the questions if I went overdue. But in the end our due date is our wedding anniversary and I couldn't resist telling people that.

I don't see how being early is a positive thing and late negative, though I did fear being induced- fortunately wasn't required. My pregnancies take 41 weeks, that's it. Fully cooked.

Could it be that people are having bigger babies and therefore they are 'ready' earlier? My second was very big and was born 'early' before the due date. My other two were more average weights and were born at 40 weeks.

I went to 42 weeks with DS1 and the constant well-meaning questions about whether the baby had turned up yet drove me insane. I've been deliberately vague about the due date this time to avoid the same situation again but somehow it's slipped out. I think a white lie giving a later due date is a genius idea - I would 'fess up post-birth but it would save getting constant comments.
I think there is a bizarre school of thought that going overdue is somehow 'bad'. Last time we were encouraged to try hypnobirthing by some friends and I don't think I can ever forgive them for cheerfully shouting 'hypnobirthing babies don't go overdue' as we walked out the door. I ended up being induced at 42 weeks and having an EMCS and felt v. traumatised by the whole experience. Worst of all, in my post-birth hormonal haze I thought perhaps I had gone overdue and 'failed' because I hadn't tried hard enough at the bloody hypnobirthing.
I'm now 40+3 and telling myself that I must just produce babies that are well-cooked and that my womb must just be a comfortable place to be! Plus my husband is rarely on time for anything so perhaps it's genetic...

Term is 37-42 weeks

This obsession with term = exactly 40 weeks and no more is utter bollocks.

You are late if you are 42+1
You are early if you are 36+6
If you are anything between 37 and 42 weeks you are normal

And (before I get off my high horse) I think the induction/CS rate in this country would be far less if we were not so obsessed with term=40 weeks exactly.

Ds was born 42+3 and tbh I was pleased he was late. I loved every second of being pregnant and didn't want it to end, I would have kept him in longer if I could. And he was over 9lbs and a wriggler. I am just a freak. I wouldn't lie about the due date tho, and I never think of them as set in stone. I am pregnant again and I just say due beginning of Sept as I doubt this baby will be 'on time' either. It'll come when it's ready, and the longer I have it inside me the better :) (within reason!)

Yes, I think people do tell later dates to avoid so many enquiries if they are late. But the person I knew who did this actually then told me the real exact due date once she had not delivered by the one she made up. Without any reference to the first one and so she looked a bit odd!

I would lie to quite a few people next time because the 'any news?' Etc calls and messages sent me up the wall last time!

I'm obviously in the minority, but I loved all the 'any news' calls and texts. It was nice hat people cared and it gave me something to do. I also didn't mind being told how massive I was, because it was true, I was.