is baby more likely to arrive when you chill out or if you're running about?

[wintersnow]

A midwife told me that if you're very active your baby is more likely to arrive on time wheras a friend who has four children told me it's when you relax and put your feet up that baby will arrive? Any experiences out there to confrim either point of view?!

What do you mean "on time"? The whole EDD thing is a guessing game; there's a +/- 3 day margin on it (at 95% accuracy) when done from scan at 12 wks. That means 5% are at least +/- 4 days wrong.

Being relaxed is a good thing, but getting moderate exercise in pregnancy (and keeping good mobility) is also a good thing.

I vote you keep busy, last thing you want to do is to sit around fretting about it.

I'll vote for mentally relaxed but physically busy. DS arrived the day after I'd done aquanatal swimming and pregnancy yoga, and also had a lovely relaxing reflexology session.

Totally anecdotal, but I went into labour shortly after waking up from a lovely nap where I'd dreamed that everything was okay and I had nothing to worry about with labour. I felt really relaxed about it all.. first few days of maternity leave after rushing about finishing everything off at work.

Unfortunately the reality of that labour didn't match the dream, but my brain had no crystal ball

I have heard it said that a peak time for going into labour is when women start their maternity leave as they finally relax, so the body feels it is safe to bring the baby out!

Have no idea:

Went into labour with DS1 at exactly 41wks but he was breech. Had been out for a long walk (few miles) that very afternoon

DS2 was born yesterday morning, exactly on his due date! I had been doing as little as possible all week due to snow and feeling uncomfortable and labour started while I was asleep at night

I wish there was a definite answer for this!40+4 and starting to get fed up!

In my antenatal class, we were told that the most likely time to go into labour is an evening or weekend because that's when mothers-to-be are most likely to be relaxed.

Whether or not that's true, both my labours started in the early hours of Sunday morning (compelling evidence from my completely non-scientific sample of one!)

But we were also told that exercise was good to encourage it. (Again my experience supports this theory as I'd been madly painting the nursery the day before DD1 arrived. And madly running around after DD1 the day before DD2 arrived!)

Maybe you can do both - be active during the day, then chill out in the evenings?

PS. Hang in there! I know it's really tough when you're feeling huge and knackered but it'll be worth it.

DD1 was two weeks early (hence the painting - I thought I still had masses of time!) but DD2 was 40+4, which felt like three weeks late as I'd mentally prepared myself for another early one. The day she arrived was the day I finally convinced myself that she was staying put and it definitely wasn't going to be today...