Due date at 42 weeks?

[furrygoldone]

Hi, currently 40+5 so 'overdue' and it's doing my head in, even though I know I'm not really overdue and that it's perfectly within the bounds of normal to be pregnant this long, I'm fed up of people looking at me like I've failed to meet a deadline when I explain I was due last Tuesday, and I'm fed up of feeling like I'm late even though I'm not (I hate being late and I hate the thought I've missed a deadline).

So in between wondering if every fart is a contraction, I've been pondering if having my due date set to 42 weeks would be slightly easier psychologically. I just think it would be quite nice to not be spending the last two weeks of pregnancy feeling like I have a problem that needs solving. Anyone else think it might have helped them?

But your due date is at 40 weeks. You are overdue - any time from 37 weeks is considered full term but your due date isn't set at 37 weeks is it?

Look, this last bit is shit. You feel awful, you want the baby to come, you're not sleeping, too big to do anything. You just have to get through it, I don't think that changing your due date will make any difference psychologically. If people's reactions are bothering you, just don't tell them your overdue. By the way, I can guarantee that nobody is thinking that you haven't achieved your goal by being overdue, that's really not in anybody's mind.

Lie!

When people ask when it's due, say "Next week!" or "Anytime now!" don't explain about last Tuesday.

It is shit though. Sympathies.

Well yes I know my due date is 40 weeks but why give a date that so many women miss? I've probably been hanging round on too Manu due date threads in the past couple of weeks but I just can't help thinking if we weren't given an unrealistic date in the first place it wouldn't be so annoying.

I agree - the whole date thing is silly - trying to make an exact science out of Mother Nature in a way. I can remember going for an early scan once and saying to the doctor, "I'm 8 weeks" and he replied, "no actually you're just over 7!" I let him have his moment of superiority but I smiled to myself and thought, well I know when I had sex!

To people who I think might drive me mental (annoying friends, certain family members, colleagues), I've been deliberately vague about when the baby might come. I've told them "end of September/beginning of October" and that's all I'm saying.

I think (though this is from memory) that the average DC1 arrives at 40+8, and subsequent babies arrive on average at 40+3. Hence I think there's at least an argument for using whichever of those is applicable - 40 weeks just seems to have been picked because it's a nice round number...

The baby is still 'here', just warm and safe feeding himSelf/herself and changing his/her own bum! Just be grateful he/she isn't screaming for attention and aching your arms, but living happy and toasty inside you for a few 'bonus' days. Lucky little thing.

Op only 5% of babies are born on their due date. Since they are spread over the three weeks before and the two weeks after - that's 35 days. II assume the EDD is either the peak of the distribution or its just that 40 weekd is a round number.

35 possible "full term" birthdays, I mean. So 2.8ish% chance per day (less actually because of premature birth).

redkites that's really interesting and kind of what I'm getting at, if there is such a high chance that you'll go 'overdue' would it not make more sense to give women a date further on than 40 weeks. Don't some other countries use 42 weeks?

My level of botheredness about still being pregnant is a bit up and down, currently at home alone with toddler, so quite happy for it to hang on in there at least until DH gets home from work

furry I think if they changed it then they'd end up inducing with less 'notice' IYSWIM. I think it would serve them better to explain how the delivery dates are spread out.

We can add it to the very long list of things they should explain better to pregnant women!

It's just so irritating with DS I told virtually no one my due date and was totally prepared for him to be 'late' but for whatever reason this time round I haven't managed to be quite so zen about it.