Has anyone had their PFB before due date?

[squizita]

As in not medically 'too early' but between 38-40 weeks? Anyone had a prompt first one? :)

I was naively under the impression that bar medical reasons, almost everyone went over on their first.
But every HCP I've seen (I'm 38+4) , upon having felt around and checked how long baby has been engaged has said with a wink and a nod "see you on due date ... if not before!" or "Ooh, hope you've got your bag ready". So I'm wondering...?

Not worried as had a growth scan last week, baby is within 'average' range for size etc' but just surprised.
Best not make any reservations or order online shopping..?

DS1 - 37+6 (5 hours from first contraction to birth)
DS2 - 38+2 (8 hours from first contraction to birth)

39 + 5 here. Interestingly, a friend of mine from Vietnam said the accepted wisdom there is that first babies usually arrive before their due date - so the reverse of what we say in the West. No idea if the statistics bear that out...

DS arrived at 38+6. Even as I was pushing DH was clinging to his strongly held belief that all first babies were late and this was all just a very vivid dream!

75% of first babies are later than the EDD, but that still means 1 in 4 arrive before it

DD came at 38+6 totally spontaneously and a 3 hour labour
DS came at 38+4 induced and a just over 1 hour labour

So yes, PFB was "early" and in theory I don't know if PSB would have been early or late naturally.

37+4 waters went, induced at 10 am on 37+5. Dd arrived at 14:25 that day. :)

This is a really nice link of someone who has looked into this and surveys visitors to her site about delivery dates etc.

She says the primips delivering at 40+8/9/10 is based on one small study with only 31 first time mothers and that delivery dates are pretty even across previous numbers of deliveries.

spacefem.com/pregnant/charts/duedate6.php

Should have added that it is about 55-60% of babies that arrive before the EDD (and that my PFB arrived at 40+9!)