Overdue Babies. Down to the mother or the baby?

[stateoftheart]

I have had 4 DC with my ExH.

All 4 were overdue by between 11-21 days. I a, pregnant with DC5 with new partner, have just been wondering whether it is my body that hangs on to a baby or whether it was the baby who initiates labour?

It will be interesting to see if this baby is massively overdue! Placenta was checked in all previous DC btw and midwives commented with baby that was 21 days overdue that she did not appear overdue and the placenta was not deteriorating.

Both of mine have been overdue - one by 15 days and one by 12. I assumed it was me hanging onto them!

Baby initiates labour. Once they are cooked all the way through, their lungs make some kind of substance and that sets labour off.

In which case, mine like to be well-cooked before they come out.

I think it may be a chicken and the egg question - if we have made them, maybe some people make them in such a fashion that they want to cook longer...

I have a tiny friend who produces ready tiny babies at 36 weeks... that's just her normal...

This is an interesting question.

Both of mine were overdue. DC1 10 days and I had a section with DC2 at 2 weeks over. I had absolutely zero signs of labour despite 2 sweeps. I've always wondered why this happened.

So maybe it's me that made babies that held on longer. But still leaves the question of whether the fathers DNA has a say.

I reall don't think it's coincidence that all 4 of mine went over.