My mum had me early, so I'll have my baby early...is midwife talking (non)sense?

[Mhairi100]

I've been told to have everything ready and my hospital bag packed nice and early because my mum had me at 35 weeks...is there really any evidence linking mothers' delivery dates with daughters' delivery dates? What about your family?

Really hoping not to have the baby too early for my sake as well as the baby's!

i was born at exactly 9am on the day i was due (and have been very promt eversince!) my dd was 12 - yes 12 long days late!

Utter bollocks.

She's mad. Try not to have her attend you at the birth my dear.

I was born 7 days early, my DS1 was 6 days overdue and DS2 was 2 days early...

FWIW I had exact opposite pregnancies and births to my Mother's, So be prepared by all means, but it may not happen.

As though you were just in time for 'work'! Hmm, those 12 days must have been Long...

Think it's rubbish but it did actually turn out that way with us! I was early (not prem) and both my DDs were early.

Sounding like she's wrong so far, good!

It is not total rubbish.

There is a slightly higher risk of your delivering early if your mother delivered early. What that doesn't mean is that you will deliver early....just that you are very slightly more likely to compared to you next door neighbour for example.

Out of interest. My Mum had 2 "prem" babies. A 2nd trimester miscarriage/stillbirth, and my brother was prem (34/36ish wks I think. I was full term though.

I delivered my first at 27wks. It was twins so there were additional risk factors - but my consultant - who specialises in premature delivery and does quite a lot of research said I should have been registered as high risk for prem delivery because of the combined history + twins.

nope she is talking out of her derrier
my mum was early having me by just over 2 weeks i think she was 37+3 or something like that and i went 11 days over with DD!! a MW said to speak to my mum about how she faired in her pregnancies my mum had no problems and fell preg very easily, i had tonnes of problems and am struggling with falling preg and did with DD also she said that i would have babies roughly the same size as my mum did so when DD came out at 8lb 12oz it was a shock as i was 7lb born my sister was 7lb 3oz one brother was 6lb and my youngest brother was 10lb but was 2 days early so pretty much thoroughly cooked
ignore the woman and ask for someone without a stack of useless mis-information at the ready
xx ei xx

from a scietific publication. It is very sciency....but the key sentences are :

The etiology of preterm birth is complex, involving environmental and genetic factors whose underlying molecular and cellular pathogenic mechanisms remain poorly understood.....Studies in humans of both familial aggregation and racial disparities in preterm birth have contributed to the understanding that preterm birth is heritable.

and another paper which says preterm birth is heritable - though only through maternal inheritance - not paternal.

Key statemet:
This argues against major contributions of fetal genes inherited from either parent. The increased risk of preterm delivery among mothers born preterm is consistent with heritable maternal phenotypes that confer a propensity to deliver preterm.

It also comments on teh fact that the risk is bigger the more preterm the maternal delivery was (so births before 35weeks increase the risk more compared to births after 35weeks().

Thanks very much for this, SlightlyMad! I'll make sure everything's ready but secretly hope I have a couple of weeks' maternity leave before anything happens

i was born 8 weeks early and my dd1 was 2 weeks early and dd2 was 2 weeks late so it dont mean anything ..

I was 10 days early. DS was 17 days late.

Yes, I believe there is some link between a mother's dates (and how their labour goes) and their daughters. Obviously it doesn't mean it WILL definitely happen like that though.

Have to say that the NHS don't generally ask about your mother's labour but my IM did - she said it's quite common for them to be similar.

My older sister was born on her due date (though at that time it was calculated as 41 weeks after lmp so sis was actually 7 days over) and I was born 5 days over. My dd was 8 days late, which ties in pretty well.

Also my mum had a v quick labour with me and I had a very quick labour too.

I was born a month early, but gave birth 10days late with my firstborn and 7 days late with 2nd.

I was born at 30 weeks so my family all had a bet on that my DC would be here by Christmas last year. It really worried me but she was born 3 days after her due date late January this year.

Its obviously not guaranteed that if you were early your DC will be too!

Good luck with the little one

Yes - utter nonsence. I was born 7 weeks early and my DD arrive 1 day after her due date.

I think a better indication is how long your cucle normally is, I normally have a 3 week cycle and both mine were 3 weeks early. Though saying that, me and my 2 sisters and my brother were all 8 days early, so maybe there is something in it!

I was 2 weeks early and my DS was 1 week early . now 38 weeks and really hoping for another early bird! I also have a shortish cycle 26 days.

Between them, my mum, sister and maternal granny have 7 children. None went over 38 weeks gestation. (I was one of those 7, and I was 7 weeks early). I asked my community mw and hospital mw if this would affect my pg. Both said not at all. Then DS was born at 38 weeks! Maybe it depends on the reasons the babies were early - it does seem that there is something hereditary going on in the ladies in my family.