Only 5% of births actually happen on their due date. Care to hazard a guess as to when Louisette will arrive?
Some useful facts:
1. Statistically, the most likely day for first time mums is one day after the due date (which begs the question, why don’t doctors make THAT the due date?)
2. My mum was extremely late with all three of her babies – the first two were artificially induced after two weeks (but ultrasounds make due dates more accurate these days).
3. My sister’s baby came four days early. (I shall be drinking much raspberry leaf tea and other recommended birth-inducing things, as she did – although I haven’t aquired any of the tea yet.)
4. Louisette had “engaged” (head down and heading outwards – although in her case, only a tiny bit of the way) when my midwife last saw me, on Wednesday 21st. I think, based on the shift in nausea, that she engaged a week before that. In first pregnancies, birth usually happens two to four weeks after the baby engages. My sister’s baby was fully engaged three or four weeks before the birth.
5. My mum-in-law’s two children were both a month premature (that would be the equivalent of Wednesday last week) – but I don’t think mum-in-laws are any sort of guide.
At present, I’d like to give birth either tomorrow (since my midwife will be just back from her holiday leave) or on Thursday 12th (when my sister will be in town ready to help). My due date is the 18th, and if I’m late I’ll be induced on the 28th (unless for some bizarro reason I ask them to wait a few more days). Labour generally takes around thirty hours (including fifteen hours of uncomfy but not painful “pre-labour”) in my family.
I am not currently in labour 🙂
So, pick a day and place your bet!
Come on, tomorrow!! I won’t place a bet, but I’ll cross my fingers. By now the baby is well developed and will do well on the outside. And being pregnant for too long is a major drag! Both my kids were late, the rude buggers. hehe
Thank you Stace. It’s 9:30pm on Monday and I’m not in labour, so it’s not looking good for tomorrow. . . but there’s still hope. No-one ever wants a late baby (no woman, anyway).
I’m betting the 9th. There is zero rational to this. I just like the number, and it’ll give you time to recooperate before I run away overseas, so I can see bub. But mostly, 9 is a good number.
Steffi: I can handle the 9th. But one way or another, you’re pretty certain to see this baby before you go.
My intuitive weirdness says the 20th, but really, it’s just a random based on nothing at all! *waving from the heatlands*
W: Oh, I so hope she comes sooner than that (although 21/1/12 would be a cool birthdate, it’s just not worth it). *waving back and hoping your new workplace has AC*