Conference moira::parenting_v3

    My daughter was born 2 weeks to the day, overdue. There is no telling
    when you will deliver. Unfortnately this is one thing the doctors can't
    predict!  Every baby is different, the first could be on time or early
    or later. As with the second and so on....
    
    
    
    Perhaps we'll never know!!
    
    

    Our first was one month early...Wendy's water broke. She had been big
    for the dates, but they did figure Josh was premature, although he was
    healthy.
    
    she caried big again with #2, and the dr. thought she'd go early again.
    Nope. They put her in on her due date with mild contractions (nothing
    productive), and induced her, as she had become pre-eclampsic. So
    Carrie was born one day after her due date (4 yrs. ago yesterday!).
    
    #3 also seemed big, and they induced her one week early due to gest.
    diabetes. #4 was delivered 2 2/7 weeks early also due to gest.
    diabetes. She never did go into labor again as early as with number 1.
    As a matter of fact, she's never gone into labor at all! She had to be
    induced for all 4, even the first when her water broke, cause
    contractions did not begin on her own.
    
    There's simply no telling! I do know several people though, whose
    children were born right on their due dates....probably a higher
    percentage than the "national average". Maybe I just know the right
    people.... 8-)
    
    --dave--

    I agree, there is no way of telling.  I had my son right smack on his
    due date.  My daughter came 3 weeks before her due date.
    

    Hi Janet,
    
    Shane was born 5 days early.  He would have been born earlier (because
    of Gest. diabetes) but the amnio results for lung maturity came back
    negative, so they decided to wait another week and do the test again.  My 
    water broke and I went into labor on my own, but I had to be given pitocin 
    to speed up the contractions and dialation.  I still ended up having a
    c-section because I never fully dialated (after 36 hours of labor).
    
    A friend of mine had a baby this past Monday, right on her scheduled
    due date.  I saw her on Saturday and she was still carrying quite high
    and I thought for sure she wasn't going to have that baby anytime too
    soon.
    
    So I guess you can never tell.  A due date is actually an estimated
    date if you ask me.
    
    Lori B.  

    I THINK I heard 3% of babies are born on their due date.  I may
    be way off though.
    
    I'm also due September 29.  My first was born six days late.  Seems
    to me more are late than early, so I'm guessing I'll have an October baby.
    
    Donna
    

    Brian was the first and was born on his due date.
    
    Neil was the second and was born 12 days late.

    
    Jason was born one week before his due date (9/9 vs. 9/16).

    Kat -- I think she was 3 days early, but after 17.7 years it's
    getting a little hard to remember.
    
    Steven -- two weeks early.
    
    David -- exacty on ultrasound date, a week early by conventional
    dating. 
    
    Note that when the doctors say "on time" they usually mean "within
    two weeks of the predicted due date," which translates to "we
    can't predict to within a month."
    
    --bonnie

    Well, I figure I'm in some minute percentage, but for both my kids, I went
    into labor on my due date (for the first, it was a looooooong labor, so
    he wasn't born until the next day...).  And I was *sure* I'd be late -
    I never manage to do anything else on time!

					cheryl

    
    Sean - born 2 weeks early 6.5 years ago. [No time off from work
    before - Boy was I tired!]
    
    Lisa - born 1 week before her due date, 4 days before the ultrasound
    date. [1 week of working from home - not nearly as tired!] 
    
    My advice is to leave work when you are exhausted, not when Digital's
    policy says you should.  Luckily, the law in California prevails over
    Digital and provides for 4 weeks of leave before the baby.  I'm glad
    I took at least some of the leave with #2.
    
    Good luck
    
    Rochelle

    I was early with both:  first one, 2 weeks early; second one, one week
    early.  They weighed 7.2 and 8.0 pounds respectively.
    
    I went on maternity leave (disability) at 36 rather than the usual 38
    weeks.  The doctor "signed me out early".  I had a feeling I would go early
    with #2 also.  And I did.  Fortunately, I had some time before leaving
    work and having the baby to decompress.  With my first I left work at
    6:00 PM and had a baby at 11:18 that evening.
   

    I went into labor exactly one week early with my first.
    
    My second was a planned C-section born 1 week before my due date
    determined by my doctor; 1 week late determined by the ultrasound
    results; but really 2 - 3 weeks early determined by the significant lack
    of wrinkles on the soles of his feet, according to my doctor.  
    And he was 9 1/2 pounds !
    
    Just another reason to take due dates as an estimation.
    
    Donna
    

    My first was 4 weeks to the day early, my second was 12 days late.  My
    first was 6.4 lb and my second was 9.5 lbs.  Dare I go for a third??!!
    
    -sandy
    

    Both of my boys were born before their due dates.  My oldest was due on
    10/01/86 and was born on 9/24/86. He weighed in at 7lbs. 6 ozs.  They
    baby was due on 6/9/90 and was born on 6/5/90.  He weighed in at 6lbs.
    13 oz.  And both were very quick deliveries.  The first was 3 and a
    half hours and with the second, I was in the hospital for 10 minutes. 
    I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.  
    But as everyone else has said, I don't think there is really a good way
    to tell if the baby will come early or late.  My father had a saying
    when my oldest brothers wife was pregnant with their first child..."The
    cakes in the oven and will come out only when it's done!!!!"
    
    
    Good luck to you!!!!!
    
    
    
    Lillian

    I thought it was directly proportional to the amount of things you
    need to get done before the baby comes! ;-)  If the nursery is all set
    up, you'll go late.  If you have a lot to do....surprise!
    
    My last day was two weeks before my due date and I was hoping to get
    about two week worth of things done.  Well, I got one week's worth of
    running around done, my daughter was born one week early.
    
    So, if you want to go early, make lots of plans around your due date!

    Daniel was born two weeks after the due date, per induced labor. My
    doctor wouldn't wait any longer than two weeks. He explained that too
    many complications come into play after week 42. With that, we didn't
    argue. Daniel weighed 6 lbs 14 ozs and was perfectly healthy.

    In MY opinion, I was only ONE week late, as my cycles are longer than
    the average 28 days. With that in mind, I believe I conceived later
    than the normal 12-14 days after the last cycle began.

    In either case, we have a wonderful bouncing baby boy!!
    Norma

    Craig born on his due date, 02/10/81       - Hard labor, actually
       7 lbs 13 oz                               horrible
    Lauren born on 6/08/84 (due date was 6/23) - Piece of cake, didn't even
       7 lbs 11 oz                               know I was laboring
    Kyle born on 7/17/90 (due date was 7/24)   - A little uncomfortable,
       7 lbs  6 oz                               did see stars on the ceiling

    I have  an unusual question...
    
    I am due to stop working in three weeks.  I am due August 19.  This
    date never seemed right with us.  I was due on June 18 with my son, he
    was born June 17 @ 10:56 PM (3 years ago).   I am wondering if I may go 
    early.  My question is... (sorry if this offends anyone).
      Has anyone had their water break at work?  If so, what did you do?
    
    In response to the main noter --- the baby is going be here only when
    it wants.  Wouldn't be nice to predict when!!
                           

     Nope, didn't offend me and I hope I don't offend anyone either.......
    
    
      Yup, sure did and I will never forget it.  Actually I was lucky.  Let
    me stay real brief, but with my first child I was due on Labor Day.
    Well on August 3, at 6:15 AM (while at work) my water actually started
    "seeping" as oppose to really breaking bigtime.  
      All of a sudden things felt a bit wet and, yes, at first I thought I
    had an accident only to find differently.   I had a lot of other woman
    offering to help out during this time too. 
      As I said, it was only leaking a little bit so, I was able to call my
    doctor, from the office, and participate in the baby shower, which I
    had already missed once, for approximately 2 hours before leaving for
    the doctors office.
      Actually it was memorable, but not so terribly horrible.  When my
    sofa.  If this would have happened at work I would definitely have been
    embarrassed.
      One note, after what had happened, I always kept a change of clothes
    at the office just in case.
    
    
    Nancee

     
    
    Seth Andrew Belanger Clark  : born 1 and 1/2 months early on jun 27th 1991
                         5lbs 10 oz  Big boy for a premi