When is my due date? I get asked this question a LOT! And to be truthful, I don't know what to ever say. Since being pregnant I have gotten the following due dates from different doctors: (Starting with the first date I received to the last)... February 8, February 7, February 6, February 4, February 1, and February 8 (again). So - what would you tell people? I bet you would do the exact same thing I did - I went with the earliest date! I felt that if I went with the earliest date it would be me being "hopeful" and "encouraging" for our little baby girl to make an early appearance into this world. I also felt that it would mean I wouldn't be pregnant any longer than I needed to be. I mean - Doctors let first time mothers go about a week past their due date - but who wants to be pregnant until the 15th of February when they can only be until the 8th of February?
Regardless, I tried looking up the probability of a baby actually being born on their due date. I got anything from people guessing of 5% to statistical analysis surveys which shows the actual mean and standard deviation of a length of a pregnancy. All-in-all, I can't predict when my little girl will come. I have no control over it. I am ready, but I think it's more to have my own body back than anything else. I'm ready to be able to reach across the table, instead of having to go to the other side because my stomach gets in the way. I'm ready to be able to put lotion on my own feet (even though I don't mind that my husband does it for me) because I can't reach. I'm ready to be able to bend over and pick something up without having to ask someone else to pick it up for me. But mostly, I'm just ready for baby to arrive more than anything. So if it's Friday (which is what I've been telling people) or earlier, or later - who knows - only God knows. But hopefully, I'll still be ready and hopefully I'll be a good mother, even though I do want my body back!
So, enjoy and indulge with some completely useless pregnancy facts listed below (but some are rather neat - considering Utah pops up a few times in there).
- The most popular day for babies to make their entrance is Tuesday, followed by Monday. Sunday is the slowest day, with 35.1 fewer births than average. Scheduled c-sections and induced labors have a big influence on the fact that far fewer babies are born on the weekend, but spontaneous (non-scheduled) deliveries occur less often on the weekend too.
- In 2010 more newborns arrived in September than in any other month. The second, third, and fourth most popular birthday months were August, June, and July, in that order.
- The number of births went down for 40 states and remained about the same for the rest of the states in 2009. Birth rates ranged from 51 births per 1,000 women age 15 to 44 in Vermont to 88 per 1,000 in Utah.
- Utah had the highest birth rate, with 88 births per 1,000 women age 15 to 44. Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming had more than 70 births per 1,000 women.
- Vermont had the lowest birth rate, with 51 births per 1,000 women age 15 to 44. Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island had fewer than 60 births per 1,000 women.
- Over the last three decades, women have been waiting longer to start having children. In 1970 the average age of a first-time mother was about 21. In 2008 the average age was 25.1.
- In 2008 almost 30 percent of women gained 21 to 30 pounds during their pregnancy, and just over 25 percent gained 31 to 40 pounds. About 21 percent gained more than 40 pounds, 16.5 percent gained 11 to 20 pounds, and 7 percent gained less than 11 pounds.
- The average U.S. newborn weight in 2008 was 7 pounds, 4.26 ounces.
Regardless of my due date, here is me at 36 weeks.
Okay, so here's the deal: I'm going to have a contest and whoever correctly guesses my due date gets some Turkey Hill Ice Cream courtesy of me... so guess away... (hint: between now and February 15)
