“When are you due?” Nothing sends shivers down the back of an expectant mom more than this question. This is especially true for first time moms who are bombarded with this question.

Due dates are an estimate, and yet moms-to-be are given a specific date and it sticks in everybody’s mind forever.

This date is in the back of every expectant mom’s mind when they plan any event, especially during the last weeks of their pregnancy. This often causes them to change plans and increases their angst.

Why is this so? Human gestation is approximately 38 weeks and starts from the day of conception until the day you deliver. Most people don’t know exactly when they conceived.

Health care  providers count from the first of your last period, which is why pregnancies appear to last about 40 weeks.

Going back to my earlier question, wouldn’t a better way of answering the question be “my due date is between this date and that date?” So regardless of the answer, the expectant mom would be less stressed if everyone stops calling her on her due date and making statements and questions like “I bet you’re going to have the baby today,” or, “Do you feel any contractions, today’s the day after all?”

Or after her due date, pestering her with things like, “Why haven’t you had the baby yet, is something wrong? “

The pressure that she feels can be mostly avoided by being given the two-week span due date and since mom will be less stressed, so will baby!

To find out about my services, please visit my website at www.janmartinka.com. Feel free to write me with any (non-medical) birth or postpartum questions to get a doula’s perspective.