I'm feeling a little confused. I've had five clients so far, two of which I attended, (one was too fast and two did not call me). The two that didn't call, and one that already delivered were all birth center clients and all went over their due dates and were induced. My client who was due last week just called to tell me they are inducing tomorrow. I understand the birth center doesn't deliever past 41 weeks and a few days but it seems really odd that all my clients there have been induced . Are the midwifes mis-caculating due dates? Do first time moms usually go that late?
I think it is pretty typical for first time moms to go past EDD... I did...
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Yes, it is common for moms to go past their due dates. Our hospital actually teaches that most first time moms go to 41 weeks 1 day (like was mentioned above).
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I realize that this is an older thread, but I've been moving threads around today and this one caught my eye. I just wanted to add my comment here anyway.
I was 10 days past EDD with my first, and 7 days past EDD with my second. Induction was never suggested, however, and they were both hospital births with an OB and a CNM in that order. Yeah... It's pretty normal to go postdates.
I'm feeling a little confused. I've had five clients so far, two of which I attended, (one was too fast and two did not call me). The two that didn't call, and one that already delivered were all birth center clients and all went over their due dates and were induced. My client who was due last week just called to tell me they are inducing tomorrow. I understand the birth center doesn't deliever past 41 weeks and a few days but it seems really odd that all my clients there have been induced . Are the midwifes mis-caculating due dates? Do first time moms usually go that late?
The average gestation for first time moms is 41 weeks 3 days, the same day that the birth center cuts off for delivering there. It's like expecting women to go into labor on their due dates.
You're right though, I haven't had a birth at the birth center since December of last year. It's sad, and I know they're not happy about it either, but in order to stay open, they have requirements placed upon them that they have to meet.
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Yep, normal human gestation for first time moms is 41 weeks, 3 days. Don't know why they don't change it from that arbitrary 40 weeks. Oh yea, billions of dollars in medical costs would be lost.
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My client last week was 14 days past due. It was second baby. I am waiting on a first time mom right now who is 8 days past due. Most of my moms seem to go past due by at least a week.
I wonder if this should be looked at by the 'powers that be".
Maybe, just like kids are growing up faster, and babies are getting bigger, maybe women are just gestating longer? It could be becasue of hormones in our food, or who knows....what does everyone think? Is this possible that there is becoming a new normal, and Drs are looking at old, outdated ways of measuring gestation?
My client last week was 14 days past due. It was second baby. I am waiting on a first time mom right now who is 8 days past due. Most of my moms seem to go past due by at least a week.
I wonder if this should be looked at by the 'powers that be".
Maybe, just like kids are growing up faster, and babies are getting bigger, maybe women are just gestating longer? It could be becasue of hormones in our food, or who knows....what does everyone think? Is this possible that there is becoming a new normal, and Drs are looking at old, outdated ways of measuring gestation?
Could be.. I have had my last few first time moms go waaaay over by medico standards. They couldn't find prenatal care for various reasons.. one was nearly 43 weeks, (developed HELLP syndrome and almost bled out) and the other one went over a month past 40 weeks (!!!!) according to her LMP. Healthy baby but she had a cesarean due to FTP. Finally, a 5th time mom who DID have prenatal care.. 41 weeks..typical for her and so she wasn't concerned in the slightest although her OB had her doing regular NST's to cover her butt, I guess.. healthy baby girl after 4 boys and nice, normal vag. birth. Her doc tried to pressure her to induce since she was going out of town but this mom declined (which was great because her toddler developed rotavirus that night and she was able to get him back to healthy before she went into labor.. and went into labor on her own over a week past the attempted induction seduction.)
I have moms go anywhere from 37-44, I guess.. (although not much past 42 if ever with a DR or CNM)
Last edited by helpinghands; 07-04-2007 at 04:11 PM.
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You know back in the day, it was not uncommon for a woman to carry 3-4 weeks past the due date. You were LUCKY to have a baby on or just after your due date. Today it seems more and more babies are born before 40 weeks, and 40 weeks seems to be the deadline and by 41 weeks Drs and everyone in general is all freaked out...mom starts stressing from the Drs concern... (which can delay the onset of labor)
Every single one of my babies were "late", First was 10 days, the second was one week and the last was two weeks.
I think babies are developing the same as they always have been, BUT the fact that many times they are forced out before they are ready, so they are more at risk to the chemicals, etc, that we have. THOUSANDS of years have gone by and human gestation has remained unchanged.
I have known docs that won't even wait until 41 weeks to induce when the mom and baby are 100% healthy.
I know there are rare occasions when labor needs a nudge, but most of the time nature will run its course as it should and the baby will be the better for it, since it is the BABY that initiates the hormones that start labor once it is truly ready for the world.
. Are the midwifes mis-caculating due dates? Do first time moms usually go that late?
Yeah... It's pretty normal to go postdates. 
Quote:
Healthy baby but she had a cesarean due to FTP.
Finally, a 5th time mom who DID have prenatal care.. 41 weeks..typical for her and so she wasn't concerned in the slightest although her OB had her doing regular NST's to cover her butt, I guess.. healthy baby girl after 4 boys and nice, normal vag. birth. Her doc tried to pressure her to induce since she was going out of town
but this mom declined (which was great because her toddler developed rotavirus that night and she was able to get him back to healthy before she went into labor.. and went into labor on her own over a week past the attempted induction seduction.)
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