Due Date Truths

You are given a date.

A Due Date

It is normally based on the date of your last menstrual period or from an ultrasound.

The date can change throughout pregnancy or it can stay the same.

What does that date actually mean?

Truth is, it is an estimation of when you might go into labor.

There is a wide window of gestation between 265-300 days. Most women are given 40 weeks as their due date and that is calculated by subtracting 265 from 300 which gives you 35 days. Divide that by two and you have 17. 5 days. Add 265 to 17.5 to get 282.5. That equates to 40.3 weeks.

Essentially, you have a birth month.

According to the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology the following terms represent term births:

Early term is between 37 weeks and 38 weeks and 6 days

Full term is between 39 weeks and 40 weeks and 6 days

Late term is between 41 weeks and 41 weeks and 6 days

Post term is between 42 weeks and after.

It is up to you and your provider when you may want medical management if you do not have your baby by a certain date, but know that your baby will come and be in your arms before you know it. No matter if you decide to induce or wait, our doulas at Northern Virginia Birth Services support your choice and are there waiting patiently when you need them. 

She Doesn't Need Saving!

 

Women in labor don't need saving. They need support…

There is a notion that a woman in labor needs saving from the discomfort, or lengthy time and/or pressure of labor.

Truth is she does not need saving.

She needs support.

She needs help and resources to guide her every step of the way. Sometimes that support can be in verbal cues, reassurance, love and kindness. Telling her that she’s strong, powerful and amazing.   Sometimes that support is physical with massage and pressure points, holding her hand, having your head placed on hers, or slowly breathing setting the pace for her to breathe in and out. Assuring her that her birth rhythm is just perfect.

Women in labor need to be allowed space. To empower themselves and own their birth.  To ask questions and make sound decisions. To be an active participant, not have things done to them.

The role of the Doula is to support the mother. To be the sturdy chair in the corner that mom can sit on or hold onto. Then when she doesn't need it, is still there quietly holding the space.

The woman in labor does not need a superhero to come in and fix her. There is nothing to be saved from.  Doulas are more like Sherpas, guiding a laboring woman up the mountain. The doula can show the laboring woman some options along the way. Supportive routes when detours emerge. Ultimately the expectant mother must climb the mountain herself. It’s her birth journey.

Whether she reaches the top and sees the view from the mountain peak, or turns down the mountain, it is her journey. She needs no saving. She needs support, love and reassurance. Birth like life, is a journey. No two adventures are ever a like. We must allow each birth to unfold the way it was meant to.