How To Predict When You Will Deliver the Baby
Summary: You may want to know how to predict when you will deliver the baby.  Over the centuries the methods have varied.  In the 1800’s a German obstetrician began predicting a due date by counting 10 moon cycles past the last menstrual period (a.k.a. LMP).  This was later disproved.  At the present time a doctor gives a due date counting back three months from the first day of the LMP and adding 1 year and 7 days.

Mothers having their first pregnancy average 41 weeks and one day according to a recent study.  The same study showed that 40 weeks and three days is the average for subsequent pregnancies.

280 days or 40 weeks is the average length of all pregnancies where the due date is predicted by LMP.  This however uses a 28 day cycle and may women have longer, shorter or irregular cycles.

If you don’t know the date of your LMP an ultrasound can be done and the technician measures the fetus to determine his age.  An ultrasound done in the first trimester may be off by five days before or after the due date.  In the second trimester the error rate is plus or minus eight days and in the third ten days either way is the error rate.

Only about 10% of women actually deliver on their due date and half of pregnant women have the baby within a week of the expected due date.  Altogether 90% or women have their babies no later then two weeks after the due date.

In ancient times people worshipped the sun and moon and since most people had sex at night, the moon was believed to control pregnancy and thus eventually they came to expect the birth at 10 moon cycles after the last period.  Even into the 1800’s this was the way people estimated when the baby would be born.  My grandmother always told us that the baby would be born after we missed eight periods.  No matter what methods people used or use today, the average pregnancy last about 40 weeks and three days.

The Chinese zodiac is composed of animals and the legend is that the animals had a race to secure a place in the zodiac.  The pig was last so he is the twelfth sign.  The Chinese believe that the year of the pig is lucky and any child born during that year will receive help from others during their whole lives.

Chinese people plan to have a baby during the lucky year of the pig.  Some famous “pigs” are: Ronald Reagan, Hillary Clinton, Woody Allen, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Elton John.

There is anecdotal evidence that there are more babies born on the night of a full moon, according to a lot of labor room nurses.  Some even report that more boys are born on the night of a full moon, than girls.

You can go on line and use a due date calculator.  All you need to do is enter your LMP (last menstrual period) and the computer calculates your due date.

When women in ancient times suspected they were pregnant they would look at what phase the moon was in, then she would look for that phase and when it had occurred 10 times she knew she would deliver soon.