“A word of caution --don’t take the EDD [Estimated Date of Delivery] too seriously. The Mittendorf study showed the average length of human gestation to be forty-one weeks plus one day.”
--Elizabeth Davis, Heart & Hands; A Midwife’s Guide to Pregnancy and Birth
12 comments:
What a wonderful book! We found it to be irreplaceable along with another book, Emergency Childbirth: A Manual, by Gregory J. White, when we had our most recent child at home... "unassisted." Although, of course there was assistance! Another family we know had their last five children at home with the husband as the midwife, (the first five children were with a midwife) they used this practical, simple, well-balanced informational manual. They didn't want to be "too informed" as they wanted to place their trust in God, so this manual was perfect for them and us! Can't say enough about it! All married couples should read it.
We found this to be true also.
My Mom always wrote down her own estimated due date.... and the one the doc gave her. She was always far closer to right than the doc. Nine times.
That info could relieve so much anxiety!
Oh, my, I was always overdue... I would have liked to know that!!!
We just say our guess date here. My first two went a few days "early", but all 4 after that were 10 days to 2 weeks "late." I am due with our 7th December 28th. I highly HIGHLY doubt I will have him/her before mind January of 2012!
Our third was my first completely natural birth and she was 10 days past my EDD, so I'm planning on up to 2 weeks with this baby! It's so much easier when you're not getting your hopes up for labor to start by that set day (and especially easier for me, now having a midwife, to not have a practitioner pushing to "get the baby out" by some certain preconceived notion of an "expiry" date!
Luke, that would not only relieve anxiety, it would make babies a lot healthier and safer! :)
I was supposedly 4 1/2 weeks late with one and 4 with another. 7 of my children were born on the full moon and 2 on the new moon. Homebirths are wonderfully easier to allow for God's timing. When parents or doctors put their vacation or whatever they choose as the deciding factor, they are taking matters in their own hands, sometimes with anxious or disastrous results.
Kelissa, I think you've hit on the root of this.... the professionals lke to have things on a schedule, and often do things to keep to that. Patience is not high on their list. Midwoves are certianly professionals, but from what I know of them (not much, really, only anecdotal reports from some families I know)they seem to be cut of different cloth.. they, in general, seem to be much more servants to their patients rather than the other way round. Something that needs to be restored to the entire medical profession, in my opinion. I mean, whatever happened to letting God's patterns play out naturally? Our society is obsessed with schedules, convenience, efficiency, predicatability. Sorry (not really), but life just ain't like that.
Exactly right. When I was 37 weeks pregnant with my first, I had some unusual back pain (not back labor), and the doctor had me come in to be checked. After being monitored for an hour, with absolutely no contractions, they put me on pitocin (without telling me) and admitted me to the hospital, just because I was at 4 cm. The hospital's "standard protocol" forced me to essentially be induced (and to stay on my back in bed, which led to an epidural) with what our pediatricians had to consider a premature baby. Praise the Lord, she was perfectly healthy, just on the small side.
They just couldn't get past their preconceived notions of "being in labor," and that being a cut and dry concept, and could have risked the health of my child.
I am VERY thankful for the opportunity to op out of the medical model this time!
And much of this sort of "policy" arises from two things: government mandated protocol (typically motivated mot by science and wisdom but by politics), and a desire to protect against litigation, or cover one's bases when litigation does come.
And the gobbermunt want to run the medical system to reduce costs.... yeah, right. Release the free market and watch things self-correct.
right nick
Post a Comment