How many came early with your 1st?

[~Saram~]

I finished work at 36wks expecting to relax for at last 2-4 wks before bub was born. I had a feeling on the Sunday that I better go and get my Christas shopping done NOW so spent the whole day at the shopping centre. Monday morning at my OB appointment I was induced within 2 hrs for pre-eclampsia and bub was born 5 hrs later!

With DD I was told to expect her around 34wks due to a heart condition and BP and told they wold probably induce. 34wks came and went the condition had stabilised so we were told we could go full term. We got my mum up early as I was SURE she was going to be born around 36-38wks I had so much pre labour! 4 days post dates I was induced :-)

So I guess, I do think you can 'know' but it isn't always reliable and after our saga with DD it is much better to keep telling yourself you will go overdue than to anticipate an early arrival and feel like you are 6 wks overdue by the time you are full term :-)

[BellyBelly]

Marisa was born 3 days early, but so many factors come into play with being early, its so hard to get an accurate response. Some people wont know when they conceived/last period, some may have had an innacurate ultrasound (which is innaccurate up to a week either way), you may have had an unskilled sonographer, your baby may have a health problem, you may have, the baby's position may influence when labour happens - so it's all so difficult to really know who comes early and who doesn't. And how do we know that the baby really did come early if the dates where wrong anyway

I think babies come when they need to, not on a date, and if you go by the stats, only 3-5% are born on that EDD with 40% born up to 2 weeks before that and 40% up to 2 weeks after.

[csab]

Heres my list....

DS1 came a few hours before his due date
DS2 came the day after his due date, yet contractions started on his due date.
DD3 came on her due date
DD4 had this feeling that I would go early with her and came exactly 2weeks earlier than her due date.
DD5 - Currently baking. Will be shocked if she doesnt come early. hehehe.