"Do you think you'll go early?"

[JohannaInDairyland]

God love my over-eager family, but if one more person asks me this ....

I'm only 37w5d showing absolutely NO signs of going into labor soon.

I've started telling them that I think I'm going to go late hand have the baby on Thanksgiving Day.

Anyone else getting this from over-eager family/friends?

[elisheva]

My mother was wanting to know if the midwife "checked me" at my weekly appointments and if it looked like I was going to go into labour soon...I gave her my whole "cervical checks mean nothing before labour" rant and she's been pretty quiet since then.

Seriously, people. If there were some tool out there for predicting labour, don't you think it would be boxed and on the grocery store shelf by now?

[akind1]

I know the checks mean nothing as to "when" but since I had the first one (I asked, as I was having some contractions) I continue to get them just to see if there has been any change. I try myself, but all I've been able to figure out is the ripeness part.

As far as the "early" part. I'm due Saturday, and we have gotten asked this for the past 2 weeks, more out of concern than eagerness, as if a baby born at 39+5 would be less healthy than a a baby born at 40+2 - why do they think a baby has to cook for exactly 40 weeks to be "done" properly?

anyway - I wish I knew a way to get them to be quiet . . .good luck!

[mom2cash]

Unfortunately I'm now getting daily calls and texts from my mom and dad because my little sister mistakenly told them I was 2 cm, 2 weeks ago... I wish I could tell them my cervix decided to close back up and wait awhile because they hear 2 cm and think, "Oh she must be in labor!"

[MamieCole]

EVERYONE in our family predicted I would "go early." Based on what? I have no idea. I am thinking because my belly is so much bigger this time around, they look at me, look at my belly and just assume that huge belly=early delivery.

My due date was Halloween. When my mom was making plans to get her ticket to come out here, she wanted to buy it for Nov 1. I'm all "Ummm, no. That's too early. You could be here a week, have to go home and the baby might not be born yet." She was adament that the baby was coming early. I asked how she knew that and she said, "I just know." heh So much for what she thinks she knows.

The topper of it all is my MIL. Go figure. She predicted (and actually hoped) I would have the baby on September 30th "Because everyone in our family is born in September or December." Gee. Thanks for wishing my baby to be born premature just so you can keep your family record in tact.

At DS's birthday party in September, we asked everyone to fill out birth predications for fun. Out of almost 20 people, not ONE picked a date later than my due date, with most of them picking early to mid-October.

So, yep. I can relate.

[vegasgrl]

My mom asks me these types of questions every single time we talk...

Mom: "What does the midwife think about when she's going to come?"
Me: "The midwife thinks the baby will come when she's ready. She said she'd check me if *I* wanted it, but that it's not at all an indicator of when the baby will come."

Mom: "Does the midwife think you're going to go early?"
Me: "The midwife still thinks there's no way to tell."

The big issue is that my mom actually wants to make travel plans based on these answers. Sigh.

It's probably a lot easier when you're with an induction-happy OB; I mean, at least I'd know that if she wasn't here by next Tuesday, I'd probably be induced. And I guess my mom gets her advice from her new-grandma friends, most of whose daughters see mainstream induction-happy OBs.

I do have to give my mom some credit for pulling out of her mainstream state of mind a great deal...the women I work with have been known to say "Oh, so the midwife can't tell, huh. Guess you should've stayed with an OB because they can usually tell."

[Cellist]

EVERY DAY now that I go into work, the people are like, "you are still here...!" I just want to scream!!! I am very eager to have the baby, but I can't control this stuff. Sooooooo annoying. I wish now that I hadn't told anyone my EDD!

[akind1]

I get the same thing! "you're still here?!" and "aren't you due this week?" and "when will you stop working?" answers, respectively, yes, duh, I don't want to be. Yes, on Saturday, but he'll come when he's good and ready. and last but not least - when he comes!

as for the ob/midwife bit, everytime someone asks what the doctor has to say, I respond with, "well, my midwife says . . ."

I really wish I were having a homebirth, so I could respond to the question "what hospital are you going to?" with . . ."I'm not" DH is far more comfortable with this first one being a CNM hospital birth. If he were uncomfortable, it would make it way harder for me to focus at home; and we didn't find any homebirth midwives until far too late in the pregnancy, and would have to pay out of pocket, which we can't afford to do . . .so. Hospital it is! unless I have a real Ooops! birth

[Mommy2Haley]

I'm 39w2d and STILL getting it. Seriously? I'm due Sunday ...what does it matter if I go "early"?

I know they're well meaning but geez ... way to frustrate the pg ladies!

[Shell_Ell]

I think what's more annoying that this even is when people say "You should have the baby such and such day..." Like we have any freaking control over it! My mom has some things going on at work next week and since she's our childcare, she keeps telling me I should have him this week so she doesn't have to mess with it.

[vegasgrl]

Ah ha ha ha - I keep getting this. Today is a friend's birthday and Saturday is another's - they both said I "should" have her on their birthdays. And mom teaches 2nd grade, so of course I shouldn't have her until November, since mom would hate to miss the Halloween celebrations.

I'm no help though; I'm "hoping" for the 10th, 13th or 18th. Like I have any say in this.