Next week during the full moon I will be 39 weeks. I would *love* to go into labor. We've all heard stories of the full moon causing women to go into labor, but I'm wondering how often it actually happens, and if there's any validity to it. FWIW, the nurse practicioner at my OB's office also works in L&D, and said that it is always busier during the full moon and major storms-something with the barometer.
I don't normally go for this stuff (science girl and all), but I have a teacher husband, had a teacher mom, many teacher friends, and my best friend is a L&D nurse. All the teachers say that the full moon is always associated with odd behavior from the students. My L&D friend says that the "more births on the night of a full moon" is not a myth, either. I think she'd know.
The MD I had for my last pregnancy said she saw more babies born on the full moon, but the MW I have for this pregnancy says she sees more babies born around the new moon.
The full moon was 10 days before my due date, so I didn't expect labor then, and it didn't happen. However, it did start on Halloween (I guess. See my current thread
)and when I went in to the hospital early the next morning, there was no room at the inn. I had to wait 2 hours for a room, and one of the nurses said that holidays, even minor ones, are what drive people into labor in droves, not the full moon. It's the extra activity. Coincidentally, my SIL went into labor 10 days early on the night of Father's day after we'd had a family get together, so it seems plausible.
I did give birth during a full moon, although I think it was just a coincidence. My dad heard somewhere that full moons put women into labor, so he called me to see if the full moon was having any effect on me. I didn't hear my cell phone because I was well into active labor at that point. When I listened to his message the next morning, I got a good chuckle.
DS1 & 2 were born with a waxing moon (both concieved around new moon), and DS3 was born just days before the new moon (concieved during a waxing moon)
DD2 was born on her due date which was a full moon. DD1 was born on her due date too (no idea if it was full moon or not). I was sooooo uncomfortable with DD2, I was just hoping and praying to go early and I remember being about 37 wks and seeing that the full moon was on her due date and thinking "sh*t, I'm going to go 3 more weeks."
My midwife said she had more moms go into labor at the new moons. Somewhere between for each of mine, it was stormy out the first night of labor with my first.
My first two were born in the hospital. And while it wasn't a full moon, something made all the pregnant women go into labor. With each one I was at a different hospital, yet both were full with no room when I arrived. I had to labor in a "spare" room with one and in a critical care room with the other. The critical care room had a glass wall so that the nurses could visually monitor the patient from the nurses' station. Boy, was that fun
I was about a week past my EDD, so I can't credit it completely. But I kind of figured she would wait for the full moon to arrive. There had been a total lunar eclipse the night before, and with the moon full it was a pretty spectacular event. So as DP and I were siting outside looking up toward the sky at 3 in the morning I said to him, "you realize of course that since we are staying up all night and won't get much sleep I'll probably go into labor tomorrow, and we'll have to do this is no sleep." I ha already looked it up 10:35 am the next day was the height of the full moon, and I kid you not at 10:35 am, I had my first contraction. She was born that night.
No, I didn't, but two of my friends who were pregnant at the same time delivered in the hospital in DC when a mild hurricane was in the area. One was 36-37 weeks (don't know the gestation of the other). Apparently, the ward was full! I think the low barometric pressure has something to do with it.
With my 3rd DD, the full moon came near her EDD... and then it went, and she was finally born 2 weeks later. (After having given birth my first 2 DD's within days of their EDD). I wish the full moon would have given DD3 that extra push, but what finally worked was castor oil...
my water broke with the moon. however, the labor never really took off.
otoh, the l & d was totally FULL. the nurses were surprised at how full it was, a few even mentioned the full moon.
Well, kinda. The full moon for my second child's birth was the day that I went into labor in the middle of the night. If that makes any sense. LOL
So he was born the day after the full moon.
I voted yes for dd, but then again I was 40+1 which is the same amount of time I gestated with ds, who was not born on or near a full moon. So, that may just be my body and have not much to do with the moon.
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