Tired of Being Pregnant

As much as mothers might like to naturally induce labor as soon as they grow tired of being pregnant, labor starts often unpredictably and sometimes later than what mothers would like for their own comfort. Babies will come at 38 weeks and other times will need 42 weeks. Technically you are not overdue or what is called "postdates" until 42 weeks. However, today it is more common to hear from providers that you are "overdue" even if your due date was yesterday!

So in essence, your due date is only a very rough target; which is why it is referred to as an EDD - estimated due date. Your own baby will likely come within a period of four weeks between 38-42 weeks. Only about 3-5% of women actually give birth on their due date not to mention that the majority of women don't go into labor until after their estimated due date!

Rushing the Last Weeks May Cause Long Labors and Cesareans

Studies have shown that if your body is not ready for labor, (i.e. cervix unripe- not dilated or effaced) and you have an induction with pitocin, you will either have a very long labor or a much greater chance of a cesarean. For more information about reasons for an induction and how to labor with an induction, see this article on labor inductions.

Realize that inductions, especially early ones, can be harmful to your baby. If your baby is born even 1-2 weeks pre-term, they can have difficulty breathing on their own. This can happen when your due date has been miscalculated and the baby's lungs have not finished developing. Babies may require a stay in the NICU often for several days or longer if necessary.

Sleep is Not a Given After the Baby Arrives

Another thing to consider is that even though your sleep is likely to be very poor in the last few weeks of your pregnancy, it won't get any better once the baby comes. In fact, most babies will be wakeful and need to eat about every 2 hours thoughout the day and night for the first several weeks. Many babies will be waking up once or twice a night even months after birth.