Why do some women go overdue?

[Kirsty3051]

I'm 5'8 and delivered my son 5 weeks early. Will be interesting to see if this LO follows suit!

 

[Mimzy3]

https://jezebel.com/5938400/pregnancy-lasts-as-long-as-it-does-because-the-human-metabolism-is-lazy

would make sense then... that women who are more active throughout their pregnancy tend to go earlier or 'on time'.

 

[oneill614]

I read a study that one of the factors is mother's age, and that for every year over age 25 you should add 1 day to your EDD. For that reason I expect to be 8-9 days overdue!

I do think if a woman has longer cycles or ovulates late she is going to take longer to go into labor.

My family has a history of overdue babies and they are tall. However not as much as you might think. My mom is 6' and her two non-csections were only 4 and 5 days over. However my 5'10" aunt had a 44 weeker.

 

[AP]

I suppose to confuse matters, how can you explain those like me who go into premature labour for no reason at all, but have had full term births too. Its all quite bizarre really

 

[Mimzy3]

I read a study that one of the factors is mother's age, and that for every year over age 25 you should add 1 day to your EDD. For that reason I expect to be 8-9 days overdue!

I do think if a woman has longer cycles or ovulates late she is going to take longer to go into labor.

My family has a history of overdue babies and they are tall. However not as much as you might think. My mom is 6' and her two non-csections were only 4 and 5 days over. However my 5'10" aunt had a 44 weeker.

Don't agree with these...I'm over 25 and went into labor with my son at 38 weeks. Also I ovulate late and have very long cycles sometimes 40+ days....

 

[Hollys_Twinny]

I read a study that one of the factors is mother's age, and that for every year over age 25 you should add 1 day to your EDD. For that reason I expect to be 8-9 days overdue!

I do think if a woman has longer cycles or ovulates late she is going to take longer to go into labor.

My family has a history of overdue babies and they are tall. However not as much as you might think. My mom is 6' and her two non-csections were only 4 and 5 days over. However my 5'10" aunt had a 44 weeker.

I was 21 years old having DS and was 10 over, he was was clearly overdue too, my placenta broke in half on arrival, he weighed 9lb6 and had all the signs of an overdue baby. The longer cycles- I vary between 26-35 days so maybe

 

[lau86]

Some interesting ideas! I wouldn't say I was a gym bunny but I am active- with my second I had my first son to run around after and we do lots of walks and I had quite an active job back then too. But it does depend in your definition of active doesn't it

 

[icklemonster]

The height idea is interesting, I'm average height and Charlotte came 1 day early. That said, my MiL is just 5ft and while DH (first born) was 2 weeks early, his brother was 2 weeks late!

 

[mummytobe_93]

There must be some kind of science behind this as I've had two babies born pretty much two weeks late and I know my dates are right. Is it because I'm tall and they have a lot of room? I also don't grow big babies considering they are so late. Do some women just need that extra bit of growing time? I'm wondering if it's going to be a case of another overdue baby.

A normal typical pregnsncy lasts anywhere between 37-42 weeks so 42 weeks isnt technically over due. I think most women have their own body clock for pregnancies and im not sure why. But most women although not all have babies at similar gestational

I know a woman who didn't get induced with any of her 6 kids and went in to labour naturally every time between 42-43 weeks.

I've had both my babies at 39 and 5 days and 40 weeks exactly.

I think its just one of those things and no one really knows why xx

 

[ClaireJ23]

In my own opinion I think that a lot of women get their dates pushed forward due to the scans and therefore babies arrive 'late'.

My date was changed from 7th October to 2nd October. I really don't believe 2nd October as we only DTD twice that month and it wasn't until later so couldn't possibly be 5 days earlier.

That means if I get to 40 week, I will actually be (in my mind) 39+2. If baby arrives during the following week I wouldn't be very surprised.

Also, in the last weeks of my last pregnancy (in which I was overdue). I had lots of false starts and put that down to stress and anxiety that I had at the time.

I think baby has to be ready and also mum has to be ready as it is all down to hormones in the end.

 

[lau86]

Lol I have no idea why my second son decided to start making his arrival on Christmas Day! Couldn't have picked a more stressful time!

 

[Christi85]

Interesting thread and theories!
Well, I'd say, as much as some of these sound very credible and make sense, I'm definitely an exception though not officially 'overdue' yet (but looking like I'm headed towards that direction, with my due date coming up on Tuesday and no signs of an impending labor). I'm the opposite of tall at just 5'1", my cycles have never been long (26-29 days was my usual), and I have no history of women going overdue in my family. As a matter of fact, every child in my close family has come a few days early (myself included, I was born at 39+4). What's more, I was diagnosed with an irritable uterus at 27 weeks, which slightly increases chances of going early, and yet here I am still, well into full term and almost overdue I should also add that I'm very sure of my ovulation dates the month I conceived, and the baby has measured bigger in every scan, so if anything, his due date should have been even earlier based on scans.
Only thing I can think of is hereditary trends on my husband's side, as he was born 10 days late, while his sister was also born 8 days overdue.

Other than that, it's true that it's still not clear what exactly makes labor start, but we do know it's a complex mix of hormones on both baby's and mother's end, so when these shift to the right balance they trigger the body to go into labor. Also, while going early or late seems to be a trend with some women, it isn't always the case. For example, I know of a woman who had her first baby pretty much around the due date, then she had to be induced for her second one at 42 weeks, and her third one was born several weeks premature. They also say that second/third babies come earlier than first ones, and it tends to be the case more often than not, but I know of cases where the first one was actually days or even weeks earlier than the second one
Nature is a big mystery!

 

[Misscalais]

Im not really sure. Im short 1st baby came the night before due date, 2nd and 3rd were 5 and 8 days over due.

 

[jlw617]

To me it sounds like the evidence on height is pretty credible but as with anything else, there are always exceptions! The age thing, I've actually read the opposite and have been told the older you are the more like you are to go early which makes more sense to me than what another poster said about going later...so combine all that with "my theory" of some women just bake babies faster and I fit all of those...I'm short, older and it just seems like I bake babies quicker as my babies have not needed any extra help after being born I hope this one doesn't make me eat my words

 

[Twag]

I think the being active thing isn't totally true as I have 2 dogs which are walked 2/3 times daily and we also go on LONG walks at the weekends etc and with my son I was induced at 40+10 but I guess it all depends on the level of activity??

I still do a lot of walking and now chasing around after a 19 month old so will be interesting to see when little miss comes

I am 5ft7 and always had average cycles I guess (26-28 days) my babies tend to measure ahead (although this one has done until recently and is now measuring behind ) and I think all of my Mum's babies were late also - so watching this space I guess

Very interesting thread

 

[katherinegrey]

Interesting thread! I wonder where sweeps fit in? I've had two successful sweeps but both are deemed to have started off the natural labour so I'm considered to have gone into labour naturally if that makes sense?

First I had baby at 40+4 day after a sweep, age 21, height 5'6, baby 9lb 3oz.
Second was 39+2, day and a half after sweep, age 23, baby 7lb 11oz.

Two different weights, different gestations but both triggered by the same thing.

My sister went two weeks over with both of hers, different genders, 10 years between them, one weighing only 5lb 12 and the other 8lb 6oz.

My mother went over with all four of her babies but every time she insisted her dates were correct and went within about one week of her own dates.

A friend I have delivered both babies at 37 weeks on the dot, perfectly healthy. Clearly just done cooking.

I think it's one of those things that every woman is different. I'm sure no two women have the exact same cycle. Same length, same hormone levels, same ovulation day, same luteal phase, so maybe a study should be done on individual cycles and how that may reflect on gestation of pregnancy?

My sweep thing still is strange though, why do they work for some and not others? If it's baby that tells the mother they're ready why would it work?

 

[Kitteh_Kat]

My mother is 5'3 and went to 42 weeks + induced with all 3 of us (6 lbs - me, 7 lbs - my sister, 9 lbs - my brother). I'm 5'5 and went to 41 weeks + induced (6 lbs 8 oz - girl). I think we just like to cook our babies longer.

I had a sweep with DD and it did absolutely nothing. I won't be doing it again with this one; isn't worth the pain!

My mother was also in the military while pregnant with my sister and me, so being active didn't do much for her either.

It's all so baffling!

 

[ClaireJ23]

They also say that if you have a relatively short gap between pregnancies then the second baby will arrive earlier. However in my case this wasn´t true as my first was 40 weeks and a year later her sister was born at almost 42 weeks.

 

[Buttercup84]

With my first I had a failed sweep at 41 weeks and even when I went in to be induced I was very unfavourable and I'm not convinced any of the other sweeps they did helped at all either. With dd2 I had 3 sweeps from my due date onwards and they didn't do a thing. I'll give them a go with this pregnancy but I'm not feeling optimistic
With regards being active I worked in a nursery toddler room (1-2 year olds) full-time with my first and with my second did the same job 3 days a week as well as decorating our new home and looking after my 2 year old. I'd say I was more active second time around but still I went 2 weeks overdue.

 

[lau86]

Sweeps have never worked for me i had quite a few with both babies and they just gave me false hope! I'm going to politely decline this time, I don't want someone's hand up my cervix unless it's for a good reason!!