Written by Kevin White

Life is filled with so much stress, anticipation and doubts. But for mothers to be, no moment is more anticipated and filled with confusing thoughts than her pregnancy due date . The supposed day when her (the mother’s) little fetus finally break free of the life giving umbilical cord and become an entity that is separate of the mother.

The very state of being pregnant is one big rollercoaster rides for any mothers to be or even for a mom who already has five children. There are so many bodily changes that a mother to be will experience. From increase of hormones such as progesterone and estrogen, musculoskeletal changes, metabolic changes to gaining weight, pregnancy is a very strange sensation for any mother. Pregnancy may start rough and uncomfortable (due to morning sickness and the increased frequency of having to go to the bathroom) but over time, mothers learn to adapt it as they accept pregnancy as part of their identity.

Sadly, just shortly after adapting to pregnancy, mothers have to learn to adapt to something completely different. For many mothers, the act of giving birth and the time shortly after it, the postnatal period, is a very confusing time psychologically and emotionally. It is the time when something that has been a part of them for 9 months, the fetus, is about to become separated.

A fear of being separated of the fetus that mothers have been used to or the anticipation of finally holding her newborn infant, the pregnancy due date is highly anticipated. Anticipated by not only the mother but also by the family who has been longing to welcome the little bundle of joy that is the infant.

Pregnancy Due Date, being highly anticipated as it is, is not met by an ill prepared family. Families would usually do a ton of preparations as they look forward to the birth of the new member of the family. That is why knowing to the exact date as to when the infant is due to come out is a big issue. The parents can prepare not only their homes or the infant’s clothes but also to prepare themselves.

Though there are a myriad of techniques to try to predict the exact date of birth, those techniques are not entirely 100 percent accurate. Only a reported 5 percent of births worldwide happen during the exact due date, 50 percent happen within the week of the due date and a huge 90 percent happen within 2 weeks of the predicted due date.

Pregnancy due date and the prediction of it is not an exact science yet. With the great difference between the physiological aspects of people, it is expected that due dates will vary even if, for example, two women have conceived at the exact same time. The variables and factors to consider (height of mother, weight of mother, even ethnicity of mother) are just too many.

Then there are other variables like say complications that hasten the birth of the fetus. Preterm infants are not rare. Even when the mother has done everything that she needs to do to ensure a healthy pregnancy, complications may still arise seemingly out of nowhere.

Luckily, modern day medical science is well equipped to handle such cases like preterm births and preterm infant, so there is really no reason to fret. But, understandably, a natural birth is always better and much desired than a birth that is not natural or full term.
Recent researches also showed an increase incidence of infants or children who were birthed via caesarean section has higher susceptibility to respiratory problems. And after birth, research has also showed that breastfed infants are much healthier and resilient to illness later in life when compared to infants who were formula fed. Such research all point to one conclusion: natural is better.

For parents, knowing when the pregnancy due date is is but a small step. Preparing to raise a child is a very, very big deal. Sacrifices have to be made by not only the mothers but also by the fathers. With the child coming, the carefree happy life of a couple will slowly fade away as both parents have to act more responsibly and face the needs of their offspring.

Not only do mothers have to stop some vices like drinking, smoking and drugs lest she want her child to have congenital problems they also have to avoid many things like bad fumes and second hand smoke. As for the fathers to be, having a pregnant wife is downright stressful, no matter how close or intimate they were prior to pregnancy. The mother to be may be extra demanding but the father to be must cope with it, for it is the husband’s job to support his wife, especially in times like this.