Your estimated date of delivery

You’re counting the minutes till your due date, but your baby has his own plans. Here’s what you need to know about your EDD – and what happens if you go way past it

Did you know that only five per cent of babies arrive on their due date? In other words, there’s a 95% chance that won’t give birth on the date you’ve had etched in your mind since the moment you found out you were pregnant. Most babies (figure?) arrive after their EDD – so that’s a lot of waiting around by a lot of fed up pregnant women!  

Time’s up

Going overdue is no fun, but it’s more than just an inconvenience. James Walker, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at St James University Hospital, Leeds, says: ‘The placenta is only designed to function for a certain length of time, so you’ll need monitoring once your due date has been and gone.’

Doctors will want to keep a closer eye on you because if the placenta stops working properly,  your  baby can become malnourished or deprived of oxygen. ‘This means that during the stress of labour, he’s less likely to cope,’ says James. ‘ And the he implications can be serious.

‘At 40 weeks, about one in 2000 babies is stillborn, but at 42 weeks, it’s one in 500,’ he explains.

What happens next?

To keep an eye on your baby’s wellbeing, you’ll have more frequent antenatal appointments after your due date. These may be twice-weekly, or even more if there are any concrns about your baby.

It’s important to pay attention to your baby’s movements, too. You may even be advised to keep a kick chart, noting every movement within a set period – if there are too few, you’ll need to be monitored.

Somewhere between 41 and 42 weeks, depending on hospital policy, the pressure to be induced will increase. It’s your right to refuse, but remember: your ultimate goal is a healthy baby, and going way overdue increases the risk of complications.

Induction: the pros

The biggest benefit of being induced is that it reduces the risk of your baby developing complications as a result of being overdue. Knowing your induction date also lets you plan ahead – for example, your partner can arrange time off work.

Induction also means your labour will be more managed, which can be reassuring if you’re anxious. Your baby’s heartbeat will be monitored continuously, and you can have an epidural before the contractions become too intense.

… and the cons

There are, however, a number of disadvantages. You’ll be admitted to hospital to wait for labour to start, which could take 24 hours. And if your baby isn’t ready for labour, he may not be in the optimum position, which can make things slow and painful, or you may not dilate quickly enough.

Induction also often triggers a cascade of intervention. You’ll have continuous monitoring and a drip, and you’re more likely to need an epidural to cope with the intense contractions. This increases the chances of further intervention, such as episiotomy, forceps or ventouse.

‘However, 15 to 20 per cent of women have these interventions anyway, regardless of whether they’re induced,’ says James Walker.

Being induced increases the caesarean rate, usually because of fetal distress. ‘What we don’t know is whether this distress is caused by the induction, or simply by the baby being overdue,’ adds James. Equally, induction doesn’t always successfully start labour, making a caesarean the only option.

The other big disadvantage is that left to your own devices, you’re very likely to go into labour naturally. ‘Only eight to 10 per cent of women haven’t gone into labour by 42 weeks, so you could argue that if labour would start naturally anyway, what’s the point in inducing it?’

Sitting it out

Remember that you can decline induction – no one can force you into it. But  if you do you’ll need to be monitored regularly to check your baby’s wellbeing. ‘You may have a fetal heart rate trace with a CTG (a monitor that straps to your bump), a Doppler ultrasound looking at blood flow through the cord, or an ultrasound to check the level of amniotic fluid,’ says James Walker. If you’re a first-timer or have complications, you may be checked daily.

You can also have a ‘stretch and sweep’, where the midwife or consultant uses their fingers to separate the membranes around your cervix. This increases the chances of labour starting in the next 48 hours, but you can go home to wait, rather than staying in hospital.

‘I found it uncomfortable, but not painful – rather like a smear test,’ says Elizabeth Heywood, 30, mum to Genevieve, 11 months. If it succeeds, you can still have a natural birth, without continuous monitoring.

Let’s get it started

If you do opt for induction, you’ll be admitted to hospital, usually in the evening, so labour can get going overnight. Initially, a pessary of prostaglandin gel – the hormone that triggers labour – will be inserted into your vagina, with a second dose after six to eight hours if necessary. This succeeds in starting labour for 40 to 50 per cent of women.

If this doesn’t work, you’ll have a syntocinon drip, which stimulates strong contractions. ‘The midwife advised me to have an epidural straight away,’ says Jenny Rogers, 33, mum to Catriona, six months.

‘I didn’t want one, but the contractions came so quickly, I didn’t get a chance to get used to the pain, and it was agony.’

Once your cervix has begun to dilate, you may also have your waters broken with a long plastic hook, helping to stimulate contractions. From this point on, it’s likely that you’ll dilate about 1cm an hour – and, after waiting 42 long weeks to meet your baby, the end is finally in sight.

If you’re worried about going overdue or being induced, talk to your midwife, who’ll be able to reassure you and talk about your options. Remember that you’ll be in safe hands – and you’ll soon forget all that worry once you’ve met your lovely baby.

’I refused induction and got my perfect birth’

My first  baby was born after a very unpleasant 17-hour induced labour, ending in a forceps delivery. Second time round, I desperately wanted to avoid induction, but I went overdue and was under extreme pressure from my consultant, who wanted to induce me at 41 weeks and three days.

My midwife stood up for me, and the consultant agreed to wait until 42 weeks. I had an hour of monitoring every day, but it was worth it to avoid induction. Meanwhile, I tried everything to get things started – pineapple, clary sage baths and massages, two sessions of acupuncture and sex.

I’m glad I held out. My labour started spontaneously at 41 weeks and four days, just a day after I’d have been induced. Aidan was born after a fantastic four-hour labour with just gas and air. It was a wonderful experience, and I’ll be refusing induction with my third baby, too.

Samantha Cherrington lives in Bracknell, Berkshire and is a full-time mum to Kiera, five, Aidan, 20 months, and is 26 weeks pregnant

‘I had a perfect labour after being induced’

I asked for an induction after going five days overdue. I was suffering with severe SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction) and was on crutches and in a lot of pain. I just wanted my baby out!

The consultant checked me over and was happy to perform the induction earlier than the usual ten days, because of my SPD. After the first pessary of Prostaglandin Gel was inserted I was warned it might not work first time.

Throughout the day I felt tightening pains across my bump. I had another pessary in the evening, and I started having contractions soon after. The following morning I was 8cm dilated and was coping with just gas and air.

Ciaran was born after seven-and-a-half hours of labour and I was really pleased with the way everything had gone. The induction was definitely worth it and I would be quite happy to have another one in the future.

Michelle Lark lives in Strensall, York and is a part-time support worker and mum to Ciaran, one.

DIY induction techniques

Heard the one about twiddling your nipples? Here’s our guide to the induction methods you can try at home – and which ones actually work, according to midwife Debby Gould of the Royal College of Midwives.

Nipple stimulation

The theory Said to release the hormone oxytocin, which triggers contractions.
Does it work? ‘There’s some evidence that nipple stimulation can enhance labour if it’s going slowly,’ says Debby. ‘Whether it’s effective for inducing contractions is unclear, but it won’t do any harm, so it’s worth a try.’

Sex

The theory Your partner’s semen contains prostaglandins – the same hormone used in induction to ripen your cervix ready for labour.

Does it work? The jury’s out on this one. Research has shown different things – for example, one recent study suggested that, if anything, it slightly delayed labour.

‘Sex involves nipple stimulation and cervical stimulation, so it could help to bring on labour,’ says Debby. ‘It’s difficult to know whether women whose contractions start after sex would have gone into labour anyway, but there’s no harm in trying.’

Hot baths

The theory A long soak in a bath may help you relax, making it more likely that you’ll go into labour

Does it work? ‘Submersion in hot water raises your body temperature and could possibly harm your baby,’ Debby explains. ‘By all means have a bath to relax, at a comfortable temperature, but not a hot one – it’s not known to help trigger labour, and could potentially be dangerous.’

Long walks

The theory Keeping active and upright means that gravity helps your baby move down into your cervix

Does it work? ‘This makes sense, especially if you’re getting niggling early labour pains – keeping active may encourage you into established labour, and will help keep you occupied,’ says Debby. ‘But don’t overdo it when you’re heavily pregnant.’

Pineapple

The theory Pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain, which is believed to help soften the cervix

Does it work? ‘I haven’t heard any evidence of this working, but everything suggests you’d have to eat fresh pineapple, rather than tinned, and an awful lot of it, too!’ Debby says.

Spicy curries

The theory A hot curry often gets things moving in the bowel department, which may have a knock-on effect on your uterus

Does it work? ‘Traditionally, midwives suggested curry and sex to get labour started, but there’s no evidence that it helps,’ Debby explains. ‘If you like curry, go for it, but don’t count on it.’

Clary sage massage

The theory This essential oil is linked to strong uterine contractions – it should never be used before your due date

Does it work? ‘Clary sage does seem to stimulate contractions, but if you want to try it, consult a qualified aromatherapist first,’ Debby suggests.

Castor oil

The theory Castor oil is a powerful laxative, and, as with curry, it’s thought that stimulating the bowel also stimulates the uterus

Does it work? ‘I would strongly advise against drinking castor oil, because you may suddenly go into very strong labour which can potentially be dangerous for your baby,’ warns Debby. ‘It’s also likely to make you feel sick, give you the runs and cause abdominal pain.’

Due dates: doing the maths

Your due date is calculated by adding 280 days to the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP). But for about 15 per cent of women, their EDD will be inaccurate by more than three days.

‘This is because not all women have regular 28-day menstrual cycles,’ says James Walker, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at St James University Hospital, Leeds. If your cycle is long, you’re likely to give birth later than a woman with a short cycle.

The LMP theory also assumes that you conceived on day 14 of your cycle. ‘But ovulation can occur at varying stages, conception can happen within a two- to three-day window around ovulation,’ says Prof Walker. So, if you ovulate late, your baby may actually not be due until several days after your official EDD.

Your dating scan is more likely to provide an accurate due date. But even so, due dates are far from certain, as a full-term pregnancy lasts between 37 and 42 weeks. The most common date for giving birth is actually 283 days after your last period – three days ‘overdue’.

No one seems to be certain why we assume pregnancy should last 280 days. In other countries, due dates are calculated differently – in France, for example, pregnancy is estimated to last 41 weeks (287 days).

So should you pay any attention to your EDD? ‘I was convinced my baby would arrive on time, so when my due date passed, I felt really fed up,’ says Lorna Howard, 25, mum to Sophie, seven months. To spare yourself the disappointment, try to see your EDD as a guide – not a guarantee.

Reader panelist Julie Vottier sasys: ‘I am due on the 17th Decempber and I’d like my baby to arrive then – I don’t want to go overdue into Christmas and New Year. It would be the best Christmas present ever, and it would be nice to celeprate the festive season with a baby in my arms and perhaps a little glass of bubbly!’