Due Dates

Having a due date is exciting, right?! I loved having a date to count down to, knowing each week I was getting closer and closer to meeting my baby boy.

But... they're problematic. They can actually end up causing you a lot of stress and anxiety, even fear, and can put a lot of pressure on you. Let's get into it a bit more!

First thing to know is how your due date is calculated is... bullshit. Yeah, I said it. The maths to work it out was decided by a man (obvs - it's called Naegele's rule, he was an obstertrician) back in the 19th century aka hundreds of years ago. You add 40 weeks from the first day of your last period. But some say it should be 40 weeks from the last day of your period?! And this is based on the idea that your cycle is 28 days long and you ovulate on day 14. This calculation doesn't take into consideration our individual differences - the fact our cycles all vary in length, as does when we ovulate, and that other factors can influence the length of your pregnancy too (like your height, weight, and ethnicity).

Due dates can end up causing us a lot of stress. As your due date comes and goes, you are likely to feel pressure from medical professionals to start having some interventions. Maybe a little sweep, a little drip, just a little induction... *** none of these things are little btw and all come with their own risks and benefits ***

Being overdue is not a reason for an induction.

These interventions being presented to you may not come across like a choice. But please know, it is always your choice.

You may also start to feel pressure from family, friends, and even yourself.

Remember... your little baby doesn't know about this due date! They're just waiting until they're ready for our world.

Your due date is an estimate - not an eviction notice.

We are not robots. Our bodies and our babies are not robots. We can't use maths to decide when our baby and bodies are ready.

It's so important to build confidence and trust in your body and your baby. To surrender to pregnancy, birth, the process. Learning about birth will help you with this, and doing the realllllly really important work on yourself will, too (it will also help you towards the end of your pregnancy if you're feeling pressured by others into any sort of intervention).

Here are some affirmations to support you towards the end of your pregnancy:

"My baby knows how and when to be born"

"My body knows how to birth my baby"

"I make decisions that feel right for me and my baby"

"I trust my body"

"I trust my baby"

"I trust my intuition"

Also some other tips:

• ensure you're informed about birth and your choices before the end of your pregnancy so you can make decisions that feel right for you rather than based on fear

• work on yourself: build confidence in your body, connect with your intuition and your baby, heal your relationship with your body

• turn your phone off if you need to!

• don't tell anyone your actual due date... instead, tell them a due season, a due month, a due zodiac season, or a date 2 weeks after your due date! (as most babies are born after their due date - 84%!)

if you're ready to dive into birth prep and have support doing the deep, inner work - check out my services (I'm a doula and hypnobirthing teacher!) and how I can help you here.

And come join me on insta! @elle.massey_bam

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