Dates

Write down the questions you want to ask and make your own decisions. Even though references are great, you may have a different set of expectations than your neighbor.

"shining armor" when things went wrong during her labor without being fully aware that her doctor's interventions, such as inducing her labor too early, may have contributed to her birthing problems in the first place.

Talk to at least three doctors or health care professionals so you know that you are choosing the one best for your style and preferences. During the interview, ask if your health insurance will cover his/her care, ask about their experience and history delivering babies, and especially about experience with medical complications.

What hospitals or birthing centers do they attend? How often will you see them for visits and what kinds of tests will they do? How many C-sections do they perform vs. natural births? How can you reach them if you have a question or problem in between visits?

Once you have chosen your doctor or other health care professional, she/he will exam you and give you an estimated due date.

This exam may/will include blood and urine samples, a Pap smear and tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia.

Remember that we said that your doctor will start your ‘pregnancy clock’ on the first day of your last menstrual cycle? You might be interested to know that the average pregnancy is 266 in length (38 weeks, not 40 weeks as calculated by your doctor).

The reason for this discrepancy is so that your doctor can take into consideration all the variables (stress, diet, variable menstrual cycles and other things).

Your doctor will give you an ‘estimated due date’ but if you want to figure it out for yourself you can use this calculation:

First, add 7days to the first day of your last menstrual period, then count forward 9 months. If your typical menstrual cycle is shorter or longer than 28 days, you will have to add or subtract more days to the 9 months to make the final estimated due date more accurate.

If you can’t remember when your last menstrual period started, your doctor may suggest a sonogram to determine a more reasonable estimated due date, though this is not necessarily a precise way to calculate.

The fact is that when your baby is ready to be born, he/she will let you know!
A sonogram at any time during the first four months of your pregnancy can help your care provider establish your due date with a reasonable amount of accuracy, but babies' growth rates become more individual as they mature, and sonograms later on in pregnancy may not be as precise. Less than 5% of babies arrive on the day they were predicted, so don’t plan things around that day!

About one in five pregnancies results in a miscarriage, and this usually happens before the heart beat is detected. About one in eight babies arrives prematurely.
Unless there are health risks involved in a prolonged pregnancy or the bay seems to be jeopardy, your doctor will rarely suggest inducing labor. The best idea is to wait until the baby is ready.

Now that you understand your estimated due date, you will want to be sure you have all the information you need in between visits. Talk to your doctor about your diet, exercise and any medical family history you think is pertinent.

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