The Silliness of Due Dates

October 7th is here, but our little girl is still content where she is.

And we remain content with whenever the Lord decides to deliver her into our arms.

Throughout this pregnancy, I’ve thought a lot about due dates and labor and delivery, as I’ve read countless articles and posts about it all.   I remember reading one post early on that talked about how arbitrary due dates are, and doctors shouldn’t give you an actual date but rather “the first few weeks of October” or something of the sort.  And I completely understand that.  Due dates seem to add extra pressure as questions explode and anticipations are extra high as that EDD (estimated due date) approaches.

My thoughts are when your baby reaches full term, he or she doesn’t really come “early” or “late.”  Once you’re full term, that baby can come anytime and be perfectly healthy.  The little one will come when the Lord wills it and when he or she is ready.  I’ve seen many articles stating that only 5% of babies are born on their actual due date.  And 90% are born at some point within the two weeks before that day or two weeks after.  Who is to say that those babies come early or late?  Once they hit that point where they are good and ready for the outside world, that time they arrive is the perfect time that was predestined for them.  Just because that little one makes a grand appearance before an estimated date or after, doesn’t really mean anything.

Frankly, every baby is different and every momma is different.  No matter what your genetics are, the number of ways you try to naturally induce, or how prepared or unprepared you are, that baby will come at the perfect time, not early or late, but just right.  You can be completely prepared, drink cups of raspberry leaf tea, go on tons of walks, sit on an exercise ball, do your squats, and eat all the pineapple you can and that baby will still come when the Lord says it’s time.

So while we wait for our little girl, we trust the Lord and we know His timing is perfect.

Katherine is probably just already being sweet and taking into consideration the schedules of family.  She knows Spencer has his final for class tonight and knows that if she comes closer to the weekend it is easier for people to not have to miss school and work.  Both Spencer and one of my sisters have fall break Friday and Monday, and my dad commutes home on the weekends, so maybe she is just being considerate and letting things fall into place.  That’s what we’ll say at least :)

Of course we would have loved to have already met Katherine.  But the Lord knows her birthday, and it hasn’t come yet.  I definitely would have loved to have had her and no longer be pregnant, but I also could have guessed that we would see our due date come and go.  My mom and I have joked about how things usually are quite crazy with me.  Especially when it comes to medical stuff, I don’t usually fall into the average category.  Things tend to be complicated or just a bit outlandish and all you can do is laugh about it (mostly after the fact).  So I think we are both anxious to see how labor goes.  And whether it starts tonight or next week, we know the Lord is good and faithful.

He will continue to sustain us through the rest of this pregnancy.  Although there are just days left in it, once you reach those final, full-term weeks, the days and nights seem extra long.  So until Katherine arrives, we will consider each moment joy.  We will trust in the Lord.  We will celebrate all the Lord is doing.  We will live with gratitude.