1st baby normally come early or late?

[Anonymous]

do most 1st time babies come early or late?

[Anonymous]

curious myself, am 36 weeks and wondering if it is any day now or if it could be another month? besides for normal signs like water breaking, being dilated - are there any other signs I should be on the look out for?
Also, is it true that you could be a few centimeters dilated for the last few weeks of pregnancy? or is it more likely that once you are dilated the baby should come rapidly?

[Anonymous]

Everyone is different, but I was under the impression that most first time babies come later than expected. Mine was a week past her due date.

[Anonymous]

My first came 1 week early (I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced at the previous doc appointment). I have heard that they usually come late- which seems to hold true among my circle of friends. Everyone is different!

[Anonymous]

I read that an average for a FTM is 41 weeks, 1 day.

Anecdotally - I went until 40w2d.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I was 39 weeks +1 day with my first. But, I had lots of sex during the last few weeks.

[Anonymous]

Late - as in 41-42 weeks rather than 40.

Mine came at 41 +3 but had to be induced.

[Anonymous]

I also read and my midwife concurred the 41 weeks + a day average statistic for a first baby.

[Anonymous]

Well, I guess I'm not avg since my first came at 38w2d. #2 arrived at 39w exactly. However, my mom delivered me at 36 weeks, so I knew there was family history of early deliveries. All the pregnancies and births were normal with no complications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also read and my midwife concurred the 41 weeks + a day average statistic for a first baby.

General consensus is, yes, they usually come late. I've read this too about 41 weeks + a day, which is when I had my first baby, without induction.

[Anonymous]

You really can't go by statistics. It is totally woman dependent.

If your first comes late, your 2nd is more likely to come late. If your first comes early, your 2nd is more likely to come early.

Of course, you haven't had your first yet, so you don't know. My level of dilation had zero to do with it - you can go into labor within hours of your doc telling you that you have weeks to go.

My own anecdotal evidence seems to imply that very petite women go into labor earlier (I think because there's just no more room). Also, if your husband has a business trip or has to work very late, you are more likely to go into labor. WOrked for me twice!

[Anonymous]

I have also heard that conventional wisdom is that first-time babies are more often late. I have also heard (and I have no idea if these are just old wives' tales) that boys are more likely to be late and girls are more likely to be early, and that if you had a short menstrual cycle you are more likely to be early and if you had a long one you are more likely to deliver late. Who knows? I'm 36 weeks and love hearing the anecdotal evidence, though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:and that if you had a short menstrual cycle you are more likely to be early and if you had a long one you are more likely to deliver late. Who knows? I'm 36 weeks and love hearing the anecdotal evidence, though!

That would be true since docs usually just pick your due date based on your last period. If you have cycles shorter than 28 days, your baby is more likely to be "early". If you have cycles that are longer than 28 days, your baby is more likely to be "late".

[Anonymous]

PP, that would only work if the due date wasn't actually determined by ultrasound and if the woman were too clueless to have an estimate herself.

I have a 35 day cycle and always told my doc to add a week to the due date. This was confirmed for both my pregnancies by ultrasound.

However, the first came 2 weeks early (would have been 1 week early without "fixing" due date). THe 2nd came 3 weeks early.