Page 26 - The Doula Hub - Flip book_Neat
P. 26
W H A T I S Y O U R D U E D A T E ?
WHAT IS IT FOR? The EDD is an estimation of when your baby is due to be full term,
but all is not as it seems….
• HOW IS IT WORKED OUT? Your EDD can be WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? Research suggests that
worked out in several ways. At first, it’s the risk of negative outcomes for the baby are
calculated according to the date of your last increased the further beyond EDD the baby
goes. The increase is small, and with carefully
menstrual period using a theory called
monitoring of mother and baby most issues can
Naegele’s Rule. This dates back to 1744 and
be avoided, but your care team wants to be
is based on Biblical teaching that human aware of this so they can offer you appropriate
gestation lasts approximately 10 lunar support.
months.
• CAN THE CALCULATIONS BE WRONG? WHAT ISSUES MIGHT IT CAUSE? Recent studies
Because of variations in many women’s found that up to 80% of mothers gestate to
cycles, the estimation of the date of beyond 40 weeks, with the average first time
mother birthing her baby at 41 + 1, which makes
ovulation can be out by a week or more.
for an awful lot of women being termed
Later in the pregnancy, your baby will be ”overdue”. For some care providers, this can
measured at the 12-week scan and the EDD lead to pressure to “get things moving” which
estimated again, often altering your first can be difficult if you’ve decided not to have any
EDD, but this is not able to consider whether interventions.
the baby may be bigger or smaller than
average.
