Due Dates are BS...Or, Are They?

About 5 weeks before my due date, I decided that if the baby came early that would be just fine.  Glorious even.  I mean, do they really need to "cook" for 40 whole weeks?  My theory was confirmed when we went to our 36 week sonogram and the baby was measuring at 40 weeks.  Well, at least his head was, and isn't that the most important part both in the delivery and in respect to the health of the fetus?  They told us he was about 7 pounds at that time.  I didn't quite hyperventilate as Joe asked the doctor how big was he going to be and she responded, "Oh, 12 or 13 pounds."  Note to doctors:  Giant baby jokes are not very funny at 36 weeks.

The days trickled by and I kept gaining weight.  I didn't quite break the 200 pound mark, but I flirted with it.  Pretty soon, I was approaching that 40 week mark.  At about week 39, I decided to start to try to walk.  Walking can induce labor.  So can pineapple, so I ate a bunch of that.  The walking was not a simple feat.  I made it around a block.  It was painful the whole way.  My left hip felt like I'd walked 10 miles on an uneven road.  I decided to just wait it out.   I didn't think it would be much longer.  I had been dilated at 4 cm for 2 weeks.  Surely, that was a sign.

It was not.

Friday, July 27, 2012.  That was my due date. 

On Thursday, July 26th, I felt miserable and work was especially trying.  I decided to let Joe work for me on Friday.  My 40 week OB appointment was at 3:00 pm and I was planning to rest up a bit.  I had been sleeping on the couch for weeks and never for more than 4 or 5 hours at a time most nights.  Joe left for work a little after 8:00.  I was awake, but not up and going at that time.  I got up around 8:30 and went to the bathroom.  As I was leaning forward to get up, I felt my water break.

I thought. 

Maybe.

Probably.

So, I Googled it.  God bless them internets.

I sent Joe a text

I'm not entirely sure my water didn't just break. 

His response

How can you not know?

My response

I've never done this before!

So, I called the OB office.  They said to head to the hospital.  So, I called my mom. 

Joe and I got to the hospital around 10:00 am.

On Friday, July 27, 2012.

The nurses were waiting for me.  I was ushered to a delivery room on my due date.  It was confirmed that I was in labor.  On my due date.

Weird.