One Year Ago Today...

In an attempt to prepare myself for the ever approaching milestone of Presley's one year birthday, I'm going to be revisiting what I was doing during those final days leading up to her birth. Since her due date was one year ago today, I thought that would be a good place to start.

March 24, 2006

Due Date

So, for those of you who are keeping score, today is the due date. Up until today I was under the impression that most people understood that a due date is nothing more than a day (calculated from the first day of your last menstrual cycle) in which one could possibly give birth, and that giving birth on any day of the two weeks on either side of ones due date is perfectly acceptable.

Apparently I give people too much credit.

People have already asked Kevin and I if we will be going to the hospital if I haven't had the baby by tomorrow! And if that wasn't ludicrous enough, when we say "no", they incredulously ask "Well how long are you going to let her go overdue?!". PEOPLE! Overdue is being 43+ weeks pregnant. I just hit 40 weeks today! People have actually expressed concern that we could be endangering the life of our child if we don't go have an induced labor within the next week. Let me please put everyone's mind at ease: I was born 1 month late. 1 month, that would be 4 weeks past the due date. That would make my mother 44 weeks pregnant. I didn't die, my mom didn't die...I'm sure she wanted to die, but she didn't.

It absolutely amazes me how pregnancy/child birth has become a medical condition in our society. Most people assume that one can't maintain a pregnancy and give birth to a healthy child without the constant overseeing of doctors and lab workers and hospitals and nurses. It's insanity. I mean, I'm not one to tell anyone else how to have their baby. If you want to be in a hospital and have the epidural and all that good stuff, go for it. But, please don't assume that our bodies aren't perfectly capable of doing this on their own. Because they are. I promise.

And to answer the question once and for all: No. We will not be going to the hospital if I haven't had this baby by tomorrow, or by a week from today, or by two weeks from today. In fact, baring any complications, this baby and I won't be gracing the doors of a hospital for a very, very long time. Presumably that day will come when Caedmon's luck finally runs out and he breaks a bone while jumping off of the stairs. But that's entirely beside the point.

P.S. Very obviously pregnant women do not like to be asked the question "Have you not had that baby yet?!". Not only do we all see that I have not had this baby yet, but by the time you've asked that question, chances are it's already been asked a dozen times that very day. So please, for the sake of my sanity, just don't ask.