⏳ Due Date ≠ Deadline

Dorothea Rose
Sep 21
2 min read

Understanding the Birth Window and Releasing the Pressure

If you’re pregnant, chances are someone’s already asked:

“When’s your due date?”

And chances are, you’ve felt the weight of that question.

Due dates are helpful for planning—but they’re not promises. They’re estimates based on a formula that doesn’t account for your body, your baby, or your unique rhythm. And yet, so many parents feel like they’re racing toward a deadline.

Here’s the truth:

🌀 Only about 5% of babies are born on their actual due date.

🌀 Full-term pregnancy spans from 37 to 42 weeks.

🌀 Your baby isn’t “late”—they’re arriving on their own timeline.

The pressure to “deliver on time” can lead to unnecessary interventions, stress, and self-doubt. But birth isn’t a performance—it’s a physiological process. And it unfolds best when we trust it.

🧠 Protecting Your Mental Health in the Final Stretch

The last weeks of pregnancy can feel like emotional whiplash. You’re excited, exhausted, anxious, and maybe just done. Every twinge feels like a sign. Every text asking “any baby yet?” feels like a spotlight.

Here’s how to protect your peace:

Limit updates: You don’t owe anyone a play-by-play.
Create a “soft landing” plan: Build in rest, comfort, and low-pressure rituals.
Name your feelings: Frustration, fear, and impatience are valid.
Lean on your support team: Doulas, therapists, friends—whoever helps you feel grounded.

You’re not failing if you’re still pregnant. You’re doing something extraordinary—and it’s okay to feel all the things while you wait.

🔁 What Is Prodromal Labor?

If you’ve had contractions that start and stop, you’re not imagining it. That’s called prodromal labor—a pattern of early contractions that don’t lead to active labor right away.

It can feel confusing, exhausting, and even defeating. But it’s not “false” labor—it’s your body warming up, practicing, and preparing.

Here’s what helps:

Rest when you can: Don’t burn out before labor truly begins.
Hydrate and nourish yourself: Your body’s working hard behind the scenes.
Track patterns, not just timing: Prodromal labor often has a rhythm that repeats.
Stay in touch with your doula or provider: You don’t have to navigate this alone.

Prodromal labor is real, and it deserves respect—not dismissal.

As a doula, I help families prepare for the range of possibilities. That means: