By Shannon Harlow, Dallas Director
Now that you have knowledge of how many babies you’re expecting and whether or not they are sharing amniotic space and a placenta, you and your healthcare provider should have a better picture of what your technical due date is and a more realistic due date.
- Question #4: Actual due date vs. realistic due date?
When you’re pregnant, regardless of the quantity on board, you will be given a 40 week due date. However, with multiples, it is more likely that the birth will come sooner than 40 weeks. This by no means is meant to imply that it’s next to impossible to reach a 40 week due date. There is a plethora of multiple mommies that have reached this long awaited date or come up just shy with big healthy babies. I’ve even heard of triplet moms who have delivered babies close to this goal. But, sometimes these earlier births take place due to complications. Other times, all could be healthy and normal but your uterus has reached its max size and all occupants are evicted. So, discuss a realistic time frame for babies’ birthday with your healthcare provider. You will want them cooking for as long as possible for optimum health so make it a point to discuss reaching your goal!
