"Oh, halfway!" said a friend yesterday, when I told her I would be twenty weeks along today. I said, "No, I'm not halfway." (I was a little cranky because she had just commented on big I was. She was thinking I was earlier in the pregnancy.)
Twenty weeks isn't the halfway point of an average pregnancy, because for the first two weeks of a standard forty-week pregnancy you're not pregnant. On average, a woman is halfway through gestating at 21 weeks.
I, however, am...above average. (Note the positive spin I am attempting to give this, like focusing on the "advanced" in "advanced maternal age.") My boys have all been late: 6 days (Alex and Marty), 10 days (Joe, and I started telling people who commented on my belly that it was actually my pet watermelon, because late pregnancy messes with my head in a big way and I cannot handle questions like "Didn't you have that baby yet?"), and 8 days (Pete). Mean length of gestation: 273.5 days. I haven't told anybody my actual due date since I was pregnant with Alex, and this time around I just say, "I'm expecting the baby to arrive between Christmas and New Year's."
I'll be halfway in 10.75 more days (she said pedantically).
So I actually opened up "calculator" on my computer, and figured out that you should deliver at noon on Christmas Day. ;-D Three cheers for us math nerds!!
Posted by: Salome Ellen | July 31, 2008 at 04:28 PM
I've never carried a baby to term, but I have to think that you're better off having your babies late than early.
I bet you look adorable.
Posted by: Sarah | July 31, 2008 at 04:42 PM
"for the first 2 weeks of a standard 40 week pregnancy you're not pregnant".
Right there is exactly why I'm a humanities gal.
Posted by: Maria Wood | July 31, 2008 at 04:54 PM
Oh, Sarah, I hate the thought of you reading this grumpy post from the hospital. Better late than early indeed. Hope you are hanging in there.
Posted by: CJ | July 31, 2008 at 04:58 PM
We could start a pool. Date, sex, birthweight -- closest gets a pet watermelon.
I am aiming for the 28th, because the other birthdays are on the 27th, 29th, 30th, and 31st.
Posted by: CJ | July 31, 2008 at 04:59 PM
I was half-way at 15 weeks, although I didn't know it yet....(I'm being pedantic, too, and not counting those first two weeks. Especially because it's just WEIRD to talk as if I was two weeks pregnant on the day we did our IUI. Snort.)
A nosy-parker question: are you the sort of family that finds out sex ahead of time, or not?
Posted by: Jody | July 31, 2008 at 05:57 PM
We never have found out before. We've declined routine ultrasounds in previous pregnancies.
Elwood says it doesn't make sense to him to withhold information from ourselves that someone else has about our baby -- if they can tell the sex, they can go ahead and tell him. OTOH, he won't send them looking for it if it's not obvious. It works for me.
When I was pregnant with Joe, the 9#12 behemoth, I had an ultrasound at 26 weeks to rule out twins. I was open to finding out the sex, but it didn't work out.
The boys all think we should find out.
Posted by: CJ | July 31, 2008 at 06:45 PM
CJ, I just love your attention to detail. And happy almost-halfway!
Posted by: Arwen | July 31, 2008 at 09:10 PM
Now down to 9.75 days :).
I also need to say how impressed I am with how quickly things are flying off your Summer 2008 To Do list. It is no surprise, with you working on a PhD with 4 (+1 gestating) kids, but WOW! I am nearly at 16 weeks with our first and I can barely drum up the energy to drag my butt to work each day. Your dedicating is inspiring!
Posted by: Sarah in Ottawa | August 01, 2008 at 11:10 AM
happy almost half way.
good news is that no matter what, eventually you'll be over half way. nobody is pregnant forever... (not that I'd know, since I've never gone farther than 39 weeks!)
Posted by: Tracy | August 01, 2008 at 02:00 PM