What percentage of babies are born on their due date and how accurate is the due date anyway?

I was informed by my wife’s ob/gyn that only 5% of women give birth on their projected due date. Our baby girl is due July 5th, but we’re shootin’ for the fourth.

Interesting question. I had never thought about how they calculate the due date. I did some googleing (sp?) and found this. It also includes some stats about due dates so I think that it is relevant.

And congrats bulbatron9.

On our first ultrasound the doc asked us when we thought we conceived. I said “October 7th”, and my wife said “somewhere around the end of october”. According to the ultrasound, I nailed it to the date. Weird huh? 109 days left as of the 18th. Right now she weighs about 20 oz., and is approximately 11” long. April 5th will be the end of our 2nd trimester.

I have already got her room painted pink, and ready to go.

This Wikipedia article will tell you about some methods for calculating an Estimated Delivery Date.

My son was born about 11 hours before his due date, which was determined by the one and only ultrasound we did when he was 10 weeks. My labor didn’t progress too quickly, so I was given medication to speed it up… had we let nature take its course, he may have been born right on his due date. Going by last menstrual period is far less accurate than those determined by ultrasound measurements.

The fun thing to do is work backwards and try to figure out when you conceived….
eg: Special occasion, holiday etc.
Better yet try to figure why/what/when your parents created you….

Boffin: you have a much stronger stomach than moi.

I was ten days early

Had my first on her due date. Not common, like bulbatron said. If your date of conception (or more specifically, your date of ovulation) is KNOWN, it’s more likely to be more accurate. But, every pregnancy is different.

Check this out: http://www.pregnancywizard.com/trimesters-stages/pregnancyduedate-accuracy.php

I was the only one of three children born on the exact due date. Its a low percentage but not unheard of.