What is a due date, and how accurate is it, really? Dr. Rebecca Dekker is joined by Dr. Sara Ailshire of Team EBB to walk through the latest research on due dates, pregnancy length, and what happens when pregnancies go past term. They share the new research on ultrasound dating, the natural length of pregnancy, genetics, and stillbirth risk. They also talk about what a due date actually represents and how pregnancy length varies widely between individuals.

Content Note: This episode contains discussion of stillbirth, starting at 26:10 and ending at 40:57. Please take care while listening.

Read the Evidence on "What is a Due Date?" here.

(05:24) What is a due date and what it isn't
(06:16) How due dates are traditionally calculated
(09:45) Research on ultrasound accuracy
(12:25) Safety of ultrasound & the ALARA principle
(16:38) Why studying pregnancy length is complicated
(22:27) Genetics and family history of longer pregnancies
(25:41) Why providers worry about going past due dates
(27:50) Understanding stillbirth risk and the U-shaped curve
(34:20) Racial disparities in stillbirth risk
(38:37) What pregnant people can do to lower risk
(40:25) Sleep position, fetal movement awareness, and prenatal care
(44:06) Balancing trust in birth with honest risk communication
(45:20) What we know (and don't know) about placental aging

Resources

Count the Kicks: https://countthekicks.org/

PUSH Pregnancy: https://www.pushpregnancy.org/

Star Legacy Foundation: https://starlegacyfoundation.org/

Healthy Birth Day: https://healthybirthday.org/

CDC Stillbirth resources: https://www.cdc.gov/stillbirth/communication-resources/index.html

Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support: https://nationalshare.org/

Stillbirth and infant loss support communities: https://postpartum.net/group/stillbirth-and-infant-loss-support-for-parents/

EBB 384 - Evidence on "What is a Due Date?"

Evidence Based Birth®