Understanding Due Dates & Labor: Addressing Concerns About Early Labor

Question
I wanted to thank you for your responce yesterday but you said that a sonogram was not a sure way to figure the due date. My doc is going soly on the very first U/S he gave me back in Aug. From my last menstrual I was due March 19. My contractions have not all been in my back I have had very hard contractions in my belly with pelvic preasure and bloody show. According to your responce yesterday you are basically saying that no one goes into labor before 40 weeks therefore my doc is right to not listen to what I am feeling and check me. I am a high risk pregnancy and I have a nurse that comes to my house 2 a month that totally disagrees with what you said yesterday. If all docs thought like you I think there would be a lot more complications in pregnancies. I do thank you for your veryu quick responce but I do not agree with everything you said.

Answer
I never said that no one goes into labor before 40 weeks gestation. Normally, 80% of women will go into labor from 38 weeks to 42 weeks gestation. I have no access to your previous question or my previous answer. When you have contractions at the level of your belly button that occur every 6-8 minutes (for a multip) and 3 mintues (for a primip) from the beginning of the contraction to the beginning of the next contraction, and each contraction lasts for at least 45 seconds, you should be checked to see if your cervix has started to dilate. If you are having contrctions that are less than 30 seconds in length, there is no reason to check you. A bloody show merely means that labor should start within a few weeks. We like to avoid too many pelvic exams in order to decrease the risk of infection.