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dear donna,
first, please remember that 38-42 weeks is NORMAL term. you are not "overdue" until you are 2 weeks beyond your due date. i wish more practitioners would be honest with women about the 40 week date. the AVERAGE time a first baby is born is about 41 and a half weeks, or 9-10 days after the due date. (and trust me, i understand, as i'm getting close myself...:) so don't buy into any induction talk unless there is another good reason. there are risks to that--incresing fetal distress, post partum hemorrhage, increased # of C-sections, and the list goes on. but there are things you CAN do-- drinking 2-3 cups of red raspberry tea a day when the uterus is term and ready has been shown to make labor more efficient, and taking evening primrose oil caplets (1-2 a day) is studied to be safe and effective and ripening the cervix in preparation for labor. always let your provider know if you are going to take any supplement. i recommend it to my patients regularly. try not to get too hung up on the due date, as it will only stress you out. your baby knows best when to come and letting him/her decide will make for the pleasantest, healthiest and safest labor experience. good luck!!

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