As I am waiting excitingly for another client to end her “Zwischen” (a term used by a midwife referring to the last days of pregnancy)  I am thinking about the language we use here in America to describe THE “due date”. These dates play such an important role but I think we need to look a the wording we use to describe the date much different. Unfortunately many birthing people start to worry once they approach that date. Some may even feel just like if a bill is left unpaid because the necessary funds are unavailable. Stressed and anxious. Living in a very scheduled world only adds to that uncertainty. However nobody should feel this way – especially when someone is expected to go through the event of a life time very soon.

Due date?

“Due” can mean so many things.,.your books are due at the library…your fees are due or you are due for a check up…even your car might be due for an oil change. All these things have a very specific time frame in mind while pregnancy is very arbitrary. Evidence has long shown that the length of pregnancy can vary for many different reasons.

Language

In Germany we actually call the “due date” your “calculated date”…Birthing people may get ask “Wann ist Dein ausgerechneter Termin?” –  When is your calculated date? They are not “due” meaning “fällig”. Birthing people and their partners as well would like at you wide eyed if you would use the term “fällig”. This phrase is used for bills, books or even school assignments but never in association with a pregnancy. So even Germans that are often known for their timely manners do understand that in this circumstance we should be more flexible and the actual date doesn’t matter as much.

Now I wonder what other languages use to determine this date. Is it as as strict as the American term or is it softer and gives the baby more time to choose when they want to be born? What would happen if mainstream America would start thinking different about that date? Email me directly if you know of another culture approaching this date with more joy!!!