Can a baby really be born "late?"

Today is August 26th and our due date was August 22nd. This officially makes our baby four days "late." Or does it?

A friend of mine recently emailed me a devotional from her pastor in Kansas City, Dan Wolgemuth. I don't know this man. I've never been to his church or heard him preach, but I read what he wrote about his grandchild being past her due date, and it really encouraged me. Allow me to share...

"Today, August 20, 2010 is eleven full days after the due date of our daughter Alli’s first baby. She’s in labor as I type. Just yesterday I informed a friend that she was "over a week late." But I was awakened this morning to the reality that our Father’s watch never runs slow… that He’s never late for an appointment, that He never oversleeps or reacts too quickly or scrambles to get something done… time, every second of every day, every day of every month, is His. Babies are born in the fullness of time. The last breath of every creature is deployed in the fullness of time. God Himself stands at the end of the phrase… "when the fullness of time had come, GOD…"; just as He stands at the end of every moment in our journey. He’s not stuck in traffic. He didn’t misplace His watch. He hasn’t forgotten to adjust for daylight savings. His batteries are fresh. His wisdom is impeccable. In the fullness of time… at St. Anthony’s Hospital in west Denver… a baby will be born. Not eleven days late, but right on schedule. This reality extinguishes anxiety while it ignites hope. Yes, my fourth grandchild will be born right on their due date…" - Dan Wolgemuth

Many people lately have been asking me if and when we are going to induce labor. The more that Austin and I research babies and the birth process, the more I am surprised at how quick our culture is to induce labor. Due dates are an estimation. Calculating a due date is not an exact science. It is perfectly normal and healthy for a woman to carry her baby up to 14 days past her due date, yet when someone is just four days "overdue," everyone is wondering when we plan to induce. My answer is that we don't plan to induce. Now, there are always exceptions to the rule: if the baby is in distress, or the placenta is no longer nourishing the baby, or other health risks are involved, then I absolutely understand inducing labor. However, this is most often not the case when it comes to inducing labor in America. It is usually simply because a woman is a day or two overdue, so a doctor decides to put her into labor before her body does it naturally.

Does this mean that we might be waiting quite a while longer for this baby to be born? Yes. Austin and I are excited and willing to wait on the Lord and his perfect timing. This baby will not be born late. This baby will be born right on time.