Storms vs Full Moon

We have often heard moms looking at the calendar and declaring their birth will no doubt come on a certain day because there will be  a full moon.

Although I'm sure there is some scientific evidence to prove that this may be true, i.e., barometric pressure changes, I have been in labor floors before with the place empty on the night of a full moon.  I've had moms who were almost 42 weeks and the night of the full moon passed with no labor beginning. I have actually seen more labors start during storms.

Of course this seems very inconvenient since the doula is racing through the rain and wind on wet streets  in the early morning hours to reach the laboring couple - but such is the nature of the job.  And then we can be in a lovely labor room enjoying the birth while the rest of the area has to deal with the storm's fury.

I really don't mind the rain - what I like the least is fog.  There is nothing more scary to me than navigating the causeway at 2am with the fog so thick that you can barely see a foot in front of the car.  I can still remember getting a frantic call from a client at about that time - obviously labor was proceeding rapidly - and I'm trying to get to Davis in a thick fog - quickly but safely - and half asleep.  I'm happy to report I did make it before the baby arrived - but barely.

It would be so handy to be able to predict when a labor is going to begin by looking at the weather report or the full moon listings on the calendar.  But it just isn't that simple.  Babies don't seem to have those at their disposable to use to coordinate their appearance.

So the next time you are starting to drift off to sleep with the rain and wind pounding outside, imagine the doulas navigating the storm to get to a birth.  And rest assured your doula is willing to meet the challenge of dealing with all these situations to be at your side as quickly as possible to welcome the arrival of your little one!