Reporters and die-hard Royal fans have been camped out for days awaiting the birth of Duchess Catherine and Prince William’s baby because the royal wee one was supposed to be due “mid-July,” according to Buckingham Palace. Now there is speculation that Kate Middleton may not have her baby until August. When will she give birth? How will the world survive all this anticipation?
A staff leak at St. Mary’s revealed to U.K. magazine Daily Star “A small number of staff at St Mary’s who might be called upon when the Duchess gives birth were told they had to remain teetotal for a month before the due date. They were told the due date was July 19.” Kate’s mom Carole Middleton has reportedly said that the baby might be a Leo, meaning it could be born in August.
Due dates are hardly ever exact (only 5% of the time,) so the baby’s birth could still be weeks away and still be a normal pregnancy. Due dates are estimated based on the mother’s last period, and her normal cycle length, so they are more inaccurate if the mother doesn’t have those accurate numbers. To further complicate matters, a full-term pregnancy is between 37 weeks and 42 weeks.
Pregnancies that go beyond 40 weeks are generally considered post-term, and after 42 weeks Kate’s doctor may decide to go ahead and induce labor.
