Constructing the Uncertainty of Due Dates

Abstract

By its nature, the date that a baby is predicted to be born, or the due date, is uncertain. How women construct the uncertainty of their due dates may have implications for when and how women give birth. In the United States as many as 15% of births occur before 39 weeks because of elective inductions or cesarean sections, putting these babies at risk for increased medical problems after birth and later in life. This qualitative study employs a grounded theory approach to understand the decisions women make on how and when to give birth. Thirty-three women who were pregnant or had given birth within the past 2 years participated in key informant or small-group interviews. The results suggest that women interpret the uncertainty of their due dates as a reason to wait for birth and as a reason to start the process early; however, information about a baby’s brain development in the final weeks of pregnancy may persuade women to remain pregnant longer. The uncertainties of due dates are analyzed using Babrow’s problematic integration, which distinguishes between epistemological and ontological uncertainty. The results point to a third type of uncertainty, axiological uncertainty. Axiological uncertainty is rooted in the values and ethics of outcomes.

FUNDING

This research was supported in part by the Kentucky Department of Public Health and the Kentucky Chapter of the March of Dimes and grant number UL1RR033173 from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), funded by the Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH) and supported by the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NCRR, NIH, the Kentucky Department of Public Health, or the Kentucky Chapter of the March of Dimes.

Notes

1. ¹A complete list of the codes developed through analysis is available from the first author upon request.

2. ²All names have been changed to protect the identity of the participants.

3. ³For all study participants, their pregnancy status or birth outcome is noted in parentheses or in the text following their names.