Does the Full Moon Induce Labour?
It has been said many times over that emergency rooms are busier on full moons than any other day. Hospitals even schedule extra staff on full moon days. Read about this mum's attempt to see if there is any validity to the myth...
The labour and delivery department is no exception to the extra staffing as many swear that more babies are born on full moons than any other day. New moms, who by chance delivered on a full moon, will tell the tale of how busy the maternity ward was on that particular day.
Considering that I am due to deliver my second child in about 6 weeks, I am especially curious to know if there is any validity to this belief. My due date is nowhere near a full moon so I am wondering if I will deliver early or late, or if this is just another pregnancy myth.
The theory of the full moon and labour
Image source: iStock
The theory behind this belief is sensible enough. Believers claim that the full moon’s gravitational pull affects a pregnant woman’s water sac much like it affects the tide. When a woman is close to her due date, the sac is bulging so that a contraction usually breaks the water. This sets labour into motion.
Those who believe in the full moon theory believe that the moon “pulls” the water sac enough to break the water, which sets labour into motion.
Evidence of the full moon labour
As soon as I heard this theory, I immediately searched online for my first child’s birth date. Her birthday was nowhere near a full moon. Then I searched for my own birthdate. No luck again. Determined to prove this theory to myself (because it makes so much sense to me), I then searched for everyone’s birthday that I could think of. Thirty minutes later, I couldn’t find a single person that I know who was born on a full moon.
Unfortunately, scientific studies back up my own personal research. No one has ever found a correlation between full moons and an increase in births.
But…
Believers are not deterred by this scientific evidence. They claim that just because something isn’t scientifically proven YET, doesn’t mean it’s false.
Also, they bring up the point that the moon’s powers are often interrupted by today’s technology and pollution, which inhibits labour initiation. Electricity confuses the body and nature in general as to when day and night is due to artificial light.
Pollution blocks the moon’s mystical powers. If this was true, wouldn’t the moon’s pull on the tides be lessened as well?
My delivery date
Turns out that this pregnancy myth appears just as all the other ones; true for some but no proof to support that it’s absolutely true. So am I going to deliver on the full moon two weeks before my due date or two weeks after it?
My guess is just that; a guess. However, if I do end up delivering on a full moon and the maternity ward is overcrowded, I will let you know…and I will be a believer for sure.
