Due for a Change: Why It’s Time to Rethink the Due Date

In this episode of The POPPED Podcast, Dr. Emily Muery unpacks the due date myth — where it came from, why it’s misleading, and what actually determines when labor begins.You’ll learn how the traditional 40-week countdown is based on outdated math, why only 5% of babies arrive “on time,” and how labor is triggered not by a calendar, but by a signal from your baby’s lungs — a protein that kicks off the cascade of labor hormones.This episode is rooted in the simple truth that all babies grow, develop, and arrive at their own pace. Dr. Emily walks you through the science behind gestation length, the real (and rare) risks of going past your due date, and how to ask the right questions when induction is on the table.There’s also a gentle reminder for IUI and IVF parents: even when conception is timed down to the hour, your baby still decides when they’re ready. This episode is an invitation to stop watching the clock and start trusting the process. Because you’re not late. You’re right on time.