Full Moon and Birth???

Updated on June 21, 2010
K.E. asks from Kent, WA
18 answers

Hi girls,

I read about an interesting study that said that there seems to be an increase in births when the moon is full. Anyone experience their water breaking during or right around the time of a full moon? Apparently the pull of the moon affects amniotic fluid in the same way it does the tide. I was reluctant to believe this until I looked up my previous births and my DS's water broke on a full moon. I wouldn't normally give this any credence, but I must admit my curiosity is piqued. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks ladies!

K.

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So What Happened?

YAY! Today is June 22, and my water broke at about 2:30 this morning. I know the full moon is the 26th, so I'm wondering if it has anything to do with that? Of course my due date was the 21st, so it could just be that it is time. Who knows? I'm jsut glad this is finally getting off to a start. My contractions are mild and far apart, soI'm jsut waiting to go to the hospital. I don't want to go in too early, because I refuse to be strapped to the monitor and all their gadgets. Plus, I'm much more comfortable in my own home. Anyway, wish me luck.

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K.M.

answers from Seattle on

With my first I FINALLY went into labor on the full moon - I had been on bedrest for 2 weeks and then off for a week before giving birth. It was kind of humorous because my doctor was on vacation and 4 of his pregnant patients went into labor on the same day (the full moon). The clinic was going crazy trying to cover all of the births. However; with my next two the moon didn't seem to have any effect at all, so I think it just depends on how ready the baby is.

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W.C.

answers from Seattle on

I had my daughter on Feb 26, 1979--an eclipse day. The halls were packed because they were having so many babies. I can't say much about moons, but I can say that about eclipses.

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K.C.

answers from Dallas on

omg, i surely hope so. apparently the next one is next saturday. maybe i'll go into labor then :)

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C.S.

answers from Seattle on

My water broke 6 weeks early, the day after the full moon. I asked the doctor why it happened, she said she didn't know, but can always predict a higher rate of premature ruptures around the full moon.

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A.Z.

answers from Portland on

My daughter was born 7 days early on a full moon. My twins were born 7 days before the full moon and only 6 days before they due date. It is curious and I would love to see the other responses to this!

BTW - I was born between the first quarter and a new moon. My mother was born on the new moon. My husband was born 1 week after the full moon. All were natural births, so I am not seeing anything more than a coincedence at this point. Fun looking though!

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J.W.

answers from Seattle on

There is an increase of births of all kinds on a full moon. Not only our kids, but mares foul and cows calf. Not all babies are born on a full moon, but it does have some pull effect.

A.C.

answers from Oklahoma City on

YES! I used to work for an OBGYN and she was always having people go into labor on full moons! I had heard that before but didn't believe it until she said it!

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S.P.

answers from Minneapolis on

Funny - I went into labor (water broke) a month early, on a new moon. Nothing there.

Since the moon affects the tides daily (two high tides and two low tides) based on the moons daily orbit around the earth, I find it hard to believe that there is a monthly effect on bodies of water. Also, the moon has exactly the same amount of pull whether it's full or new because its mass doesn't change, and gravity is a function of mass. All that is different about a full moon vs. a new moon is the amount of sunlight we see reflecting off the moon. Also, tides occur because of the pure volume of water in the ocean. While there is a pull on smaller bodies of water, like lakes and ponds, the effect is small due to the volume of water being pulled. The total amount of water in the uterus is not that great - which again supports the hypothesis that the moon would not have an effect.

There is something that is called a neap tide, when the tides are higher because the moon and the sun are "lined up" and so pull in the same direction. In that instance, the tides are higher (or lower) because two bodies are pulling in the same direction and thus have more overall pull. However, I'm not aware that these correspond with a full moon necessarily.

In science, there is an adage that correlation does not equal causation. Just because something is correlated, like births and the full moon, doesn't mean that a full moon causes the increase in births.

If it is true that births increase on a full moon, I think that there is something else there - not the pull of the moon. Perhaps it's simply that 38 weeks prior to that is also a full moon and people tend to get romantic on a full moon? Or perhaps it's that it's a new moon 38 weeks before that and people are bored on a new moon?

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M.K.

answers from Seattle on

my OB/Gyn who tunred out to be not at all granola/natural/etc. totally commented on it like fact. i had been on bed rest for two weeks. it was still 5 weeks early and i went for my checkup on friday and she said she was hoping i would make it at least one more week but with the full moon this weekend she doubted i would get thru it. she said she was sure she would be at the hospital all weekend. sure enough, my water broke that weekend and she was already there delivering two other babies the same morning

L.A.

answers from Austin on

Yes mam.. Our daughter was due in August and in July during a full moon my water broke. I was in complete denial.

The Hospital birthing center was so full of women in labor I was first placed in a recovery room with just curtains. Since I did not feel any of the contractions, it was fine with us..

The nurses all commented that each full moon they fill up.

My mother had teased me that it was a possibility but I could not imagine going into labor 3 weeks early.

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N.D.

answers from Portland on

my first daughter was born by scheduled c-section on a half moon. my second daughter was also a c-section but decided to get the process started a few days early, on a full moon. i check everybody else in my family but my daughter was the only full moon baby.

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

Just looked mine up... apparently I was dead center on a half moon... waning.

L.G.

answers from Eugene on

During my years in a midwifery practice we observed that births clustered around the full moon. Also a cluster of a smaller number of births occur at the new moon.

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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

There is a reason woman are compared to the moon, a reason the moon and woman both are said to cycle, a reason our symbol is the triple moon and for men it is the sun. We are built to work with and be in tune with this world, with our Great Mother.

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S.B.

answers from Gainesville on

well, my water broke this month on the 13th, apparently theres going to be a full moon on the 26th.

J.S.

answers from Seattle on

My midwife who practices and delivers with the other OB's at our clinic/hospital said that it only seems to affect those who are due already anyway. So if you're due to deliver, the full moon might help. But if you're not due until two weeks later, it's not going to make you go early or anything. She didn't give the theory too much credit, but did concede that there are often more full beds on the full moon.

BTW, she said that the full moon "thing" is about equal to the barometer change before a big storm. She sees the same level of beds filling up during a big barometer drop before severe storms!

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C.G.

answers from Davenport on

No full moon when my water broke. I even checked my own birthdate and my sisters and brother-none.

D.P.

answers from Gainesville on

there was a new moon on the 20th of aug. and i gave birth to my daughter aug. 24 with my youngest daughter.when i went in labor and delievery was very full.hope this helps

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