Want your baby on 11.11.11? Conceive today

Mid Day

Bangalore, 18 February 2011: Young parents taken in by the trend of having babies on fancy dates have an option to conceive today, if they want to ensure that the stork delivers on 11.11.11. Experts in the city predict that conceiving today will give the unborn child a good chance of being born on that day -- a date that will only fall upon us again in 2111.

 

However, doctors also concede that while there is a conception date, not many mothers-to-be plan ahead to have their babies in time, thus posing a risk when it comes to planned pregnancies. Padmini Prasad, head of gynaecology, Institute of Sexual Medicine, said, "Women hoping to have their babies on that fancy date will have to conceive by this month end. That way, the due date will be in November."

 

She added, "On the other hand, these women should know there is no guarantee that the child will even be born in time. We cannot predict the entire pregnancy. They should stop worrying so much about having their children on auspicious dates. Parents these days have a lot of fancy ideas about birthing and pregnancies these days."

 

Shobha M Guddi, head of gynaecology, Philomena’s hospital, said, "It is almost accurate-yes. And there’s no harm in planning but it really depends on having a good life to ensure that there is no complication. Timing may not be the most appropriate thing sometimes."

 

Y M Chandrashekar, head of gynaecology at BGS Global, said, "So far no one has come forward saying they want to deliver on such a date. It’s very possible that they have not realised it yet. Mothers usually demand planned deliveries much later during their pregnancy."

 

Not planned

 

Sheema Taseem (30) delivered her son Isa at the Cradle back in January at exactly 11minutes past 11 am on 1.11.11. She said, "It was not planned at all, but when we were told that what my due date would be, we decided to have the baby on the auspicious date." She added, "It wasn’t until my second trimester that we decided."

 

Abdul Kareem (27) whose daughter was also born on 1.11.11 at Fortis Hospital, said, "The doctors recommended that we have our daughter that day because they were afraid of complications."