Pregnant Women vs. Pregnant Pandas

by Kim Neyer | More from this Blogger

"Congratulations, you're pregnant! You can expect your baby to arrive in nine to eighteen months!" Can you imagine having not a due date, but something more along the lines of a due year? Or what if you could only become pregnant three days out of the whole year? What if your pregnancy was nearly impossible to detect? Would you be willing to deal with these inconveniences if I told you your baby would be the size of a stick of butter at birth? Talk about an easy delivery! Unfortunately, it's not an option for you unless you are a Giant Panda.

The National Zoo is carefully watching their Giant Panda Mei Xiang for signs of pregnancy since she recently mated. If she does, in fact, become pregnant, it will definitely make the headlines once she gives birth. After all, there are only a few hundred Giant Pandas in the whole world! How does a woman's pregnancy stack up next to a Giant Panda's? For starters, when a woman conceives, the embryo implants right away. For a Giant Panda, the embryo floats around until conditions are right for a successful birth, thus the variable gestation. A woman's pregnancy lasts nine months, while a Panda's pregnancy, once the embryo actually implants, is about three to five months. A woman's hormones clearly indicate pregnancy in a urine test as early as four weeks gestation, while a Panda's pregnancy can only be determined through a urine test for a few days, about a month before delivery, and even that method is pretty sketchy. Experts also closely observe the Panda's behavior for changes that might signal she is expecting. Ultimately the proof is in the little pink baby Panda that appears, incredibly tiny compared to her mother. For women, a telltale bump usually alerts everyone that a baby in on the way; and full term babies usually weigh between seven and eight pounds. One thing we have in common: famous Pandas and famous women both make the headlines when they have babies.

Learn more about Kim Neyer

Kim is a freelance writer, photographer and stay at home mom to her one-year-old son, Micah. She has been married to her husband, Eric, since 2006.

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