Week 40: Your Due Date Is Here!

Congratulations — you've reached your due date! But hold on... only about 5% of people actually give birth on their due date. Most give birth between week 37–42. So don't worry if nothing is happening yet!

Baby's Development

Size at Full Term

Length: About 48–51 cm (varies a lot!)
Weight: About 2.8–3.4 kg (average 3.2 kg)
Comparison: A small watermelon
Important: Healthy babies come in all shapes and sizes!

Fully Developed

All organs function independently
Ready to live outside the womb
Continuing to practice breathing, swallowing, sucking
Movement patterns continue (but feel different)

Fascinating Facts

Umbilical cord: Can be over 1 meter long!
Liver: Large — gives baby that round tummy shape
Skin: Pale and smooth (less wrinkled)
Fontanelles: Soft spots on the head (close during the first year of life)
Tear ducts: Not fully developed — newborns cry without tears at first
Genitals: May look swollen (hormones) — normalizes quickly

Your Body

Weight Gain

Recommended total weight gain: 11–16 kg
Distribution:
- Baby: 3–3.5 kg
- Placenta: 0.7 kg
- Amniotic fluid: 0.8 kg
- Uterus: 1 kg
- Breasts: 0.4 kg
- Blood volume: 1.5 kg
- Fat and fluid reserves: 3–4 kg

Baby Has Dropped

For many, baby has now dropped deep into the pelvis
Head is "engaged" and ready for birth
Easier to breathe, but more pressure on the pelvis
More frequent urination

The Cervix

Softening (effacement)
May start to dilate
The process varies enormously from person to person
Some are "ready" for weeks, others not until labor starts

Emotions at Your Due Date

Excitement and impatience
Frustration if nothing is happening
Anxiety about birth
Mood swings (hormones!)
All these feelings are NORMAL

Signs That Labor Is Starting

Main Signs — Go to the Hospital!

Real contractions:

Coming regularly (every 5–6 minutes)
Lasting 60–90 seconds each
Getting stronger and more frequent over time
Continuing regardless of activity
Often starting in the back, spreading forward
Hard to talk through a contraction

Waters breaking:

Can be a gush or a trickle
Clear, pink, or greenish
Smells sweet (not like urine)
IMPORTANT: Call the hospital IMMEDIATELY, even without contractions
Risk of infection increases after waters break

Intense pelvic pressure:

Feeling of pressure and urge to push
Baby is moving down into the birth canal

Other Signs (Can Come Days Before)

Mucus plug / show
Bloody show
Diarrhea (body clearing out)
Extreme tiredness
Nesting instinct (urge to tidy and prepare)
Increased irritability

When to Go to the Hospital?

General Guidelines

Contractions:

Every 5–6 minutes or more
Lasting 60 seconds or longer
This pattern has continued for 1 hour
Use a contraction timer app to keep track

Waters break:

Immediately!

Heavy bleeding:

More than a few teaspoons
Immediately!

Other alarm signs:

Significant reduction in fetal movements
Severe pain that doesn't ease
Severe headache + visual disturbances + swelling
Chest pain or breathing difficulties
Dizziness or fainting

Special Considerations

First-time parents:

Can often wait a bit longer at home
Labor usually takes longer

Those who've given birth before:

Go earlier — labor can be faster!

Long distance:

Go earlier if more than 90 minutes to hospital

If Baby Hasn't Come Yet...

What Is Normal?

Only 5% give birth on their due date. Most give birth:

Week 38–42: Normal
Week 41–42: "Past due"
Past week 42: "Post-term"

Risks of Going Past Your Due Date

For baby:

The risk of stillbirth increases gradually after the due date, but is still very low
The overall stillbirth rate is low for babies born at term (week 37+)
Risk increases somewhat after week 41, which is why a wellbeing check is offered
Meconium aspiration (baby inhaling its first bowel movement)
Low amniotic fluid
Baby stops growing
Large baby (difficult birth)
Low blood sugar in baby

For the birthing parent:

Longer labor
Higher chance of assisted birth (forceps or ventouse)
Higher chance of cesarean section
Postpartum hemorrhage

IMPORTANT: Most people who go past their due date give birth to healthy babies!

Follow-Up When Past Your Due Date

Around week 41:

Wellbeing check at hospital
Ultrasound (baby's size, fluid levels)
CTG (fetal heart rate monitoring)
Vaginal examination (cervical ripening assessment)
Discussion about the next steps

Monitoring may include:

Counting baby's movements daily
CTG monitoring regularly
Ultrasound of amniotic fluid

Induction of Labor

When Is Induction Recommended?

Research (including the INDEX and SWEPIS studies, 2019) shows:

Induction at week 41 can reduce risk compared to waiting until week 42
Same cesarean rate as expectant management
Fewer poor outcomes for baby

In most countries:

Individual assessment
Discussed at the wellbeing check around week 41
Often recommended by week 42 at the latest

Bishop score (cervical readiness assessment): Assessment of how ready the cervix is for birth:

8+ points: Induction will likely succeed
6–7 points: Could go either way
5 or below: Induction may not succeed

If the cervix is not ready:

Cervical ripening methods:

Prostaglandin: Medication that softens the cervix
Foley balloon catheter: Mechanical stretch of the cervix
Membrane sweep: Midwife separates the membranes

After ripening:

Oxytocin drip (Pitocin/Syntocinon)
Starts and strengthens contractions

Managing the Emotions at Your Due Date

If Nothing Is Happening

Disappointment: Normal!
Impatience: Understandable!
Worry: Talk to your midwife

Tips for Handling the Wait

Know your body is working — even if you can't feel it
Avoid "due date police" — it's okay to ask people to stop asking
Keep yourself occupied — hobbies, films, walks
Rest — you'll need energy soon!
Spend time with your partner — soon everything changes
Talk about your feelings — it helps!

Don't Try to "Force" Labor

There are many folk remedies said to start labor:

Pineapple juice
Sex
Long walks
Spicy food
Castor oil
Raspberry leaf tea

There is no reliable scientific evidence that any of these effectively start labor. Baby comes when baby is ready. The only sensible things you can do are stay active with daily walks, train your pelvic floor, and rest well between them.

Final Check — Do You Have Everything Ready?

Hospital Bag

Double-check your hospital bag is fully packed and easily accessible. Your partner should know exactly where it is.

Car Seat

The car seat must be installed and tested. You'll need it for the ride home.

Contraction Timer

Download a contraction timer app or add it as a shortcut on your phone. It's invaluable when contractions start — it helps you record duration and intervals so you know when it's time to go to the hospital.

You Are Incredible!

You have been pregnant for 40 weeks (280 days!). Your body has:

Created a whole human being from scratch
Built a placenta
Produced all the amniotic fluid
Expanded blood volume by 50%
Grown the uterus from the size of an egg to the size of a watermelon
Prepared the breasts to produce milk

Tips for Week 40

Use a contraction timer app with any contraction — it helps distinguish practice contractions from real ones
Double-check your hospital bag one last time
Stay active with daily walks — it can help baby descend
Train your pelvic floor — it's never too late to strengthen it
Rest and save energy — you'll need it soon!
Silence your phone if needed — it's perfectly fine to avoid "has baby arrived yet?" messages
Enjoy the final days as a pregnant person — take bump photos and write a diary
Keep an eye on fetal movements — contact the hospital if you notice changes

For Your Partner

Be patient and supportive — the wait can be frustrating for the pregnant person. Avoid asking "has anything happened?" every quarter hour
Keep your phone on and be available at all times — cook, tidy, and keep the home ready
Prepare mentally for your role during labor — read about breathing exercises, massage, and support techniques you can use
Familiarize yourself with a contraction timer app so you can help time them when it starts
Make sure the car has fuel and the route to the hospital is planned
Pack a small bag for yourself: snacks, charger, change of clothes, book or music

Did You Know...?

Only 5% of all babies are born on their due date. Most are born between week 38 and 42, and the average first-time parent actually gives birth 5 days after their due date
Your body has expanded its blood volume by a full 50% during pregnancy — from about 5 liters to 7.5 liters. After birth, this gradually normalizes over the course of a few weeks
Baby has been surrounded by up to about 1 liter of amniotic fluid at its peak, and has drunk and urinated hundreds of liters throughout the pregnancy — an impressive workout for the kidneys
Newborn babies cry without tears in the first weeks. The tear ducts are not fully developed at birth and mature during the first weeks of life

Common Questions About Week 40

What happens if I go past my due date?

It's completely normal to go a few days past your due date. You'll likely be asked to come in for a wellbeing check around week 41, where they do an ultrasound, CTG (fetal heart rate monitoring), and vaginal examination. Together with your midwife and doctor, you'll assess whether induction is needed or whether it's safe to wait a little longer.

What is induction, and does it hurt?

Induction can be done in several ways — prostaglandin (medication that softens the cervix), a balloon catheter (mechanical stretch), a membrane sweep, or an oxytocin drip. The experience varies from person to person. Some find contractions come faster and more intensely than in spontaneous labor, while others notice little difference. Pain relief is available regardless of how labor starts.

Is it dangerous to go past your due date?

Most people who go past their due date give birth to healthy babies, but the risk of complications increases gradually after week 41. That's why healthcare teams monitor more closely after the due date, with more frequent check-ups and monitoring. Induction is usually recommended by week 42 at the latest.

What should I do while waiting?

Try to keep yourself occupied with things you enjoy — go for walks, watch films, read books, and enjoy the final moments of pregnancy. Rest well and save energy. Feel free to ask family and friends to avoid "has baby arrived yet?" messages. It's absolutely fine to put your phone on silent and take it easy.

What if I want to try natural methods to start labor?

There's no reliable evidence that any natural methods reliably trigger labor. Baby comes when ready. The best thing you can do is stay gently active, eat well, rest, and keep in touch with your midwife about how you're feeling. If you have concerns about going past your due date, discuss them with your care team.

Good luck with the birth, whenever it comes! You're going to do brilliantly!