40 Weeks - Pregnancy

Baby

Wow! You made it to week 40; Congratulations! It’s hard to predict your baby’s weight at this point, since all babies gain fat at a different rate. You could have a 6-pounder, or even a 12-pounder. To get a good indication of how much your baby will weigh, look at your due date and how close the labor is to the date; look at your genetics (was mom or dad a small or big baby?), and look at the latest ultrasound. If you go more than a week overdue, your doctor may do a pregnancy ultrasound to check on baby. Many times they can give you an approximate prediction of baby’s size, although it’s not guaranteed.

Most of the vernix that coated your baby’s skin has disappeared, but you will probably notice some of the coating still lingering after birth. Since baby has not learned to shiver yet, 15% of your child’s body is fat, and approximately 65% is water. Your baby’s chest sticks out and breast buds are developing. Her hair and nails continue to grow every day.

Read our articles on What to Expect During Labor & Delivery and What to Expect During a Cesarean Section in preparation for you and your baby’s big day!

Mom

Chances are you’ve already had your cervix checked for dilation and effacement by your practitioner. Expect this to continue as you enter your 40 th week.

For some of you, your due date will come and go and you will wonder, “Am I ever going to have this baby?” Your baby will be considered “post-term” or overdue in a couple of weeks. Until then, your doctor may opt to monitor the baby with an ultrasound. During this ultrasound, your doctor will look at baby’s heart rate, movements, breathing, and muscle tone. Another factor that they look at is how much amniotic fluid surrounds the baby. This is an indication of how well she is being nourished by the placenta. In addition to the ultrasound, your doctor may also hook you up to a fetal heart monitor for about 20 – 30 minutes, to check for any stress on the baby. If your test results show that your baby needs to be delivered, you will be scheduled for an immediate induction. If not, it’s back to the waiting game, until you deliver or you and your doctor decide to induce.

If and when you go over your due date, you may become very impatient to have the labor done with, so you can finally hold your baby and get on with your new life. Besides waiting, there may be some things you can do to perhaps help Mother Nature along. Check out our article on Home Methods of Inducing Labor. Good luck!

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RELATED ARTICLES - PREGNANCY 40 WEEKS

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PLEASE NOTE

This should be used as a general guideline and is for general information and educational purposes only. Please remember that all pregnancies develop at different rates. If you have questions about your baby's development, please contact your doctor or midwife.