Week 40 contains the due date, and the due date is an estimate rather than a deadline. Term runs from 37 to 42 weeks, which means a birth anywhere in that five-week band is on time. Nothing about week 41 makes a pregnancy late.
Your body this week
In a first pregnancy there is usually an antenatal appointment this week: blood pressure, bump measurement, and a urine sample checked for protein. The pre-eclampsia checks continue right to the end because the condition can appear right to the end.
Practice contractions are frequent and should not hurt. Real contractions do: the bump goes tight and painful, then the pain goes as the muscles relax.
The NHS describes labour in three stages — contractions opening the cervix to about 10cm, the birth itself, and the placenta being delivered — and puts the first stage at roughly 6 to 12 hours, often less for women who have given birth before.
What you may notice
Something like premenstrual heaviness, or a low backache, can be an early sign. Alongside: practice contractions, sleep problems, backache, piles, indigestion, leg cramps, swelling and dizziness.
The call threshold is unchanged: contact the unit when contractions last at least 60 seconds and come every five minutes, and at any time if waters break, if there is bleeding, or if movements change.
Movements matter as much this week as any other. The NHS says plainly that movements should not slow down or stop, and that a change is a reason to contact the maternity unit straight away, at any hour.
Your baby this week
Around week 40, the length given is about 51.2cm from head to heel — pumpkin-sized, in the NHS's comparison. It is a population average and never a measurement of an individual pregnancy.
It is cramped, and movements continue in their usual pattern regardless.
What care usually happens around now
If labour has not started, the conversation moves to what happens next. NHS guidance is that induction is offered if labour has not begun by 41 weeks, and that women who prefer to wait should be offered increased monitoring of their own and their baby's wellbeing, with a further offer if a pregnancy reaches 42 weeks. ACOG describes the same decision being made with a clinician, weighing the individual pregnancy.
There are no proven ways to safely bring on labour at home, and the NHS advises checking with a midwife or doctor before trying anything beyond waiting. What is offered, and when, differs between countries.
This week's tip
Stop counting days past the due date and start counting weeks of term. The due date was calculated from a period date or a scan and it was always an estimate. Reframing the wait as "somewhere in a five-week window" is not a consolation — it is a more accurate description of what a due date is, and it is what makes the last fortnight bearable.
When to see a doctor
Call the maternity unit for contractions lasting 60 seconds every five minutes, for waters breaking, for bleeding, or for any change in movement. Pregnancy warning signs has the full list, and postpartum recovery in the first six weeks covers what comes next.
Seek care now: Contact your local emergency services or go to your nearest emergency department if you have heavy bleeding, severe or one-sided tummy pain, pain just below the ribs, a severe headache with vision changes, sudden swelling of the face or hands, a fever, fluid leaking from the vagina, chest pain, trouble breathing, fainting, or a seizure. Contact your maternity service the same day for any reduction in your baby's usual pattern of movement. Femio cannot assess a pregnancy.
Frequently asked questions
Is my baby late?
No. Term is 37 to 42 weeks, and a due date is a single estimated point inside a five-week band. Most women give birth in the week either side of it.
Can I do anything to bring on labour?
There are no proven safe home methods, and the advice is to ask a midwife or doctor before trying anything. Week 39 covers waters and shows, and your service will discuss what happens at 41 and 42 weeks.