You are 41 weeks pregnant

Your baby

The extra week inside your belly - as long as your placenta is still functioning - means your little one may still gain weight, and that you may give birth to a large baby - but pros say that babie...Read more

Your body

You may feel way overdue - but technically, your pregnancy isn’t considered post-term until after the 42-week mark. About 10 percent of babies are born ‘late’ to the party. But yo...Read more

Your life right now

Wondering how you’ll feel when you finally get to meet your little one? It’s sure to go down as the most exhausting, joyous and life-altering moment of your life. In fact, that’s ...Read more

Mums like me

‘Get up and walk as soon as you can after a caesarean! It’s going to hurt and feel uncomfortable, but it’s better for you. The longer you stay in bed, the worse it is recovery-wis...Read more

The extra week inside your belly - as long as your placenta is still functioning - means your little one may still gain weight, and that you may give birth to a large baby - but pros say that babies delivered after the 42nd week may weigh less, and tend to have skin that is peeling and appears temporarily dry or cracked (since the protective vernix has been shed). They also may have more hair than those born earlier. Your doctor will likely do one or more tests at this point to make sure the baby is doing OK in there. One is called the non-stress test. A foetal monitor that tracks your child’s heart rate is attached to your belly via a belt. If the baby is doing well, his heart rate should quicken when he moves. If the baby doesn’t move for a while, he may be asleep, but if he does move, and there’s no change in heart rate, your doctor might conduct further monitoring, such as a contraction stress test. This exam gives your doctor a sense of how well the baby will handle labour and contractions by tracking what happens to his heart rate when you experience a contraction (either one produced via an oxytocin IV or one produced naturally, sometimes by nipple stimulation). If the baby’s heart rate drops, it could be a sign of foetal stress. Your doctor might then want to induce you, or do a C-section to make sure he arrives healthy and strong.

You may feel way overdue - but technically, your pregnancy isn’t considered post-term until after the 42-week mark. About 10 percent of babies are born ‘late’ to the party. But you know what? The celebration doesn’t officially begin until he arrives, so try to be patient. (It’s so hard, we know!)

Wondering how you’ll feel when you finally get to meet your little one? It’s sure to go down as the most exhausting, joyous and life-altering moment of your life. In fact, that’s probably a vast understatement! The first time you look into your baby’s eyes, you may not recognize the tiny person staring back at you - he may look like some crazy little stranger. For some mums, there’s an intangible sense of familiarity, if not flat-out recognition. Or you may be blown away by how much your newborn looks exactly like baby pictures you’ve seen of yourself (or your partner). The anticipation at this point may be killing you - but, at the risk of sounding too soppy here, remember that you get to stare at that face for the rest of your life when he does finally make his debut.

‘Get up and walk as soon as you can after a caesarean! It’s going to hurt and feel uncomfortable, but it’s better for you. The longer you stay in bed, the worse it is recovery-wise - really. Take a shower, you’ll feel better. Walking will benefit you in other ways; it helps to get your body working again.’ – mrsmikeloo

Meet other mums at the same stage as you on our Mums Due Pregnancy Forums