40 Weeks Pregnant
At 40 weeks, your baby's growth has slowed, and they’re now about the size of a heart cake.
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Congratulations, you’ve made it to 40 weeks pregnant. Very soon, you’ll be meeting your baby, who is now topping out around the size of a heart cake. This phase is not without discomfort though, and you may be feeling antsy as you wait for baby to make their debut. Here’s what you should know about this final point of pregnancy. Baby is almost here.
What To Expect At 40 Weeks Pregnant
How Many Months Is 40 Weeks Pregnant?
40 weeks pregnant in months is nine months pregnant, which is part of the third trimester of pregnancy. If you move past 40 weeks of pregnancy, you’ll be moving into the tenth month of pregnancy, something that happens for a lot of people who don’t deliver before or on their due date.
Your Baby at 40 Weeks
From a development standpoint, your baby is pretty much ready to be born, but they might not be ready to come out quite yet. Here’s what may be happening with your baby at 40 weeks.
- Slower growth: Your baby’s size plateaus after 40 weeks of pregnancy because they have maxed out their living quarters.
- Hard bones: Baby’s bones have hardened—except for the skull, which remains soft so the head can sort of squish together to make its way down the birth canal. This is why some babies have cone-shaped heads in the early days. But eventually, the head should round out nicely.
- Nail growth: The rest of your baby might not be growing much, but their fingernails and toenails are still lengthening. You’ll probably want to clip those tiny talons after birth.
How Big Is Baby at 40 Weeks?
Your baby is around 14.3 inches long from crown to rump this week and weighs around 7.6 pounds. That’s about the size of a heart-shaped cake.
💛 Congratulations 💛
This is it! You are so close!
Your Body at 40 Weeks Pregnant
You’re basically at capacity, most likely having gained around 25-35 pounds total throughout your pregnancy. Your baby is still moving around in there, though not kicking as strongly since there’s less space. Keep doing kick counts, and alert your doc if you notice any changes in how often your baby is moving. “Any type of perceived fetal movement may be counted as a fetal kick,” says Dr. Rodney Wise, a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians (ACOG) and Market Chief Medical Officer at AmeriHealth Caritas, so don’t stress about whether your baby is kicking with force or shifting more gently.
40 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms
You may be getting antsy at this point, but rest assured that almost all babies make their debut by 42 weeks. In fact, many healthcare providers recommend a medical induction at 41 weeks pregnant, depending on how you and baby are doing—that’s something you’ll discuss at your next appointment. Right now, it may seem like an eternity away, but it’s really just a matter of days before you meet your baby. Here’s what to expect when you’re 40 weeks pregnant.
Braxton Hicks contractions
Your body may still be practicing for labor by tightening your belly every now and again. Braxton Hicks contractions eventually should turn into the real thing, which gets your cervix ready for baby’s trip down the birth canal.
Leaking boobs
You might find you need to use nursing pads before your baby even arrives. Technically, the leakage isn’t breast milk yet; it’s colostrum, which is a thick, yellowish liquid that will be a breastfed baby’s food for the first few days, before all that sucking signals the breast milk to officially come in.
Overall discomfort
When you’re 40 weeks pregnant, you might feel like everything hurts just a little: backaches, hip pain and pelvic pressure might all be nagging at this point. Even with a full-term baby in your belly though, there are things you can do to feel better.
“Rest, baths and swimming can feel wonderful to a very pregnant body,” says Carrie Murphy, a full spectrum doula based in Austin, Texas. Other therapies can help, too. “If it’s in your budget, going to a chiropractor or acupuncturist can also help with comfort,” Murphy adds. No matter what, do your best to keep stretching, use however many pillows it takes to get comfy when you’re lying down and take breaks to put up your feet whenever you can. Hang in there—you won’t be pregnant much longer!
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Pregnancy Symptoms Coming up in Week 41
If you don’t have your baby in your arms this time next week you can expect to feel about the same physically with soreness, frequent urination and fatigue taking the cake as most common pregnancy symptoms. Your doctor or midwife will want to see you and may talk about induction options, though you have plenty of time for baby to come on their own before next week.
Commonly Asked Questions About 40 Weeks Pregnant
I’m past 40 weeks pregnant. Now what?
You’ve been counting down to your due date for so long, you probably haven’t given much thought to what happens if you go past it. Here are a few things that may come up:
Natural ways to induce labor: Since your due date has come and gone, you may be considering trying a few methods to help get things started. A few of the common methods to naturally induce labor are:
- Walking. Exercise isn’t proven to induce labor, but many parents swear their contractions started after a brisk walk around the neighborhood. Can’t hurt!
- Acupuncture. Scientific studies have mixed reviews on acupuncture’s ability to jumpstart labor. If needles are your thing and your doctor says okay, you can give it a go.
- Sex. There’s no firm evidence that sperm or orgasms bring on labor, but one study did find that pregnant people who had sex after 36 weeks were less likely to go past their due date or need induction. Worth a try?
But be careful with these methods:
- Nipple stimulation. This method can be effective, but you probably shouldn’t try it at home—the contractions could come on too strong. If you were to try this one, make sure that you’re in the hospital (maybe for a medical induction) and supplement with nipple stimulation, with your doc’s approval, rather than trying it unsupervised before you go into labor naturally.
- Castor oil. Drinking castor oil is more likely to give you a stomach ache and diarrhea than it is to get labor going. Most doctors advise against doing this.
Other things to consider once your due date has come and gone:
Testing: If your baby isn’t showing any signs of breaking out soon, your doctor may order a biophysical profile made up of two tests: an ultrasound and a non-stress test.
- The ultrasound will be much like the others you’ve had so far where they measure the baby and your levels of amniotic fluid.
- With a nonstress test, a medical tech will place a heart rate monitor on your belly and measure your baby’s movement and heart rate for about 20 minutes. Bring a relaxing book, or just veg out and take the time to ponder what your baby will be like when they arrive.
How does induction work?
If the doctor sees something on the tests that says “time to deliver!” or if you go past 41 weeks, you and your healthcare provider may decide to induce labor using medication. This can be performed using one or both of these meds:
- Prostaglandin: This medication is inserted like a tampon overnight to help ripen the cervix, which means softening and opening up to get ready for baby to pass through.
- Pitocin: An IV is used to administer this medication in order to spur contractions.
A little extra help: Don’t get too impatient—babies tend to arrive when they’re truly ready. But if after talking to your doctor, you both feel your baby is good to go and your body just needs a little extra help to start the labor process, you may choose to have one of these slightly gentler induction methods performed:
- Stripping membranes: The doctor can use a finger to strip membranes around the amniotic sac, which can release hormones and may jumpstart labor.
- Breaking your water: A special tool can be used to break the amniotic sac and get contractions going, usually within a few hours.
How do I pass the time?
The waiting game is real. Some parents-to-be go crazy with last-minute nesting, like making a bunch of freezer meals and cleaning that gross area behind the fridge. But try not to stress yourself out—you really don’t have to do all that. So long as you have a safe place for your baby to sleep, a car seat and some diapers, you’re ready. It’s okay to sit back with some Netflix if that feels better.
Fun Fact
Babies are born with a grasping reflex so strong that they can hold themselves up with one hand. (If you decide to test it out, be careful; they can let go.)
Recommended Products for 40 Weeks Pregnant
You made it! (Insert all the celebration emojis here!) Time for a happy dance and a whole lot of patience—when you’re 40 weeks pregnant, these last few days tend to be the slowest. Pass the time by shopping for last minute must-haves.
- In the first few weeks, you’ll spend a lot of time resting in bed with your baby. Make sure you have something good to listen to by downloading a few good books from Audible.
- Meal delivery is your new best friend. Ask friends and family to treat you (or treat yourself) to a gift card to Grubhub or DoorDash.
40 Weeks Pregnant Checklist
- Go to your week 40 prenatal visit—and while you’re there, talk about scheduling an induction if you want one.
- Make a list of helpful things for eager visitors to do after the baby comes.
- Anything left for the nursery? Now’s the time to get it in place.
- Get a pedicure. This is an ideal time to get a foot massage and read a magazine.
- How about a nice warm bath? As long as your water hasn’t broken, take some time to relax in the tub. Also bath bombs are weird and awesome.
Sources
- Carrie Murphy, a full-spectrum doula
- Dr. Rodney Wise, a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians (ACOG) and Market Chief Medical Officer at AmeriHealth Caritas
