Pregnancy Week 40: Your Due Date Has Arrived — What Happens Next

The due date is a window, not a deadline. Most first-time babies arrive in the week after 40 weeks — that's normal, expected, and well-managed with modern care.

You've reached your estimated due date (EDD) and your baby hasn't arrived yet. You may be checking your phone at midnight, re-reading every symptom list, wondering if something is wrong. Nothing is wrong. Very few babies are born on the exact due date — most first-time births happen in the days after the EDD, often between 40 and 41 weeks [5]. Your care team is watching closely.

This article draws on guidance from NHS [1] [2], Mayo Clinic [3] [4], ACOG [5], and the Royal Thai College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists [6].

What "Full Term" Actually Means

Gestational age is a spectrum, not a single target date. Medical guidelines [3] [5] use specific language:

At exactly 40 weeks, you are fully within the full-term window. Your body and your baby are doing what they should. The EDD itself is a statistical midpoint, not an expiry date.

Your Baby at Week 40

At 40 weeks your baby is fully developed — roughly 51 cm from head to heel and weighing around 3.4 kg on average, though healthy babies vary widely [1]. Their lungs, brain, liver, and immune system are complete. All they are doing now is putting on the final grams of fat that will help them regulate body temperature once they're born.

Your baby should continue moving in their normal pattern right up to and during labor. Movement does not stop before labor begins.

What's Happening in Your Body

The Cervix Is Getting Ready

Even without visible contractions, your body has been preparing for days or weeks. Your cervix may be softening (ripening), shortening (effacing), and beginning to open (dilating). Your care team may check this at your 40-week appointment.

Braxton Hicks vs. Real Labor

You may have many Braxton Hicks (practice) contractions this week. Real labor contractions [2]:

• Come at regular intervals that get closer together
• Last 60 seconds or more
• Do not ease when you change position or walk around
• Gradually build in intensity

The 5-1-1 rule: when contractions come every 5 minutes, last at least 1 minute, for at least 1 hour — call your hospital or midwife. Don't wait for contractions to become unbearable.

Other Signs Your Body Is Preparing

• Show — a pink or blood-tinged mucus plug may pass days or hours before labor
• Lightening — baby's head drops lower into the pelvis, making breathing easier but walking more awkward
• Loose stools — the body's natural way of clearing the digestive tract before labor
• Burst of energy — a nesting urge is common in the final days

Monitoring After Your Due Date

When you reach 40–41 weeks without labor, your care team will typically increase monitoring:

• Nonstress test (NST) — a monitor placed on your belly traces the baby's heart rate over 20–30 minutes. A reassuring result shows heart rate accelerations with movement [3]
• Biophysical profile (BPP) — an ultrasound that assesses fetal breathing, movement, muscle tone, and the amount of amniotic fluid. A score of 8–10 out of 10 is normal [3]
• Amniotic fluid index (AFI) — checks that there is enough fluid around the baby. Low fluid (oligohydramnios) after the due date can develop and is a reason to consider earlier delivery [3]

These tests are quick, non-invasive, and reassuring when results are normal. Your care team will explain the schedule — many hospitals offer twice-weekly monitoring from 41 weeks onwards.

Induction: When and Why

ACOG [5] and NHS [2] both recommend offering induction between 41 0/7 and 42 0/7 weeks to reduce the risk of stillbirth. This recommendation exists because the risk of stillbirth, though still small in absolute terms, begins to rise meaningfully after 41 weeks — and induction consistently reduces this risk without increasing cesarean rates when managed well.

What induction is not:

• It is not a punishment for being "overdue"
• It is not an emergency
• It is not automatically a cesarean

Methods your team may discuss [2] [4]:

• Membrane sweep — offered from 39 weeks at routine appointments; the midwife or doctor separates the amniotic membranes from the cervix using a gloved finger. This releases natural prostaglandins and may trigger labor within 24–48 hours. It can be uncomfortable but takes only a few seconds.
• Prostaglandins — a vaginal pessary or gel placed near the cervix to soften and ripen it before contractions begin
• Balloon catheter — a small inflatable balloon placed just inside the cervix to gently dilate it mechanically
• Artificial rupture of membranes (ARM) — a thin hook is used to break the waters when the cervix is already open
• Oxytocin drip — synthetic oxytocin given intravenously to stimulate contractions, typically used after the cervix is already ripe

Not every method is used in every induction — your team will tailor the approach to where your cervix is. Induced labor is often more intense than spontaneous labor; discuss pain relief options in advance.

If you decline induction: If you prefer to wait beyond 42 weeks, NHS guidelines [2] recommend increased monitoring — typically twice-weekly NST and BPP — rather than ending the discussion. The conversation should be a genuine dialogue between you and your care team, not a one-way instruction.

When to Go to the Hospital Now

Do not wait — go to the hospital or call your midwife immediately if you notice:

• Reduced or absent fetal movement — any significant change from your baby's normal pattern is an emergency call, any time of day or night [1]
• Heavy vaginal bleeding — more than a light bloody show
• Sudden severe pain — constant, not contraction-like
• Waters breaking — go in promptly; risk of infection increases after membranes rupture [1]
• Signs of pre-eclampsia — sudden severe headache, vision changes, swelling in the face or hands, upper-right abdominal pain
• Fever over 38°C or chills

Trust your instincts. Your care team has seen every midnight call — there are no small concerns at 40 weeks.

Summary

Week 40 is not the end of the calendar — it's the middle of a window, and most first-time parents exit that window in the week ahead.

Key takeaways:

1. The EDD is a midpoint, not a deadline — full term runs 39 0/7 through 40 6/7; your baby is right on time
2. Very few babies arrive on the exact due date — being past your EDD is the statistical norm, not a complication; most women who give birth after their due date have uncomplicated labor [5]
3. Monitoring increases from 41 weeks — NST, BPP, and AFI give your care team a clear picture
4. Induction is typically recommended between 41 and 42 weeks — ACOG and NHS agree this window reduces stillbirth risk
5. You have a voice in the timing — discuss the evidence with your team; the decision is collaborative
6. Call immediately if movement changes — this is the most important signal of baby's wellbeing between now and delivery

You've done the hard part. Your body knows what to do, your care team is watching, and your baby will be here very soon. Go rest. The hospital bag is packed — let it wait.