Pregnancy Week By Week

40 Weeks Pregnant: Development, Symptoms and Care

At 40 weeks pregnant, you have reached your estimated due date. Labour may have started, or you may still be waiting. The date is a guide rather than a deadline, but it is important to have a clear plan for appointments, your baby’s movements and decisions about timing of birth.

Your baby’s development at 40 weeks

Babies born around this time vary considerably in size. A weekly average cannot tell you how your own baby is growing or whether they are well. Your baby should continue moving, including during labour; reaching the due date does not mean movements should decrease.

Body changes and the waiting period

Tiredness, pelvic discomfort and broken sleep can make waiting difficult. Tell your midwife or doctor if pain or worry is affecting your ability to cope. Rest and practical help are worthwhile even if there is no clear sign of labour yet.

Keep going to sleep on either side, including naps. If you wake on your back, turn onto your side. Call your care team if you think labour is starting or your waters have broken, rather than relying on one contraction-spacing rule for every situation.

Movement concerns need action now

There is no universal kick count. If your baby moves less, the movements become weaker or their pattern changes in a concerning way, call your midwife, doctor or maternity unit immediately. Less space is not a reason to dismiss a reduction.

Do not wait overnight, use food or drink to try to stimulate movement, or rely on a home Doppler. If your care team cannot be reached, attend a hospital maternity or emergency unit. A recent reassuring assessment does not mean you should ignore a new concern.

Make a plan beyond your due date

Ask when you will next be seen and when induction of labour will be discussed. Risks, including stillbirth, rise as pregnancy continues beyond 41 weeks. Australian guidance supports discussing and recommending induction around 41 weeks, with exact timing based on individual circumstances and informed preferences. A complication may mean birth is recommended sooner.

If you choose to wait after discussing the options, agree on the monitoring, review dates and situations that would change the plan. Monitoring can help assess how your baby is doing at that time, but it cannot guarantee that continuing the pregnancy is risk-free. Keep calling immediately about symptoms or movement changes between checks.

Understanding an induction offer

Induction means using medical methods to start labour. Depending on your cervix and circumstances, the team may discuss a balloon or medicine to prepare the cervix, breaking the waters or an oxytocin drip. The process can take time and sometimes needs more than one step.

Ask about the expected benefit of birth now, the risks of both induction and waiting, pain relief, monitoring and what happens if induction does not work. Some medicines can cause contractions that are too frequent, so monitoring and an individual plan matter. A previous caesarean can affect which methods are suitable.

You can ask for explanations and be involved in decisions. Do not attempt a membrane sweep yourself or use castor oil, herbs or medicines to start labour without clinical advice. Our prenatal care guide can help you prepare questions.

Keep the practical plan simple

Confirm your transport, support person and the entrance to use after hours. Ask who to call for feeding, recovery or emotional support after birth. There is no requirement to feel instantly confident or to have every detail organised before you meet your baby.

When to seek medical help

In Australia, call 000 for heavy bleeding, severe abdominal pain, severe breathing difficulty, chest pain or collapse, or if birth seems imminent and you cannot reach your planned place of birth safely. Do not drive yourself if faint or very unwell.

Contact your midwife, doctor or maternity unit immediately for vaginal bleeding, suspected waters breaking, fever, vomiting that prevents drinking, severe headache, vision changes, sudden swelling or pain under your ribs. Seek urgent care if your usual team is unavailable.