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40 Weeks Pregnant: Pregnancy Labor

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At 40 weeks pregnant you are ready to deliver your baby and you baby is about ready to join this world. Check out what you need to know this week.  

40 Weeks Pregnant

40 weeks pregnant means you are to your due date and you are patiently or impatiently waiting for your due date to arrive. 

This quite possibly could be the longest week of your life waiting for your baby to arrive. 

Trust me I know. 

My firstborn son was 10 days late. 

During the 40th week of my pregnancy, I was pretty depressed because I was so ready to meet our baby.

Just try to be as patient as you can, soon your baby will join this world.

Think about it this way, you gave them such a nice home they don’t want to leave!

40 weeks pregnant huge belly

How Big Is Baby at 40 Weeks Pregnant?

At 40 weeks pregnant your baby is as big as a watermelon. Most babies measure anywhere from 19 to 22 inches and the average birth weight is 7.6 pounds.  

How Is My 40 Week Fetus Developing?

At 40 weeks pregnant your baby is ready to join the world, when they finally decide to! 

They can recognize your voice and already love you. 

Their skin is drying out as the vernix is shedding. So don’t be worried if your baby is a little flaky when they come out. 

Their first bath will help take care of some of this. 

40 Weeks Pregnant Belly

At 40 weeks pregnant you are dilating and your cervix is softening. Your body is going through the birthing process. 

40 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms

Snoring

You may be told every morning how bad you snored the night before. You likely have no clue and just be thankful you’re actually sleeping well enough to snore so just let your partner know it will soon go away! If you are looking for some ways to reduce your snoring try using a humidifier in your room while sleeping. Many pregnant women have reported nasals strips work well to help reduce the snoring.  

Contractions

Since you are 40 weeks pregnant it’s about to get real. Braxton Hicks aren’t fun either but the real contractions are about to kick in. When you start to notice your contractions are happening in regular intervals it’s time to start timing them and determine if they are real and labor is actually starting.

Here is a little tip to tell if you are having real true contractions. True contractions do not go away or ease up when you move around or change positions. 

Water Breaking

This isn’t always experienced the same way by every mom. Some moms have the full movie scene water gush while other moms have just a slight trickle of water. When your water breaks it just means your body is releasing the amniotic fluid that has surrounded your body the last 40 weeks pregnant. 

Water can break before labor begins or hours after. 

How Many Months Is 40 Weeks Pregnant?

At 40 weeks pregnant you are officially 9 months pregnant! You have made it to the end of your pregnancy. Now you just have to wait for your baby to arrive. 

What to Do at 40 Weeks Pregnant?

When Will I Deliver?

A lot of women that hit 40 weeks pregnant begin to wonder when they will deliver their baby. Or they feel like they will never deliver!

I know you don’t want to hear this, but you are not considered post-term until 42 weeks. In fact, some doctors won’t induce you until then as long as your baby is not in distress. 

Just look at it like your baby is nice and cozy in your 40 week pregnant bump.

If you are in your 40th week of pregnancy don’t be surprised if your doctor starts scheduling stress tests and checking fluid levels to ensure safety for your baby. 

Rest assured your doctor will keep a close eye on you and your baby. 

In the meantime, enjoy getting a pedicure, read a good book, soak in the tub, and take a nap because you will be a little busier any day now.

Bonding at Birth 

After you deliver your baby you will have the option to hold them and bond with them before going to the nursery. 

This time is the most precious and if possible you should take advantage of it.

This is the perfect time to try and breastfeed your baby for the first time and to do skin to skin contact. 

During this time is a great time for your spouse to hold the baby as well. 

Usually, they let you have about an hour with your baby. Then they will take it to the nursery clean it up. Clean you up and then bring them back to you. 

Baby in your room to sleep vs Nursery

You may be asked if you want your baby to sleep with you or in the nursery. In fact, many hospitals are actually going to baby with mom in the rooms, which I personally am a fan of that way I can look over and see the result of the pain I am in. 

But with that being said, it is okay to send your baby to the nursery so you can recover, you can sleep, and you can shower. 

Newborns make lots of sweet noises so it can be difficult to sleep with everything going on. So, rest is sometimes best. 

If you are breastfeeding or even bottle feeding and you send your baby to the nursery all you have to do is say, “Hey, I want my baby when it is time to eat.” and the sweet nurses will bring them to you.

When my last baby was born he had serious sugar issues which required him to be in the nursery. So, when he finally was okay to come back I took full advantage of it by keeping him with me.

Regardless of what you do (baby in-room or baby in the nursery) you need to do what is best for you, not what someone encourages you to do.

There is no need to start feeling mom guilt when you are trying to recover from having a baby.

Guess?! You just had a baby! Seriously, you did it. You created this. So be proud of yourself because it is not an easy thing to do!

Pregnancy_Calendar_Previous_Week
First TrimesterSecond TrimesterThird Trimester
1 Week Pregnant14 Weeks Pregnant27 Weeks Pregnant
2 Weeks Pregnant15 Weeks Pregnant28 Weeks Pregnant
3 Weeks Pregnant16 Weeks Pregnant29 Weeks Pregnant
4 Weeks Pregnant17 Weeks Pregnant30 Weeks Pregnant
5 Weeks Pregnant18 Weeks Pregnant31 Weeks Pregnant
6 Weeks Pregnant19 Weeks Pregnant32 Weeks Pregnant
7 Weeks Pregnant20 Weeks Pregnant33 Weeks Pregnant
8 Weeks Pregnant21 Weeks Pregnant34 Weeks Pregnant
9 Weeks Pregnant22 Weeks Pregnant35 Weeks Pregnant
10 Weeks Pregnant23 Weeks Pregnant36 Weeks Pregnant
11 Weeks Pregnant24 Weeks Pregnant37 Weeks Pregnant
12 Weeks Pregnant25 Weeks Pregnant38 Weeks Pregnant
13 Weeks Pregnant26 Weeks Pregnant39 Weeks Pregnant
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First Trimester SymptomsSecond Trimester SymptomsThird Trimester Symptoms

Our pregnancy calendar is researched & written by our Pregnancy Editor, Dara Duff-Bergeron. Although she rocks, she is not a health care professional. It’s just for entertainment purposes and any recommendations or information provided should not be used as a substitute for the real deal – a trained medical professional.

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