What to expect at 41 weeks pregnant

Dr Christine Catling

Dr Christine Catling, a midwife for over 25 years, is the Director of Midwifery Studies at UTS. She believes research, innovation and good quality midwifery are pivotal to the well-being of mothers and young families. Christine has extensive experience in antenatal education, policy development and research, and has published on workforce issues, homebirth, vaginal birth after caesarean section, maternal mortality, vaginal breech birth, maternal and child health in Papua New Guinea, simulation-based learning and vitamin D levels in mothers and neonates. In 2015 she was the inaugural research fellow for the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre at UTS. Her PhD explored the influences on women who chose a publicly-funded home birth in Australia.

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Updated on Jun 14, 2024 · 1 min read

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In this article

Your baby

Baby is fully developed and ready to make an appearance – but clearly it’s just too comfortable and happy to be making any moves just yet. Your doctor will discuss with you your options if baby doesn’t make a move on its own soon, as beyond 42 the risks increase to you and your baby and the placenta will no longer provide the baby with what it needs for survival.

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How you’re feeling

80% of babies are born between 37-42 weeks, so while you probably feel like you’re the only one in the world to be this pregnant, it’s still very normal to not have a baby in your arms just yet.

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Weekly tip

But ultimately your body won’t go into labour until it is ready (without medical intervention) so just try and relax because the worst thing for it is feeling tense or worried – and if you still want to occupy your time why not go for one last pregnancy massage or a mani-pedi!