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Your Pregnancy Fetal Development: Week 41


Now that your due date has come and gone, you may be feeling, ahem, a little antsy. Many new moms go past their due date, but that fact doesn't make it any better, of course—especially since you feel like an overstuffed turkey whose timer has most definitely popped. Still, take some comfort in knowing that millions of moms have gone through the same thing. Don't despair—your baby will be here soon and she'll be very happy to see you! What You're Thinking: "Are you kidding me? Get out! Get out! Get out!"

Your Body

  • If you're reading this, we're guessing you're still pregnant (and we totally feel your pain, mama!). There's a chance that your due date was miscalculated (nice!) and that baby is right on time. So don't stress.

  • Speaking of stress, once you've passed your due date, your doc or midwife will most likely send you for a nonstress test to make sure all is well with baby. You may even have an ultrasound (cool, another chance to get a glimpse of baby!) to check your amniotic fluid levels.

  • Your practitioner will probably bring up the possibility of an induction this week as there is some cause for concern for the baby's health if the pregnancy goes too long.

  • If you're against having an induction, you might want to try some of the folk remedies for starting labor, like eating spicy foods, stimulating your nipples, walking or sex (and we mean a lot of sex. Like five or six times a day).

  • There are some questions that you should ask your health-care provider if you're overdue. For instance, how long is she willing to wait before inducing you? However, one of them is not, "How much do I have to pay you to get this baby out of me right now?!"

    • Your Baby

    • You may be more than ready, but apparently baby isn't quite done enjoying the comfy digs you've provided him or her. And while every day you don't have your baby may seem like an eternity, he or she really will be here soon. So what's going on in there?

  • The good news is, in general, babies who are born "late" (in the "fourth trimester") weigh more, appear more alert and have more hair than babies born earlier. Some even come out singing and dancing. OK, not really, but you'll feel like singing and dancing after you finally get that baby out of you.

  • Your future sumo wrestler now probably weighs between 7 1/2 and 8 pounds and measures about 21 inches long. So not only is the baby late, but she keeps getting bigger, making delivery more challenging, er, we mean exciting.

    • Your Life


    At this point, let's assume your to-do list has been tackled. And with all the nesting going on, your house is probably as clean as it's going to get.

    Instead of focusing on the little procrastinator inside you, why not focus your attention outward? Doing something for someone else this week will make you feel good ... and make the time pass more quickly:
    • Buy a box of note cards and send them to distant family members.
    • Track down an old friend just to say hi.
    • Visit your grandfather.
    • Donate an hour of your time to a good cause.

    It won't help you forget that 8 pounds of joy you're hauling around, but a little do-gooding might make the week more tolerable.

    More for Your Pregnancy & Fetal Development:
    BACK: Pregnancy Fetal Development Week 40 / NEXT: Pregnancy Fetal Development Week 42
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