The Playbook

40 Weeks Pregnant: Due Date Week (and What If Baby Is Late)

By the Guide to Fatherhood editorial team. Last reviewed . 2 min read.

Checked against guidance from organizations like the AAP, CDC, ACOG and NHS (linked below). This is general information, not medical advice. Read our medical disclaimer.

Trimester3
Sizea small watermelon
Length / weightabout 20.2 in (51.2 cm), about 7.6 lb (3.5 kg)

Due date week. The baby is ready and waiting, with a firm grasp, working lungs, and enough fat to keep warm. Only a small share of babies arrive on the exact day.

Your to-do list this week

  • Be the family spokesperson: answer the 'any news?' messages with one friendly group update.
  • Know the plan if baby is late: when monitoring starts and when induction is usually discussed.
  • Keep doing everything: meals, chores, walks, foot rubs.
  • Plan something small every day so the waiting isn't all you do.
A conversation to have this week

"How do you want to handle updates to family and friends?" A single group text from you can save her fifty replies.

Due date week

The baby is fully developed: firm grip, working lungs, and enough fat to stay warm (NHS). And yet the due date is an estimate, the middle of a window, not an appointment. Only a small share of babies are born on the exact day. Full term runs through 40 weeks 6 days (ACOG), and plenty of first babies take their time.

How she may be feeling

Done. Seriously done. Every phone call is someone asking if there’s a baby yet. She may also feel anxious about the birth, or about going overdue. Reassure, don’t dismiss.

If the baby is late

According to ACOG, here’s how it usually goes:

  • After 40 weeks: her provider may start extra monitoring, such as a nonstress test (watching the baby’s heart rate) and an ultrasound to check amniotic fluid.
  • 41 weeks (late term): induction may be recommended.
  • 42 weeks (post-term): induction is generally recommended, because risks increase.

Ask at this week’s appointment what her provider’s plan is, so you’re not guessing.

Your job this week

Be the spokesperson. One group text from you (“No baby yet! We’ll let you know.”) saves her dozens of replies. You can mute the group chat.

Keep the routine going. Meals, chores, walks, early nights. Don’t let the waiting become the only thing you do.

Stay sharp on the signs. Regular contractions, the water breaking, bleeding, or reduced movement all mean calling. Reduced movement is never something to sleep on.

Look past the birth. Read up on the hospital stay and going home and the first month. Pregnancy ends soon. Fatherhood is just getting started, and you’re more ready than you think.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if the baby is overdue?

Past 40 weeks, providers usually increase monitoring, which may include tests like a nonstress test and an ultrasound to check fluid levels. ACOG says induction may be recommended after 41 weeks and is generally recommended by 42 weeks.

Do natural methods to start labor work?

Evidence for most home remedies is weak, and some can be unsafe. Talk to her provider before trying anything beyond gentle walks.

Sources

  1. When Pregnancy Goes Past Your Due Date, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
  2. Week 40: Your baby and your body, NHS
  3. Definition of Term Pregnancy, ACOG

We link to the original source for every medical and safety claim. Guidance changes; if a source has been updated since our last review, the source wins. How we research.