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The moment when a woman comes to know that she is pregnant, she cannot wait to hold her tiny baby in her arms. You eagerly wait for your baby to arrive and bear with all the complications that you come across during pregnancy. If you are 40 weeks pregnant, you must be all set to welcome your baby into this world. However, if at 40 weeks, there are no signs of labour then no doubt you will worry. But should you actually worry? Find out more on pregnancy at week 40 and what to do if there are no signs of labour.
40 Weeks Pregnant and No signs of Labour – Is it Normal?
As you enter the 40th week of pregnancy, you know that any day now your baby will be delivered. Hence, it is only normal to get restless but there is no need to panic. The good news is that you are not the only one sailing this boat. It has been observed that only 10 percent of babies are born on their due date and 90 percent babies are either born before or after their due date. Majority of babies take birth between 37 and 41 weeks of pregnancy. However, twins or multiple babies are usually born before 37 weeks. Also, the due date given by the doctor is just an estimated date, and it may vary as your pregnancy progresses, depending on the growth and development of your baby. In most cases, the baby may get born before 42 weeks of pregnancy. However, some babies are also born after 42 weeks, though the chances are extremely rare. Therefore, it is very normal to be in your 40th week of pregnancy and still not showing any signs of labour.
What You Can Do About It
If you have reached the 40 weeks mark of your pregnancy and the signs of labour are nowhere to be seen, then do not stress as it will only postpone labour. Instead, try this:
1. Relax
Yes, you have waited long enough and these 2 weeks must be making you restless but there is no need to panic or worry. The best you can do is relax and be patient. Try spending time with your friends or family members. Talk to them and enjoy some family time. Thinking about labour will only leave you stressed which does no good. So, take a warm bath, spend time with family and take ample rest.
2. Meditate
Meditation is a great way to calm and relax your mind and body. Meditation can help you a lot in managing stress. Sit in an open space or in natural surroundings and meditate. This will not only make you feel happy and relaxed, but it will help your baby feel relaxed too.
3. Rest and Sleep
The best way to get over your tension and worries is by sleeping and resting. A good 8 hours of sleep will relax and rejuvenate you and you will feel a lot more energised. When your baby arrives, your sleeping and resting schedule may go for a toss, so it is best to take rest now as much as possible.
4. Indulge in Your Hobbies
Pursue your hobbies while you can because once the baby arrives, you will have no time for that. It will shift your focus from the negative feelings that you might be having during this time. Therefore, it may be a good time to indulge in your favourite hobby, which is reading, painting, listening to music or any such activity that you enjoy doing.
These were some ways that help you relax, however, there are certain tricks that can help induce labour; know what these tricks are:
5. Climb Stairs
It may sound a bit strange, but climbing stairs may actually help in inducing labour soon. Climb stairs a few times; this may put pressure on your pelvis, and soon you may need to go for labour.
6. Try Acupressure
As per this technique, various pressure points in the body are pressed to help one heal. Not many know but acupressure helps promote labour, too. There are six major acupressure points on the body that help in inducing labour. If pressed correctly, the signs of labour start within 1 to 4 days of acupressure massage.
7. Have Sex
Yes, it is true! Indulge in sex with your partner and soon your baby will be ready for arrival. The orgasm that you experience helps trigger the contractions and the prostaglandins present in semen also induce labour during the later stages of pregnancy.
8. Try Nipple Stimulation
Although it is a bit uncomfortable, nipple stimulation is a great way to induce labour. If you find it painful or uncomfortable, you can use a breast pump to do the stimulating action for you. This helps in releasing oxytocin, a hormone that is responsible for bringing contractions and hence you may soon go into labour.
40 Weeks and No Signs of Labour – Does it Indicate a C-section?
If you have not gone into labour until 40 weeks of pregnancy, then it bound to make you worry. Some women also think that they may have to undergo a c-section. But a C-section is not only related to delayed labour, but it could be because of various other pregnancy complications. For example, your doctor may suggest for a c-section, in case of a high-risk pregnancy, if your baby’s weight is more, etc. But yes, your doctor may suggest for a caesarean delivery if you are more than 41 weeks pregnant with no apparent signs of labour like no contractions, no dilation of the cervix, etc.
Your ETD or expected date of delivery is just an estimation, and no one can exactly tell when the baby will be delivered. So, there is no need to worry. All you can do it wait and if you have any concerns or worry regarding labour, talk to your doctor about the same.
