41 Weeks Pregnant.

41 Weeks Pregnant | The Risks Of Overdue, Late Term Pregnancy.

After nine months of pregnancy, childbirth is a form of deliverance for many women! Women often have in mind that their child will be born before the due date. If, on that day, he shows no signs of his arrival, they are all greatly upset!

We consider normal a pregnancy that lasts 37 to 41 weeks from the date of the last period. And for women who forget, doctors rely on the 1st trimester ultrasound to determine the due date.

What To Expect When 41 weeks Pregnant?

From the 41st week, the pregnancy is considered to be late. This concerns about 1% of women. All neonatal morbidity and mortality indicators turn red. The same goes for the mother, whose risk of hemorrhage during delivery and cesarean section are then markedly increased. From the 43rd week, the risk of perinatal mortality reaches 5.8 %, against 0.7 % at 37 weeks.

After a study from the Tel Aviv University, researchers found that infants born at 42 weeks or older were approximately twice as likely to contract infections. They also had difficulty breathing and were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit more often compared to those born at 39-40 weeks.

After the 41st week, what follow-up?

As soon as a woman has not given birth on the due date, very close monitoring is put in place. The woman must go to her maternity ward every two days to carry out two crucial examinations: monitoring, which ensures that the baby’s heart rate is normal and that there is no fetal distress, and ultrasound, which helps to assess the level of amniotic fluid.

Ultrasound at 42 Weeks Of Pregnancy.

Suffocation, A Real Risk For The Fetus?

Because the conditions in utero no longer suit him (most often due to a malfunction of the placenta), the birth is then triggered because the fetus is at risk of suffocation.  Before giving birth, the obstetrician-gynecologist can detach the membranes, a technique that induces spontaneous labor in the following week in many pregnant women, without increasing the risk of cesarean section.

At the onset of childbirth, the reference method is the use of a synthetic hormone, oxytocin, which stimulates uterine contractions during labor. Practitioners also have at their disposal the very effective prostaglandins E2, which are used in the form of vaginal gels or tampons.

Giving Birth

Your Pregnancy, Your Choice!

Remember that at the end of the day, it is up to you whether you want your childbirth to be induced or not. Make your decision taking into account the medical information you have received but also with your intuition.

Dr James S Pendergraft | Orlando Women’s Center