41 Weeks Pregnant: Signs & Symptoms (2024)
What we’ll cover in this post:
You’ve finally made it to the end of your pregnancy! By the time you start nearing your “due date”, it may feel like time is crawling.
Around 37-42 weeks of pregnancy is when most people are “over” being pregnant and they’re ready to get that baby out!
Your “due date” is the day you turn 40 weeks pregnant. We use quotations around “due date” just because it’s pretty rare that babies actually come out on this day. Since there’s no possible way to know the date of conception (unless you do IVF), a due date is really just a pretty good estimation. Most pregnant folks go into labor somewhere between 38 and 42 weeks of pregnancy.
Some pregnant folks have their minds set on their due date, which can be disappointing to watch it come and go. Keep in mind that most babies can safely come a couple weeks before and a couple of weeks after the estimated “due” date.
Baby development
Around the 41st week of pregnancy, your baby is fully developed and ready to come out!
At this time, your baby is about the size of a watermelon and probably somewhere around 7-9lbs.
Your baby probably has some long fingernails and maybe some hair. At this point, your baby may start losing some of that vernix. Vernix is the white, cheesy-like substance that protects their skin while floating around in amniotic fluid. Typically, the earlier babies are born, the cheesier they are. At this time, and even a couple of weeks before, your baby’s lungs and vital organs are fully developed and ready to live on the outside.
Changes in your body and common symptoms at 41 weeks
At 41 weeks of pregnancy, you're likely feeling large and uncomfortable. Baby is probably pretty low in your pelvis, making it tough to get up out of bed, off of the couch, and maybe even walk for too long.
Some other symptoms you may be feeling include:
Contractions - Whether you’re feeling Braxton Hicks contractions or true contractions, both of these can help prepare your body for labor/birth. It’s not uncommon to have some sporadic contractions at this point in pregnancy.
More frequent urination - At this point, the baby is pretty low in your pelvis, which means more pressure on your bladder. You may be getting up pretty frequently in the middle of the night to pee.
Loss of mucus plug/bloody show - As your cervix starts to change in preparation for labor, you may notice that you’re losing your mucus plug or you may see your “bloody show”. A bloody show is when a small amount of blood and mucus are released from the vagina. This typically happens a day or two before going into labor, unless your provider gave you a vaginal exam and “stirred things up.” This happens because the cervix is slowly dilating and softening. This does not necessarily warrant a call to your healthcare provider's office.
Diarrhea - Some pregnant folks report experiencing diarrhea in the days leading up to labor. This can happen as your body prepares to go into labor by releasing prostaglandins. Diarrhea may also be your body’s way of ensuring your bowels are clear so your uterus can contract more efficiently.
Hemorrhoids - Just like the frequent urination, with the extra pressure on your pelvis, you may experience hemorrhoids. If you are experiencing uncomfortable hemorrhoids, you can try witch hazel pads, sitz baths, and/or hemorrhoid cream.
Nesting - While there is no scientific evidence as to why nesting seems to get pretty intense in the week(s) leading up to labor, a lot of pregnant folks do report an increased desire to prepare for the baby shortly before going into labor.
How accurate is a “due date”?
We chatted about this a bit above ^, but let’s dive a little bit deeper.
The most common way that all of those pregnancy apps (and even your provider) will determine a “due date” is by going off of your last menstrual period.
There’s a tool called “Naegele's Rule”. According to Naegele's Rule, you take the first day of your last menstrual period, add 7 days, and subtract 3 months. For instance, if the first day of your last menstrual period was on November 18, 2021, Naegele’s Rule would put your due date at August 25, 2022.
While this is a pretty good estimate, it’s important to note a couple of things:
These due date calculators assume that everyone has a consistent 28-day cycle
Unless you have conceived using IVF, there is no possible way to know the actual date of conception
By using these due date calculators along with ultrasound measurements, providers are pretty good at determining the gestational age of a baby in the womb. Regardless of when you conceived, when your calculated due date is, or how big/small your baby is measuring, it’s important to remember that these are all estimations. As long as you and your baby remain healthy, there’s usually no harm in waiting for the baby to come on their own terms.
Inducing labor at 41 weeks
At 41 weeks, you’ve likely already had a conversation with your provider regarding a plan for induction. Some providers will already want to have an induction planned by 41 weeks, while other providers are comfortable with pregnant folks going to 42+ weeks. These circumstances will depend on your provider, your wishes, and the health and safety of you and your baby.
If you’ve made it to 41 weeks pregnant, you’re probably wondering how the heck you can coerce this baby out of your uterus. Good news is, there are some natural approaches to inducing labor that you can try.
It’s important to keep in mind that, unless your body and your baby are ready to go into labor, these things won’t work. At 41 weeks, the odds are hopefully in your favor!
Sex
Sex can help to induce labor for a couple of different reasons. Firstly, orgasms cause uterine contractions. This is why, throughout pregnancy, it’s not uncommon to experience some mild cramping after an orgasm. They typically last a couple of minutes and then subside. Toward the end of pregnancy, orgasms can be that jump start your uterus needs to go into labor.
Remember the prostaglandins we talked about? If you have a male partner, his semen also contains prostaglandins. Prostaglandins help to soften the cervix, which is an essential part of labor. If you have discussed medical induction with your provider, keep in mind that a common method of induction is using a cervical suppository to help soften, or ripen, the cervix. These cervical suppositories contain prostaglandins. Semen is basically a form of induction you can do at home!
Exercise
Any kind of light exercise, like bouncing on a ball or just walking, can help to engage your baby into your pelvis. The further your baby engages, the more pressure that’s applied to your cervix. More pressure on your cervix will lead to cervical effacement and dilation!
Nipple stimulation/pumping
Any kind of nipple stimulation, whether it comes from yourself, a partner, a breastfed baby, or a breast pump, leads to stimulation of oxytocin. Oxytocin is one of the main hormones in labor and birth. In fact, pitocin, which is one of the most common drugs used to medically induce labor, is synthetic oxytocin.
Curb walking
Curb walking is an exercise that puts your body into an asymmetric position. Asymmetric positions help to dilate your cervix because they’re wiggling your pelvis in ways it’s not used to moving. This can help your baby get into a different/more optimal position.
41 weeks pregnant ultrasound/non stress test
Once you pass your “due date”, it’s not uncommon for your healthcare provider to want to conduct some extra tests just to keep a close eye on your baby. Your provider may want to do a biophysical profile, or an ultrasound and a non stress test.
Five things a biophysical profile tells you about your baby:
Baby’s breathing - Yes, babies practice breathing in the womb!
Baby’s movements - How active your baby is
Muscle tone - How strong baby’s movements are
Amniotic fluid - How much or how little fluid cushions your baby
Heartbeat - Is your baby’s heart rate in the normal range? (110-160 beats per minute)
A 41 week ultrasound will not seem like anything new to you if you’ve had an ultrasound during your pregnancy. A biophysical profile (BPP) is just a combination of an ultrasound and a non stress test.
A non stress test, or NST, is a little bit different. For this, you will have a monitor strapped to your belly and you’ll have a little button. Your baby’s heartbeat and your contractions will be monitored and each time you feel the baby move, you’re supposed to press the button. The purpose of the NST is to ensure your baby’s heart rate is accelerating appropriately in conjunction with his/her movements.
41 weeks pregnant risks
Are there actually any risks that come along with being 41 weeks pregnant? Yes and no.
Each person and each pregnancy are different, so it really is up to you and your provider when it comes to going past your “due date”.
It is common to do some extra testing and monitoring at this time to keep a close eye on your baby.
Risks of being 41+ weeks pregnant:
Having a larger baby - A larger baby could get stuck behind the pelvic bone. You also have a higher chance of needing a cesarean section with a larger baby.
Postmaturity syndrome - This is marked by: lack of vernix, lack of fat beneath the skin, and possible passage of baby’s first bowel movement (meconium).
Low amniotic fluid - Low amniotic fluid can make it difficult for baby to get into an optimal position and can cause the umbilical cord to become compressed; which can lead to a lack of oxygen
Stillbirth - It is thought that the longer a pregnancy goes past a due date, the more the placenta ages. This aging in the placenta can lead to a lack of oxygen and nutrients getting to the baby.
Keep in mind that this risk is pretty small, NSTs/BPPs help to ensure the baby remains healthy, and this risk is greater once a pregnant person passes 42 weeks of pregnancy.
It’s also important to remember that there are a ton of babies who are born perfectly healthy after 41 weeks. Keep the communication open with your provider to ensure you are both comfortable and that you feel safe.
Tips for 41 weeks pregnant
Going past your due date can be a bit of a mind game. Some pregnant folks get pretty discouraged if they see that day come and go. If you reach 41 weeks of pregnancy, hang in there! Your baby is going to be here so soon!
The best things you can do are:
Practice mindfulness, breathing, relaxation techniques
Try natural ways of labor induction if you want to and if your provider says it’s safe
Have an induction discussion/plan with your provider
Educate yourself on “post-term pregnancy” to ensure you feel comfortable and safe for the duration of your pregnancy
The Takeaway
Reaching the end of your pregnancy can lead to a lot of different feelings. You’re probably feeling eager to meet your baby, anxious about labor/birth, uncertain about when and how things are going to happen, and a slew of other feelings and emotions. All of these feelings are normal!
While going past your “due date” may seem a little defeating, keep in mind that a due date is simply an estimation. Babies can come weeks before and weeks after a due date and those are all variations of normal.
At 41 weeks of pregnancy, you’ve probably had a discussion about induction with your provider and you may also be interested in trying to naturally evict this baby on your own.
You can expect that your provider will want to do a few extra tests/ultrasounds at this point in your pregnancy just to keep an extra eye on your baby.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to your healthcare provider.
You’re going to meet your sweet baby so soon!
🤍 The Motherboard Team
