Week 40: Due date week — only 5% of babies are born exactly on their due date.
Here's everything happening with your baby and your body this week.
Going past your due date is normal. Most providers will induce by 41–42 weeks. Trust your body and your care team.
🌱 Baby's development this week
- Fully developed and ready for birth
- Brain will continue developing for the next 25 years
- Gut microbiome will begin developing at birth
- Ready to meet you
The due date — calculated as 40 weeks from LMP — was based on 19th-century observations and assumes a 28-day cycle. Only 4–5% of babies arrive on their due date. The
🤰 Your symptoms this week
💛 Changes in your body
- Due date — only 5% of babies born exactly on due date
- Normal to go 1–2 weeks past due date
- Induction may be offered or recommended
- Emotional cocktail of excitement, anxiety, readiness
Going past your due date is emotionally exhausting. Set a new focus date (41 weeks, 41+5) rather than fixating on a date that was always an estimate. Induction is safe and effective when needed.
🥗 Nutrition focus
- Your body is ready regardless of what you eat this week — focus on light, nourishing foods
- Stay well hydrated — labor is physical work requiring sustained hydration
- Post-birth nutrition is equally important — stock your kitchen with easy, iron-rich recovery foods
If not in labor: non-stress test and biophysical profile to confirm baby
✅ This week's checklist
The fourth trimester starts now — your postpartum recovery guide
Pregnancy ends at birth, but your body's recovery takes months, not weeks. The postpartum guide covers everything: physical healing week by week, mental health (baby blues vs PPD), pelvic floor, breastfeeding, sleep deprivation, and the first year back to yourself.
Track your pregnancy week by week
Interactive guide · 40 weeks · Fruit size visualizations · Personalized tips
Explore Week 40 in the Interactive Guide →