Whew, week 42 is here — and it's the official end of your pregnancy.

Your baby will probably get some extra monitoring in advance of your late-comer's debut.

Meanwhile, your doctor may recommend inducing labor to get the process moving along — and your little one (finally!) in your arms.

Your Baby at Week 42

At a Glance

Helping labor along
Helping labor along
To induce labor, your doctor may use a drug called Pitocin, which is safe for you and baby and helps start contractions.
Time to be induced?
Time to be induced?
Since there's a chance your placenta may not provide as much oxygen and nutrients to your baby, your doctor might recommend inducing labor to be safe.
Checking up on baby
Checking up on baby
Though most babies continue to thrive well past week 40, your doctor will continue to monitor baby with a biophysical profile: an ultrasound to assess the baby, plus a nonstress test.

42 weeks pregnant is how many months?

If you're 42 weeks pregnant, you're in month 9 of your pregnancy. It's almost time! Still have questions? Here's some more information on how weeks, months and trimesters are broken down in pregnancy.

How big is my baby at 42 weeks?

At the 42-week mark, your watermelon-sized baby is measuring around 19 to 22 inches and 7 and 9 pounds.

Baby will be monitored

Although it's perfectly normal for a baby to arrive past the due date, you and your baby will get some extra attention this week. To be sure all is well, your practitioner will likely monitor your overdue baby with tests like nonstress tests or ultrasounds. 

When this late-comer finally makes a debut, chances are baby's skin will be dry, cracked, peeling or wrinkled — all completely temporary. That's because the protective vernix was shed weeks ago in anticipation of a delivery date that came and went.

A tardy baby will also have longer nails, possibly longer hair and little or none of that baby fuzz (lanugo). She’ll also be more alert: “Hi, Mommy!”

Late delivery

Well, the due date's come and gone … two weeks ago. You're still as pregnant as ever — make that, more pregnant than ever — and your baby is still happily ensconced in that uterine home.

At 42 weeks pregnant, you're not alone in your frustration and neither is your baby when it comes to tardiness.

Most babies have their own timetables for delivery; fewer than 5 percent are actually born on their due date. Many babies continue to thrive well past week 40, though you may have lost that "thriving" feeling long ago — but just to be sure, your practitioner is likely to monitor your baby through nonstress tests and biophysical profiles.

There's one thing for sure: Whenever your baby chooses to arrive, you'll be meeting that little bundle of joy with open arms. Happy cuddling!

Your Body at Week 42

42 Weeks Pregnant

Take heart

While you may feel as if this pregnancy has been going on forever, studies show that an estimated 70 percent of post-term pregnancies aren't post-term at all.

The frustrating mix-up is typically due to a miscalculation of the date of conception, usually thanks to irregular ovulation or a mom's uncertainty about the exact date of the last menstrual period.

Even if you do end up among the approximately 2 percent of women who are truly overdue, know that before this week is over, labor will begin naturally — or when your practitioner induces it.

Of course, you're probably sick of everyone calling to see if you've had the baby yet. But here's something to focus on as you wait: By this time next week, you'll be snuggling with your newborn.

Past your due date?

Okay, after all those weeks of preparation, do you sort of have that hurry-up-and-wait feeling? At 42 weeks pregnant, you know why they call you an expectant mother — and why now, in your 42nd long, long week, you may be calling yourself an overexpectant mother.

Don't be discouraged — and don't call the folks at Guinness to put yourself down as the longest pregnancy on record. It may be helpful to keep in mind that your estimated due date was just that — estimated.

So even though your baby seems to be overdue, there's a chance your dates, and not your baby, are just a little off the mark, especially if you didn't have an early ultrasound (before week 14) to date your pregnancy.

So hang in there and continue to watch for signs of impending labor — or get ready for an impending induction if your practitioner goes that route.

One prelabor sign to look for may be loose bowel movements. Some women experience mild diarrhea just prior to the onset of labor. Think of it as nature's enema — a way to empty your intestines to make room for the baby's passage through the birth canal. 

Here's a happier thought: By this time next week, you'll have a brand new beautiful baby to cuddle in your arms and keep you up at night. Good luck!

Postpartum doula

Once the baby comes home, a new mom can expect to be exhausted and overwhelmed. (So can a new dad, by the way.) Who do you call? A certified postpartum doula!

A doula will provide care for you and your baby, including breastfeeding advice, cooking, child care, errands and light cleaning. This miracle worker will teach and support you and your partner without judgment — and a doula won't laugh at your pathetic attempts at swaddling.

Such a pregnancy and postpartum helper knows all about emotional and physical recovery, infant soothing and coping skills, feeding, diapering — anything and everything that eases the tricky transition into parenthood.

The best way to find a postpartum doula is through word of mouth, so ask your pediatrician and your friends or check with DONA International.

Keep in mind that most doulas charge an hourly rate, so you can be flexible about when and how often your pregnancy companion comes to help. A few hours a day for the first couple of weeks might mean the difference between a mommy and a zombie.

Learn more about what to ask a doula before you hire one.

Pregnancy Symptoms Week 42

More frequent Braxton Hicks contractions
More frequent Braxton Hicks contractions
Bloody show
Bloody show
Water breaking
Water breaking
Cervical dilation or effacement
Cervical dilation or effacement
Diarrhea
Diarrhea
Edema (swelling in feet and ankles)
Edema (swelling in feet and ankles)
Insomnia
Insomnia
Leaky breasts
Leaky breasts

Tips for You This Week

Talk to your practitioner about inducing

Baby is now officially late. Since your uterus is likely becoming less hospitable, if you don't go into labor on your own, your practitioner will likely schedule you to be induced sometime this week.

During an induction, your doctor can use a topical hormone to ripen your cervix, which allows baby to enter the birth canal, or jump-start your contractions by breaking your water or administering Pitocin.

Time your contractions

Monitor and take notes on your contractions. If they're strong, last at least 45 seconds, and are coming more often than every five minutes, call the doctor! Baby could well be on the way.

If you’re having regular contractions, but you aren’t sure if you’re in real labor, call your practitioner anyway — it’s best to err on the side of caution.

Expect some tests

Now that you’ve passed your due date, your doctor will likely want to check your baby’s heart rate, size and position. 

You may receive a nonstress test, which monitors the fetal heart rate, or a biophysical profile, an ultrasound test that monitors fetal breathing, movement and tone, as well as the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding your baby.

Note any bowel changes

Believe it or not, diarrhea is one of the early signs of labor — it's your body's way of clearing out the area. Track your bowel movements with an app, try to stay hydrated with plenty of fluids and eat lightly (think: chicken broth and toast with jam or fruit).

Try to keep your head up, even if you can’t keep the toilet lid down. Diarrhea is just another short-lived symptom that means your baby will be here very soon.

Massage your perineum

Minimize the "sting" of birth with perineal massage (but get your practitioner's okay first).

Here's how: Insert clean, lubricated thumbs into your vagina. Press down and slide across your perineum (the area between your vagina and rectum) and back continuously for five minutes. Repeat daily.

Second time in labor? Good news

This isn't your first labor? Second and subsequent labors and deliveries are usually — though not always — easier and shorter. Hooray!

Know that baby will be here soon

At this point, you're about as overdue as you can get. One thing you aren’t, though, is alone. About 5 in 100 pregnancies are “post-term” and extend beyond 42 weeks.

Stay in touch with your practitioner, who will take into account the results of any tests you’ve had lately (nonstress, biophysical profile) to come up with a plan. Get ready: Your little bundle is almost here!

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

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  2. WhatToExpect.com, What Is Pitocin Induction?, May 2023.
  3. WhatToExpect.com, Diarrhea Before Labor (Prelabor Diarrhea), November 2022.
  4. WhatToExpect.com, Perineal Massage, April 2022.
  5. WhatToExpect.com, Inducing Labor: What Happens When You're Induced?, June 2021.
  6. WhatToExpect.com, Labor Contractions: What Do Contractions Feel Like?, January 2023.
  7. WhatToExpect.com, What's the Average Labor Time for a Second Baby?, May 2021.
  8. American Academy of Pediatrics, Transitional Milk and Mature Milk, November 2009.
  9. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Bleeding During Pregnancy, August 2022.
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  11. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, How to Tell When Labor Begins, November 2021.
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  13. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Methods for Estimating the Due Date, May 2017, Reaffirmed 2022.
  14. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Vital Statistics Reports, Births: Final Data for 2017, November 2018.
  15. DONA International, Find a Doula, March 2021.
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  25. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health, Labor and Birth, February 2021.
  26. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health, Pregnancy Complications, December 2022.
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  28. UpToDate.com, Patient Education: Postterm Pregnancy (Beyond the Basics), February 2022.
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  30. WhatToExpect.com, How Many Weeks, Months and Trimesters in a Pregnancy?, May 2022.
  31. WhatToExpect.com, Overdue and Anxious, May 2021.
  32. WhatToExpect.com, Is Baby Overdue? Here's What You Need to Know, May 2021.
  33. WhatToExpect.com, The Nonstress Test During Pregnancy, December 2022.
  34. WhatToExpect.com, What's a Biophysical Profile (BPP) and Will I Need One?, December 2022.
  35. WhatToExpect.com, What Is a Doula and Should You Hire One for Your Baby's Birth?, April 2022.
  36. WhatToExpect.com, What Is a Postpartum Doula and Should You Hire One?, September 2021.
  37. WhatToExpect.com, Signs of Labor, August 2021.

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