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Third trimester

40 Weeks Pregnant

Around your due date

This week your baby is about the size of a pumpkin.

How your baby is developing

  • You may be at or near your due date, though babies often arrive earlier or later.
  • Your baby usually keeps moving in their own pattern.

What may be happening in your body

  • You're probably getting a lot of practice (Braxton Hicks) contractions now — unlike labour contractions, they shouldn't be painful.
  • If this is your first baby, you'll have an antenatal appointment this week — blood pressure, bump measurement and a urine check for signs of pre-eclampsia.
  • You might notice more low, period-like aches or backache as your body edges closer to labour.

How you may be feeling

  • The date you've counted toward arriving can feel momentous, or oddly ordinary if nothing changes.
  • Waiting right on a date can sharpen impatience, with your attention on every possible sign.
  • Leaning on the people around you can feel steadying when the days feel uncertain.

Worth remembering

Your baby should still be moving in their usual pattern — movements should not slow down or stop. If you notice any changes, contact your midwife or maternity unit straight away.

A closer look

Practice tightenings near your date

Even this close, Braxton Hicks stay irregular and usually painless, and they ease off rather than building up — they're not labour. Labour tightenings, by contrast, tend to grow longer, stronger, and closer together, and carry on through a change of position. Feeling strong practice tightenings around your due date is very common.

Waiting around the date

Sitting right on your due date can be an intense, restless time, especially with people asking and your own attention on every twinge. Leaning on the people you trust can take some of the weight off. Feeling impatient and on edge as the date arrives is very common.

Something you can do this week

Leaning on support and being gentle with yourself matter most now.

What comes next

If your pregnancy continues past your due date, your midwife will talk through next steps and monitoring.

Professional support

Services ParentSide defines for this stage. Each page explains what the service covers and which professionals are approved to provide it.

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Sources and updates

Sources

Last reviewed:
This content is based on estimated averages and general information; it does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned about yourself or your baby, speak with a qualified healthcare professional.

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