You are 41 weeks pregnant. 1-3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 Born & Birth stories

If your labor is induced, there are a number of ways this can be done:

1 - breaking your waters - puncturing the amniotic sac, which means your waters leak out. This can often stimulate contractions. This procedure is sometimes known as ARM, for Artificial Rupture of the Membranes, or amniotomy;

2 - giving you a peccary of hormone gel in your vagina, which delivers labor-inducing hormones to the cervix; or

3 - giving you a drip of oxytocin which puts the hormone directly into your bloodstream to stimulate labor.

Induced labor can sometimes mean your contractions come on quickly and intensively, and this may make it harder to cope with. So when deciding whether this option is for you, you may want to take this into account. You may end up needing more pain relief as a result.

A baby that's gone more than a week or so over the 'official' due date may have dryer skin which tends to flake. This is because the vernix that would normally cover the skin has stopped being produced.

`Up to 10% of pregnancies are not delivered by 42 weeks... and only a small number of pregnancies that go past 42 weeks have problems. In fact, about 95% of post term babies are born without problems.` --American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG, 2005)

Almost there! Did you know that we also have a month by month calendar for babies? You can find it in the menu under `Babies`: Month by month

Would you like to announce the birth of your new baby? Do so by clicking this link: I gave birth!