42 weeks pregnant: postterm, and staying closely looked after
Very few pregnancies get here. If yours has, you deserve clear facts, close care and a team that respects your decisions.
Updated October 13, 2026 · sources checked October 13, 2026
In short
At 42 weeks your pregnancy is postterm, which is uncommon: in NHS data, under 1% of labours that start naturally begin this late. Most babies born now are healthy, but risks rise, so you will be offered induction or close monitoring. The one thing to do this week: stay in daily touch with your maternity team and report any change in movements at once.
Where you are at 42 weeks
ACOG defines a pregnancy beyond 42 weeks as postterm. It is rare: in the NHS figures published by NICE, 99% of labours that started on their own had begun by the end of week 41, and 0.9% started at 42 weeks or later. The NHS week-by-week guide stops at week 41 for that reason. If your due date was set by an early dating scan, or by your IVF transfer date, it is as accurate as dating gets, and ACOG notes it is not changed by later scans.
Your baby this week
There is no new growth milestone to report: your baby is mature and ready to be born. ACOG lists the specific concerns of postterm pregnancy: stillbirth, a large baby (macrosomia), postmaturity syndrome, meconium in the baby's lungs, and less amniotic fluid, which can let the cord be squeezed. ACOG also stresses that problems occur in only a small number of postterm pregnancies and that most babies born after their due date are healthy.
What you can do that makes a real difference: notice your baby's movements. The NHS says there is no set number, but any slowing, stopping or change from your baby's usual pattern needs a call immediately, even in the night.
Is this normal? When to call
Call your maternity unit or labour and delivery now, day or night, if your baby is moving less, has stopped moving or the pattern has changed; if your waters break (especially if the fluid is green or brown); if you bleed; or if you have a severe headache, vision problems, pain below the ribs, fever or constant tummy pain. Do not use a home heartbeat monitor to reassure yourself: the NHS says it is not a reliable check. UK: maternity unit, NHS 111 if you cannot reach them, 999 in an emergency. US: labour and delivery, 911 in an emergency.
Your options at 42 weeks
If you choose induction. In England, induction will usually have been offered from 41 weeks. NICE asks the team to explain the methods, the time it can take, the pain relief available, and to respect your choice. The NHS describes hormones (pessary, gel or tablets) or a balloon to open the cervix, sometimes followed by breaking the waters and a hormone drip. A Cochrane review of 34 trials found that a policy of induction, usually after 41 weeks, was linked with fewer perinatal deaths and fewer stillbirths than waiting.
If you choose to wait. NICE says your team should record your decision, discuss options from this point (continuing to wait or a caesarean birth) and offer extra monitoring from 42 weeks, for example CTG twice a week and an ultrasound of the deepest pool of fluid. In the US, ACOG describes nonstress tests, biophysical profiles and sometimes contraction stress tests, weekly or twice weekly, with delivery recommended in some cases.
A caesarean is also an option to discuss, especially if there are other concerns or a previous caesarean.
Appointments and tests at 42 weeks
- Contact with your team at least as often as they advise, often twice a week for monitoring.
- An up-to-date plan written in your notes, so that anyone on shift knows what you have chosen.
- If you have already been booked in for induction, check the date, time and what to bring.
Your checklist for week 42
For your partner
Come to every monitoring appointment you can, keep the bag in the car, and be the calm one on the phone with family.
Previous week and what comes next
Week 41: past your due date · The third trimester · Signs of labor · Recovering after the birth · All weeks · Due date calculator · Pregnancy week calculator
Questions parents ask
What does postterm pregnancy mean?
ACOG calls a pregnancy that lasts longer than 42 weeks postterm, and 41 to 42 weeks late term. The NHS notes that pregnancy usually lasts between 37 and 42 weeks.
What happens if I am 42 weeks and decline induction?
Your choice is respected. NICE asks your team to record your decision, discuss options such as continuing to wait or a caesarean, and offer extra monitoring, for example twice-weekly heart rate monitoring (CTG) and an ultrasound check of the fluid around your baby. NICE is honest that monitoring gives a snapshot and cannot reliably predict or prevent problems.
Why do some pregnancies go past 42 weeks?
ACOG says the causes are unknown, but a postterm pregnancy is more likely in a first pregnancy, with a male baby, after a previous postterm pregnancy, or with obesity.
Sources
- NICE NG207 — Inducing labour, recommendations 1.2 (pregnancy lasting longer than 41 weeks) checked October 13, 2026
- NHS — Inducing labour checked October 13, 2026
- NHS — Best Start in Life, overdue: have you gone past your due date? checked October 13, 2026
- ACOG — When Pregnancy Goes Past Your Due Date checked October 13, 2026
- NHS — Your baby's movements checked October 13, 2026
- Middleton et al. (2020), Cochrane — Induction of labour at or beyond 37 weeks' gestation (PMID 32666584) checked October 13, 2026
Mamavela explains; it does not replace your midwife, doctor or pediatrician, who know your situation. If something worries you, call them. In an emergency, call 911 (US), 999 (UK) or 112.