42 Weeks Pregnant, But No Childbirth? No Sign Of What To Do?

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

42 weeks pregnant

The 42nd week of pregnancy is the period when a woman begins to become very worried that labor has not yet begun. You should not worry, as doctors begin to consider pregnancy as post-term, only from 43 weeks. Moreover, it is possible that the date of the alleged birth was simply incorrectly calculated.

By this time, the child is already completely ready for life outside the mother's belly. But its growth and development does not stop. By this time, the fetus weighs about 3.7 kg, and its body length can reach 55 cm. The larger the baby, the more difficult it will be for him to pass through the birth canal.

Content:

• Fetal development
• Sensations
• Signs of post-term pregnancy
• Causes of post-term pregnancy
• What if labor doesn't start at 42 weeks?
• Tips for a woman

Fetal development

No more than 10% of women carry a baby up to 42 weeks. But such an indicator is not a reason for panic, especially if the doctor does not detect any threats. Babies born at 42 weeks will not experience health problems in the future. If labor does not begin, the woman will be sent for an examination, which will be aimed at assessing the condition of the fetus, amniotic fluid, placenta and cervix.

Based on the results of the examination, a decision will be made on the need for drug stimulation of labor. You should not worry in advance, because if no threats to the health of the child and mother are found, then the woman will be sent home to wait for the onset of contractions.

Most often, risks such as hardening of the fetal skull bones, aging of the placenta and a decrease in the volume of amniotic fluid occur at 43-44 weeks of pregnancy. Hardening of the skull bones complicates the process of giving birth to a child, aging of the placenta provokes the development of oxygen starvation of the fetus, a decrease in the volume of amniotic fluid leads to increased dryness of the baby's skin and peeling.

Sensations

A woman at 42 weeks pregnant may feel tired from the process of carrying a child, because the belly is already very large. You need to continue to listen to the child's movements, controlling their number.

Of course, there is anxiety about a prolonged pregnancy, but the doctor must dispel all doubts. Therefore, examination by a gynecologist at 42 weeks of gestation is mandatory. If the doctor believes that everything is fine, then you just need to wait for the onset of labor.

The woman continues to feel pulling pains in the lower abdomen, in the lumbar region, in the perineum. Some mothers suffer from varicose veins and hemorrhoids. The skin of the abdomen becomes tight, which causes itching and dryness. In addition to the fact that a woman feels awkward and clumsy, edema may be added.

Training contractions at this stage of pregnancy are common. Moreover, at any moment they can become real. Therefore, if the same time interval remains between contractions and pain is present in parallel, then you should go to the hospital.

Signs of post-term pregnancy

There are certain signs that indicate a post-term pregnancy:

• The front waters that should be around the baby's head are missing.
• The waters are cloudy and contain meconium.
• Amniotic fluid volume decreased.
• The waters contain vernix flakes.
• The cervix is not ripe for childbirth.
• The fetal skull bones harden.
• There are signs of worn out placenta.
• The child's nails are long, sometimes he scratches his face with them.
• Your baby's skin color is bluish or greenish.

To determine whether a pregnancy is post-term, a woman must undergo the following set of examinations:

• Ultrasound, which will give information about the weight and height of the child, as well as the state of the placenta.
• CTG, which allows you to set the fetal heart rate.
• Doppler ultrasonography, which makes it possible to monitor the functionality of the placenta and uterine arteries.
• Inspection of the fetal bladder with an amnioscope allows you to determine the volume and quality of amniotic fluid.

Causes of post-term pregnancy

Delay in labor can occur for the following reasons:

• The body produces an insufficient amount of hormones necessary for the onset of labor.
• Fat metabolism is disturbed.
• The woman has diseases of the genitourinary or digestive system.
• The factor of heredity is of no small importance.
• Sometimes the cause of a post-term pregnancy is psychological trauma.

Experts believe that childbirth can be delayed due to the fact that the woman herself set herself such a psychological setting. For example, she decided to "present a gift" to her husband on his birthday, or to give birth to a child for some holiday.

Delay in labor can be caused by a strong fear of pain experienced by a woman. In this case, you need to try to calm down and trust your body.

What if labor does not start at 42 weeks gestation?

If signs of post-term pregnancy are found, the doctor will recommend medication to stimulate labor, or give a referral for a cesarean section. Induction of labor with the help of drugs is carried out only when the cervix is ready to open. Otherwise, doctors first use special preparations to prepare the cervix for childbirth, helping to ripen it.

Only then go directly to the stimulation of labor. For this, the following methods are used:

• Stimulating labor with oxytocin. The hormone is injected intravenously, which promotes increased uterine contraction. When the contractions reach the desired intensity, the dropper is removed. The disadvantages of this method include the fact that a woman has to lie under a dropper during labor.
• Stimulation of labor with prostaglandin. This hormone enhances uterine contractions and makes the cervix more elastic and soft. However, contractions caused by prostaglandin are more intense and painful.
• Opening of the fetal bladder. If the birth canal is ready for the child to pass through them, and there are no contractions, then the woman can pierce the fetal bladder. After this procedure, the contractions intensify, and the woman gives birth within 24 hours. However, amniotomy carries a risk of fetal infection.

If there are no signs of a post-term pregnancy, then you can safely wear the baby. The woman has a few more days to try to speed up the onset of labor on her own. For this purpose, you can have sex, perform a nipple massage, and also walk more.

Folk remedies for stimulating labor that can be used at home are:

• Eating pineapples.
• Drinking tea based on raspberry leaves.
• Taking castor oil, which provokes uterine contraction. With castor oil, you need to be extremely careful, as its overdose can lead to severe diarrhea and nausea.
• An enema or a laxative may trigger the onset of labor.

If the doctor indicates that the pregnancy is post-term, then you need to follow his recommendations exactly. It should be clearly understood that post-term pregnancy poses a certain danger, both for the child himself and for the woman.

At the same time, if the doctor says that you can still wait, then you should not rush things. This means that the child feels great in the mother's stomach and it is too early for him to leave it. It is possible that a woman will be reassured by such figures: no more than 4% of pregnant women give birth on the date established by obstetricians. Moreover, a truly post-term pregnancy at 42 weeks is extremely rare.

Stimulation of labor, how is the procedure going, what you need to know:

Tips for a woman

• It is important to always keep the bag that was collected for the trip to the hospital on hand. All documents must also be in perfect order.
• You can not miss the date of the visit to the doctor, even though the woman is feeling very well.
• You should rest as much as possible and gain strength, but you cannot refuse adequate physical activity.
• It's important to keep track of your diet. The food must be light.
• It is necessary to continue to master the technique of correct breathing during childbirth.
• It is necessary to control the amount of liquid drunk per day.
• Thoughts should be in a positive mood.

Fees to the hospital, what you need to take with you:

The author of the article: Lapikova Valentina Vladimirovna | Gynecologist, reproductologist

Education: Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynecology received at the Russian State Medical University of the Federal Agency for Healthcare and Social Development (2010). In 2013 completed postgraduate studies at N. N. N. I. Pirogova.