Week 40 of pregnancy: Your Due Date and the Next Care Decisions

Your due date is a useful reference point for care, not an appointment your baby must keep. At 40 weeks, the important next step is understanding your individual plan: the next visit, any discussion about induction and who to call if something changes before then.

Ask what continuing pregnancy means for your care

For an uncomplicated pregnancy, NICE recommends discussing the increasing risks of pregnancy continuing beyond 41 weeks and how induction from 41 weeks may reduce them. These include risks to the baby as well as a greater chance of caesarean birth. The discussion should also cover how induction may affect the birth experience.

A medical condition may make an earlier birth advisable. Do not assume that a general timetable overrides advice about your own health or your baby’s wellbeing. Ask which factors are relevant to the date being proposed.

Our week 37 guide explains why timing decisions depend on more than a term label.

Turn the options into questions you can use

Ask what the team recommends, what the expected benefits and possible disadvantages are, and what waiting would involve. If induction is offered, discuss where it takes place, which methods might be used and what pain relief is available. The process may take time, so ask what practical arrangements to make.

You can ask for information to take away and another conversation if the situation allows. If you decide against induction, discuss and record the next plan with your team, including when to reassess the decision.

Understand the limits of extra monitoring

If pregnancy continues and additional monitoring is discussed, ask what each test can and cannot show. Monitoring provides information at that time; it cannot reliably predict every later problem or prevent every adverse outcome. A reassuring check does not remove the need to report new concerns.

Your baby should continue moving until birth and during labour. Reduced, stopped or concerningly changed movements need an immediate call to maternity care, including overnight. The baby movements guide explains why waiting until the next booked check is not appropriate.

Keep the waiting plan practical

Confirm the next date and contact number before leaving an appointment. If the plan is unclear, ask the team to write it down. Share transport or support arrangements with the person helping you, while keeping decisions about your care with you and your clinicians.

The due date can bring pressure from other people’s questions. It is reasonable to give a brief update and keep the rest of the day ordinary. You do not need to turn waiting into a project to start labour yourself.