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Third trimester

42 weeks pregnant

From 42 weeks 0 days, ACOG calls a pregnancy postterm. Most postterm babies are born healthy, but risks for you and your baby are higher now, so it matters to be in close contact with your care team. If you do not already have a plan for monitoring or induction, please contact your midwife or doctor today.

This page covers 42 weeks 0 days to 42 weeks 6 days (42+0 to 42+6), counted from the first day of the last period. Check how far along you are

Enter it to see the calendar dates of your week 42.

At this stage, size varies widely between healthy babies. Your care team checks growth directly rather than against a chart.

How your baby is developing

  • Past the due date, the placenta may not work as well as it did. This can reduce the oxygen and nutrients your baby receives, and some babies may not grow as well as before.1
  • The amount of amniotic fluid around your baby may go down. Less fluid can let the umbilical cord get pressed, which can also limit oxygen and nutrients.1
  • Babies born after their due date often have red, dry, peeling skin because much of the protective vernix has gone. It usually peels off by itself within a few days.2
  • Your baby should keep moving in their usual pattern until and during labor. A change in movements can be an important warning sign.3

Changes you may notice

Everyone’s experience is different. You may notice some of these, or none.

  • Feeling very frustrated by now is common and understandable. Braxton Hicks contractions and swollen hands and feet may continue.2
  • Call your midwife or maternity unit straight away if your baby is moving less than usual, you can no longer feel movements, or the pattern changes. Do not wait until the next day, even if it is the middle of the night.3
  • Call your midwife or maternity unit if you think labor has started, and call urgently if your waters break or you have vaginal bleeding. If your waters break, tell your midwife immediately if the fluid is smelly or colored.4

Care around this week

  • Please contact your care team now if you haven't already agreed a plan. Your midwife or doctor can check on your baby and talk through your options, which may include induction or extra monitoring.1,2,5
  • UK: if your pregnancy goes beyond 42 weeks and you decide not to be induced, you should be offered increased monitoring. NICE guidance says this might be cardiotocography (a trace of your baby's heart rate) and an ultrasound check of the amniotic fluid, twice a week. NICE also says monitoring gives a snapshot of how your baby is at that moment and cannot reliably predict or prevent problems afterward. You can revisit the decision at each review, and contact your midwife or maternity unit sooner if you change your mind.5,6
  • US: MedlinePlus says that health risks for you and your baby are greater if you haven't given birth by 42 weeks, and that stillbirth, while uncommon, increases most after 42 weeks. Your provider can use tests to check on your baby, and will likely want to induce labor.1

Questions to ask your provider

  • What is our plan from today, and when is my next check?
  • When could induction happen if I choose it?
  • If I wait, what monitoring will my baby have, and how often?
  • What would make you advise a cesarean birth?
  • Who do I call, day or night, if I'm worried about movements or anything else?
When to contact your provider straight away

Call 911 (US) or 999 (UK) in an emergency, such as heavy bleeding or bleeding with severe pain, a seizure, chest pain, or severe trouble breathing.8,9,10,11

These symptoms are not always serious, but each one needs prompt advice from your provider, midwife or maternity unit (or NHS 111 in the UK if you cannot reach them) rather than waiting for your next appointment, and it helps to tell them you are pregnant.

  • Vaginal bleeding or spotting at any stage of pregnancy. Call 911 or 999 if the bleeding is heavy or comes with severe belly pain, shoulder pain, or feeling faint or dizzy.10,12
  • Fluid leaking or gushing from your vagina, or discharge that is unusual for you. Get checked straight away if the fluid is greenish, colored or smells bad.4,10,11,13
  • Your baby moving less than usual, not moving, or a change in their usual pattern of movements. Call immediately, even in the middle of the night, and do not use a home Doppler to check yourself.3,10
  • A severe headache that does not go away with simple painkillers or gets worse, or sudden changes in your vision such as blurring or seeing flashing lights.8,10,11
  • Sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet, or swelling, redness or pain in a leg.8,10,11
  • Belly pain that is severe or does not go away after resting, or pain just below the ribs.8,10,14
  • Regular tightenings or contractions, period-type pains, or backache that is unusual for you before 37 weeks, which can be signs of preterm labor.13,14
  • A fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or feeling hot, cold or shivery.10,11,13
  • Shortness of breath that comes on suddenly or happens when you lie flat, chest pain, a racing or pounding heart, or dizziness or fainting.10,11
  • Very itchy skin, especially on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet, or itching that is worse at night.15
  • Being sick so often that you cannot keep food or drink down, or signs of dehydration such as dark urine, peeing very little, or feeling dizzy.10,16
  • Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. Get help right away, and call 911 or 999 if you think you might act on them.10,17

Questions about 42 weeks

What does postterm mean?

ACOG uses postterm for a pregnancy that has reached 42 weeks 0 days or later. Late term is 41 weeks 0 days to 41 weeks 6 days.7

How common is it to reach 42 weeks?

It's uncommon. In NHS data from 2019 to 2020, fewer than 1 in 100 labors that started on their own began at 42 weeks or later. Some pregnancies that seem to have gone past 42 weeks are not truly postterm, because the due date was an estimate.1,6

Will I need a cesarean at 42 weeks?

Not necessarily. MedlinePlus says a cesarean is needed if labor can't be started, if your baby's heart rate tests show possible distress, or if labor stops progressing. Your care team will explain your options.1

Sources

  1. When you pass your due dateUS National Library of Medicine
  2. Week 41NHS Best Start in Life
  3. Your baby's movementsNHS (England)
  4. Signs of going into labourNHS Best Start in Life
  5. Inducing labourNHS (England)
  6. Inducing labour (NG207), table 1National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2021
  7. Committee Opinion No. 579: Definition of Term PregnancyAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2013
  8. Pre-eclampsiaNHS (England)
  9. Epilepsy and pregnancyNHS (England)
  10. Urgent Maternal Warning Signs and Symptoms (Hear Her campaign)US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  11. Pregnancy symptoms you need to get help forNHS (England)
  12. Vaginal bleeding in pregnancyNHS (England)
  13. Premature labour and birthNHS (England)
  14. Stomach pain in pregnancyNHS (England)
  15. Itching in pregnancyNHS (England)
  16. Severe vomiting in pregnancyNHS (England)
  17. Depression in pregnancyNHS (England)

Links checked November 12, 2026. Citing a source does not mean it endorses this site.

Written from the sources above and checked against them on 2026-11-12. Not reviewed by a clinician. Our editorial policy