Pregnancy Overdue: Gynaecologist shares vital tips for those who cross their due date

It is a known fact that a typical normal pregnancy lasts for about 40 weeks from the very first day of one’s last menstrual cycle. In most cases, expecting mothers go into labour in the span of a week either side of their due date, however, there are times when some to-be-mothers miss their due date and go overdue in their pregnancy. If you ever come across a woman who is going through this phase in her pregnancy, you will surely understand the tale of her crossing the verge of patience.

For every expecting mother, when their due date is approaching it feels like the longest phase of their lives and ever more if they have crossed it. Understanding that the couple is overly excited to meet their little bundle of happiness and with anxious family and friends calling every now and then waiting for the good news, makes it even harder for the would-be parents. However, this waiting period becomes very challenging especially when it crosses the due date making the couple very anxious. At this time, it is very important to understand that the expected due date given to them is just a rough estimate.

In fact, according to a survey, only 5% of babies are actually born on their due date. One must stay calm and keep in mind that the given date is not set in stone and pregnancy is considered full-term any time between 39 or 42 weeks.  Appended below are a few vital guidelines that one must abide by when they have crossed their due date and waiting for the D-day: 

Weekly appointments:

 After crossing your due date, it is important that you consider visiting your doctor at least once in 7 days. They will be all the more observant about checking the foetus. To measure the expanse of amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby inside the womb, your doctor or gynaec will make use of ultrasounds. Normally, doctors do not recommend to go 10 days over the due date, however, if this is witnessed in some cases, a plan of delivery is put into action. It is very important that at least by the fourteenth day over the due date, the delivery of the baby is taken place to achieve a satisfactory result for both the mother and the child. 

Keeping the kick count: 

Kick count is nothing but a record that the would-be parents keep knowing how frequently their baby is moving inside. Usually, your healthcare providers suggest getting in touch with them on an immediate basis if the baby abruptly lessens his or her movements. This could be a sign of fetal distress, which would involve immediate testing to recognize your baby's condition and to further evaluate whether delivery should be conducted quickly or not.

Electronic Fetal Monitoring (EFM): 

Once you have crossed your date, your healthcare provider may also perform a non-stress test, this facilitates keeping a tab of the baby’s constant movements and heart rate by using a fetal monitor. This helps the doctor in analyzing if the baby is going through any kind of discomfort or pain. This can also be conducted whilst the labor starts and the uterus contracts. The result of the heartbeat variation in connection with uterine contraction gives the doctor know-how of how well and healthy the baby is. 

Regular ultrasounds: 

After going overdue in your pregnancy, during the ultrasound your doctor will specifically look for the amniotic fluid index which is basically the amount of water around the pregnancy. AFI being good is a positive indication that the baby doing fine. The second most important aspect to examine is Doppler studies for the baby at this ultrasound. If the result of the umbilical artery Doppler’s is all fine and normal, then it can be concluded that the baby does not have any kind of distress. 

The doctor will also take a look at the placenta and consider the aging of the placenta. There are grades of placenta like Grade 0, 1, 2, and 3. The grade 3 represents an aged placenta, the more aged the placenta is the lesser will be the blood supply to the baby. Hence that is an important aspect that we take a look at. Lastly, ultrasounds also assist in knowing which way the baby is laying, is the baby’s head down, bottom down, oblique, or transverse. The mode of delivery is decided depending on the position of the baby inside.  

Furthermore, your doctor can analyze the size and position of the placenta with the help of the ultrasound technique. This information is extremely important since the placenta delivers your baby with life-sustaining oxygen.  The truth is that about eighty percent of babies tend to arrive between thirty-eight and forty-two weeks of gestation, so your due date window is much bigger than you might imagine. So, if you go into late pregnancy, chances are you might really be thirty-nine weeks when you anticipate that you are at 40. Therefore, it is advisable to not get stressed if your pregnancy is overdue. Instead, in this additional time, you must explore new ways to bond with your bump. 

By Dr. Anagha Karkhanis - Senior Gynaecologist, Infertility Specialist and Director of Cocoon Fertility