Just because your doctor gave you a due date doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. In fact, it’s very common to watch it come and go without any signs of labor. Depending on your personality or circumstances, you might feel disappointed — or secretly thrilled — when our due date arrives with no baby in sight. Rest assured, all of these emotions are perfectly normal.
Whether you’re a toe-tapper who’s raring to go or soaking up the last days of pregnancy, here’s what to know about going past your due date.
How accurate are due dates?
Getting your estimated due date is an exciting milestone — it’s a date you share with your partner, family, friends, and sometimes the whole internet. But while that date is a helpful guide, it’s still only an estimate.
An average pregnancy lasts about 280 days, or 40 weeks, measured from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP). Some providers also use a quick formula: subtract three months from the first day of your LMP and add seven days. An early ultrasound can confirm (or adjust) that estimate and is generally more accurate than LMP alone.
“I’m usually about a week overdue with all of my babies,” says What to Expect Community mom 3girlz3boyzplus1. “It seems like I may ovulate a week later or egg implants late because they are all about 6 to 7 days late. I never had any issues.”
How common is an overdue pregnancy?
Most babies don’t arrive exactly on their due date. Here’s the general breakdown:
- About 60% of women deliver on or before 40 weeks.
- Roughly 35% give birth between 41 and 42 weeks, which is considered late term.
- Only about 5% of pregnancies go past 42 weeks, officially making them post-term.
Early ultrasounds help narrow down gestational age and can reduce the likelihood of a pregnancy being labeled overdue.
Read one mom’s thoughts on going past her due date — and wishing she'd never told anyone the date!
What happens if you go past your due date?
If you go past your due date, your prenatal care visits will continue — and they’ll likely become more frequent. Your provider will monitor your baby’s:
- heart rate
- size and position
- movement
- amniotic fluid level
If you pass your due date by one week, your doctor will likely recommend a nonstress test, which tracks fetal heart rate over about 20 minutes in relation to movement. They may also measure your amniotic fluid, which naturally peaks around 36 weeks and slowly decreases afterward.
Another option is a biophysical profile, which combines ultrasound assessment (movement, breathing, tone, fluid) with the nonstress test.
Depending on these results, your provider might suggest an induction, which is a jumpstart to your labor using medications, stripping the amniotic membranes, or other methods.
The What to Expect Week-by-Week Pregnancy Tracker will take you right through the end of your pregnancy (even to week 42 if you go that long!), and you'll find lots of other great tips from experts, tools, and advice from other parents in the What to Expect app.
How long can you go past your due date?
The number of days you’ll wait as your due date sails by is a decision that you and your doctor will make. Your health and your baby’s health guide the plan, and testing results (like the nonstress test or biophysical profile) help determine whether it’s safer to continue the pregnancy or move toward induction.
What are the risks of an overdue pregnancy?
While many overdue pregnancies are still completely health, some risks do rise slightly:
- Macrosomia. This means ‘big body' and is used to describe an infant weighing more than 8 pounds 13 ounces at birth. Having a macrosomic baby can increase the risk of shoulder dystocia and jaundice. And, because a large baby could have trouble passing through the birth canal, your risk of a cesarean or assisted delivery — such as forceps or vacuum extraction — also increases.
- Meconium in the lungs. A long stay in the womb could cause meconium aspiration — which means your infant passes and breathes in meconium.
- Low amniotic fluid (oligohydramnios). This might suggest that the placenta isn’t working as efficiently in getting blood and oxygen to your baby. Women with post-term pregnancies are most at risk of low amniotic fluid.
Ways to try bringing on labor if you’re overdue
If your doctor hasn’t suggested induction yet, you could try some natural remedies to kickstart your labor. Always get your practitioner’s approval first, and keep in mind that no method is guaranteed:
- Sex — one of the few methods with some evidence behind it, plus it can help you relax.
- Walking — keeps you active, and gravity may help your baby settle into the pelvis.
- Evening primrose oil — may help soften the cervix, but it’s not appropriate for everyone. Ask your provider if taking evening primrose oil could help in your case.
- Complementary therapies (CAM) — massage, acupressure, and acupuncture focus on certain pressure points that may support labor.
A word of warning about herbal teas and castor oil to help induce labor: Most herbs haven’t been researched for use in pregnant women, so their safety is unknown, while castor oil can lead to uterine irritation and diarrhea. Your best bet is to skip both.
When will your practitioner recommend inducing labor?
Don’t worry — you won’t stay pregnant forever! Membrane stripping can be attempted any time after 39 weeks, and many doctors recommend induction around or shortly after 41 weeks because it can reduce the risk of C-section.
What to Expect Community member BarryDingle says “It took a lot for me to just schedule the induction (because I did not want one), and honestly since then, it is the only thing that has given me peace of mind ... because if baby doesn’t come on his own, at least I can see the finish line.”
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends inducing after 42 weeks, and definitely no later than 42 weeks + 6 days.
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