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Pregnancy - from 40 weeks to 42 weeks pregnant


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What is Postdate Pregnancy?

By Angela Sawinski, edHelperBaby

  What Is Postdate Pregnancy?
           The length of a normal pregnancy is 38 to 42 weeks from the first day of your last menstrual cycle. A postdate pregnancy is any pregnancy that lasts longer than 42 weeks. Because there are some very serious risks for both the mother and the baby, your healthcare provider will follow a postdate pregnancy very closely.

 		   

How Does it Occur?
           Seven percent of all pregnancies are postdate. Most of the time this is because the due date was calculated incorrectly. In other cases the pregnancies just last longer than normal - the baby has not decided it's time to come out. It is not well understood why some pregnancies last longer than their due date.

 		   

  How Is It Treated?
           If you go past your due date, the concern is that the placenta is aging. It may no longer be able to provide enough oxygen and nutrients to your baby. Your healthcare provider may check the health of your baby in one of several ways:
  • A kick count, where you count the movements your baby makes during a prescribed length of time
  • Electronic fetal monitoring, where you will be hooked up to a contraction monitor and a monitor to listen to the baby's heartbeat
  • Ultrasound
  • Amniocentesis, where they take fluid from your uterus to show how mature the baby's lungs are
       

       After doing these tests to ensure the health of your baby, your healthcare provider may choose to induce labor, wait for labor to begin naturally, or schedule a cesarean section (depending on the current health status of you and your baby).

 		   

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