The 10th Month of Pregnancy: When You're "Overdue"

Due Dates
For a mom whose baby is "overdue" according to the calendar, the last few weeks of pregnancy can seem to stretch on eternally. We know it won't last forever, but it sure seems like it!

Most doctors and many midwives start to get very nervous if a woman does not deliver her baby by 40 weeks, and more nervous if it hasn't happened by 41 weeks. Because of this, women who approach the actual "post-dates" mark of 42 weeks of pregnancy are becoming few and far between. So, not only do such mothers (and I have been one of them) deal with an extended period of feeling like a behemoth, but they also deal with the stress of making a socially unusual choice ("Why wouldn't you just induce? Aren't you ready to be done?") and becoming and insurance liability for their obstetrician or midwife. A massively pregnant woman is already dealing with so much, heck, why not add a little social and professional pressure to it?

The decision to allow pregnancy to continue past a certain point is up to a woman, and between her and her caregiver. There's debate about just how long it's safe to wait, and I won't get into that. But once she's decided to "wait it out," what's a woman to do?

Taming the Pregosaurus
Once 40 weeks is reached in pregnancy, the body starts to protest. For some of us it starts protesting a lot earlier. But most all of us reach a point where we just can't wait to get the baby on the outside of us, and hopefully be able to see our toes again, and not get stuck in chairs anymore.

After 40 weeks a mom is lugging around a pretty decent-sized baby, along with extra poundage and most likely some "water weight" or swelling, as well. This can get mighty uncomfortable. The swelling can cause secondary problems like not being able to wear shoes, fingers that look like Vienna sausages, and pinched nerves resulting in carpal-tunnel like symptoms. The further along in pregnancy one gets, the more pressure is put on internal organs and some women find it difficult to breathe properly unless sitting upright. Yes, a few of us might spend our last couple of weeks of pregnancy sleeping sitting up.

So how to survive the physical unpleasantness of "going overdue"?

-Start by finding a comfortable spot in your home and making it yours for the duration. Whether that's your bed, couch, rocker, recliner. Set it up as your home base. Phone, water bottles, reading material, remote, laptop ... make sure that when you're ready to collapse and put your feet up, you aren't going to have a reason to jump up 30 seconds later. If you already have children, you might want to include in your arsenal items to entertain them, and some juice boxes, to ensure yourself reasonable chunks of time for resting. Put your feet up and let the house go.

-As insane as it sounds, stay active. In between your much needed periods of rest, mild physical activity can help you feel better, and prepare your body for the hard work of labor ahead. Many women attest to the pleasure that swimming affords when massively pregnant -- it relieves the pressure that the extra weight puts on a body, and may provide temporary relief from swelling for some women. Get some sunshine and fresh air, too, even if it's just sitting outside while you watch your toddler run crop circles into the backyard lawn.

-Keep eating (healthy!). Some women find themselves ravenous later in pregnancy, others feel like there's no room left inside them for a stomach. But everyone can benefit from a healthy diet and reasonable snacking habits. Whether you're super hungry or just a little peckish, keep good snack food on hand that will satisfy you but not pack on unnecessary weight. In other words, pick grapes or smoothies for regular snacking over Triple Chocolate Brownie Chunk Ice Cream.

Under Pressure
Whether it's your doctor or well-meaning relatives or strangers on the streets, somebody is going to start in on your about when the baby's due sometime in the last trimester of pregnancy. If you choose to let your baby stay where he is until he thinks it's time, the flood gates of commentary will open and you will most likely be deluged.

Strangers, of course, deserve no response. You can say whatever you want to them. But how to respond to family members who are terrified that you're risking your life and the baby's by not submitting to a calendar date? What if your doctor is seeing a million-dollar lawsuit every time she looks at your 41-week pregnant belly?

-Arm yourself with facts for family members. Let them know that you're aware of the risks of going post-dates and that your decision was made with that knowledge. Let them know that tests show your baby is happy and healthy.

-Let it roll off your back. Truly, you may reach a point where arguing about it is worthless. Let people think what they want to think. If you've made an educated decision with the advice of your caregiver and medical facts to back you up, you can stick your fingers in your ears and say "Lalalalalala!" to the grannies at the grocery store, or even to your much-beloved mother if they pester you about the insanity of staying pregnant one second longer than you have to.

-Consider "liability relief" measures, like accepting your doctor's recommendation to have non-stress tests (NST's) and biophysical profiles (BPP's) done regularly to assess your baby's health and safety in the womb.

Nobody's Pregnant Forever
If somebody says this to you at 41 weeks, you might feel the urge to slap them, but it's true. Whether you deliver at term, or go a little late, you'll likely reach a point of wanting the pregnancy to be done Right Now. If you know "full term" starts after 37 weeks, but end up not delivering until 42 weeks, that can be a tough month to survive. But you can do it.

After all, nobody's pregnant forever. It just seems like it sometimes.

¹OBGYN.net "Management of Postdates Pregnancy"
²Babycenter.com "Swollen extremities (edema) during pregnancy"