In plain words
Late-term pregnancy means the pregnancy has reached 41 weeks, but not yet 42 weeks. Pregnancy is counted from the first day of your last period. Full term is 39 weeks. Late term is the window after full term and before a pregnancy is called post-term. Many people at this stage feel uncomfortable and eager to meet the baby. Some are asked to schedule closer checks, and some are offered an . Your provider can explain the reasons for either choice. Monitoring may include ultrasound, fetal movement checks, or a fetal heart rate test. Each person's dates and care plan are different. A due date is only an estimate, so the timing of birth can differ from it. Ask your team how they plan to monitor you.
The deeper version
ACOG Committee Opinion 579 (2013, reaffirmed) defines term gestation as 37 0/7 to 41 6/7 weeks, with early term 37 0/7 to 38 6/7, full term 39 0/7 to 40 6/7, late term 41 0/7 to 41 6/7, and post-term from 42 0/7 weeks. risk rises in the late-term and post-term period, though the absolute risk remains low. The ARRIVE trial (Grobman et al., 2018) found that induction at 39 weeks in low-risk women lowered the rate and was associated with fewer hypertensive disorders. The controversy is when to offer induction in late term, and whether routine induction at 41 weeks is preferable to expectant management with surveillance.
Where it comes up
- Going past your due datePregnancy: Your Body
- Induction: why, how, and what to askGetting Ready for Birth
- Baby moving less: what to doPregnancy: Your Body
What mothers here say about late-term pregnancy
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Committee Opinion No. 579: Definition of Term Pregnancy, 2013
- Grobman WA et al. — Labor Induction versus Expectant Management in Low-Risk Nulliparous Women (ARRIVE trial). New England Journal of Medicine, 2018