When the pregnancy is over forty weeks old, expectant mothers are a little worried. But the excitement is premature: not all women start giving birth right on time. A child may be born a little earlier or a little later.
Pregnancy, which lasts more than forty weeks, arouses the keenest interest in the relatives and friends of the expectant mother. They begin to show anxiety, pester the woman with advice about accelerating childbirth, because of which her worries and fears only intensify.
As for forty weeks, this period is very conditional. Childbirth may begin earlier or later, but it is at this time that you should not worry.
How long is the pregnancy delayed?
The fact that the pregnancy is postponed can be said at a period of 42 weeks. The born child will have signs of postmaturity: there is no lubrication, the bones of the skull are flattened, the seams and fontanelles are very narrow, the skin is dry and flaky, wrinkled palms and feet. Delayed births make up 4-5% of all others.
The reasons for prolongation are not fully understood - these may be features of the immune status, the state of the placenta, and inflammatory diseases.
Danger of overburdening
With prolonged pregnancy, the main changes occur in the placenta, which affects the condition of the child. Placental insufficiency can lead to fetal hypoxia. In a post-term fetus, the sensitivity to lack of oxygen is increased - due to the fact that the degree of maturity of the brain is high. If the placenta cannot provide the child with sufficient oxygen, he may develop a serious condition - it can sometimes even lead to death. But this happens very rarely.
The flattening of the skull bones makes the head less adaptable to the birth canal, which increases the risk of birth injury. A post-term fetus may develop a complication called amniotic fluid aspiration, which is water retention in the lungs.
When "walking", childbirth can be complicated by weak labor, the likelihood of bleeding is increased. The course of post-term pregnancy requires constant monitoring, which should be carried out in a maternity hospital.
It will be necessary to assess both the condition of the child and how correctly the due date is calculated. In most cases, after 41 weeks, hospitalization is recommended - the maternity hospital will assess the condition of the mother, fetus, and also determine the question of the method of delivery, preparation for childbirth. Cardiotocography is performed daily, ultrasound, dopplerometry every three days. If childbirth does not want to start on its own, doctors will offer to induce it with medication.
