Week 40 of Pregnancy

The Threshold of All Things

You've made it. To the end, the edge, the sacred pause before everything changes. Week 40 is not just a number on the calendar — it's a barrier. An interval, between who you have been and who you are becoming. Your body has been the architecture of new life, working up a baby cell by cell, heartbeat by heartbeat, for nine months. And now, on the brink of delivery, considering this: waiting. And in that wait is all of the magic and mystery of becoming a mother.

After four decades of helping women through childbirth, however, I have come to understand that the mind games and emotional roller coaster that some women ride during this last week can be overwhelming: In that mix can be a sense of exhaustion, restlessness, disbelief that labor has not yet begun, and profound anticipation, echoing the emotions felt on the day before a wedding or the minutes before a baby shower begins. You might have the sensation that you're orbiting or circling yourself, that you're in the vicinity of your body, yet also out of its reach somehow. Your loved ones are sending you WhatsApp messages, strangers are sharing belly food for thought with you and every new cramp feels like it might be the cramp that makes all the difference. There's pressure — internal and external — to make it happen, to move things along. But mama let me remind you, your body is doing what it was built to do. And your baby is on their own divine timeline. You're not behind. You're not failing. You are right where you need to be.

My Baby: Fully Baked, Still Nesting

Your baby is roughly the size of a small pumpkin right now, and they likely weighs somewhere between 6 and 8½ pounds and measures between 19 and 21 inches. Boys are statistically a little bigger than girls, on average, but there's a lovely range in what's normal at birth. At this point, your baby is full-term, with fully developed organs, fat stores and strong sucking, swallowing and grasping reflexes. They're working on breathing, taking in and expelling amniotic fluid, and their brain is still growing vigorously — even now, in these last few days.

They probably are "engaged" — that is, their head is dropping into your pelvis. You could describe this as a weight or pressure in the pelvis — the so-called "lightening." Although your baby may not be changing as quickly, there's still development unfolding: their immune system is getting ready for the outside world, and they're storing iron from the placenta for the first few months of life. They're quiet. Listening. Waiting. Just like you.

My Body: Streched, Centered, Prepared

You may be done — physically, at least. And it's all right to speak it aloud. Your phenotype has been training for this catastrophe all year: You've bloated in every dimension — belly taut and low, limbs lubed and loosened by a year's worth of pregnancy hormones, back aching, sleep interrupted by urgent poing and vivid dreams. Rolling over in bed might be a three-pointer maneuver, and shaving your legs? Not even on the radar. That waddle is real, and it's no longer cute — it's survival.

You may experience random pops of energy (nesting, anyone?) And tired as hell the following day. Braxton Hicks contractions may persist as well as a strong pelvic sensation or momentary zings of cervical pain when baby drops further into the pelvis. Some mamas get the "bloody show" or lose the mucus plug—it's a possible indication that labor will come soon. But keep in mind: signs are not guarantees. Your body is getting ready, even if it doesn't feel like it. And each ache, stretch and sensation is part of the sacred build-up.

Labor: A Story in Three Acts

First Stage: The Long Commencement

Birth starts when contractions are steady, strong and frequent. Your cervix should dilate to four centimeters in early labor, slow and steady. This phase can drag on for hours, even days, particularly for first-timers. You can continue to converse through contractions, potentially rest or even eat. Then we get into the active phase, where dilation is accelerating (up to 6–7 cm) and contractions start growing stronger and longer and closer together. Most providers will recommend that you go to your birth place at this point.

Transition, the final phase of this stage, is intense — your cervix stretches from 8 to 10 centimeters. You might be hot, cold, shaky, nauseated, emotional. This is the moment when your mind is saying, "I can't do this," and your body is saying, "You already are."

Second Stage: The Arrival

You're now fully dilated and it's time to push. Your birthing team will support you regardless of whether you feel the urge or need prompting, especially if you have an epidural. This stage can take anything from minutes to hours, depending on your baby's position, your energy, and other factors. Crowning — when your baby's head shifts the vaginal opening — may produce a swelling stinging sense known as the "ring of fire," but it's shortlived. Then, with one last push (or a few), you meet your baby. Your world tilts. Your body cracks open into something new.

Third Stage: The Release

After your baby is born, your body expels the placenta: typically within 30 minutes. You may experience another faint contraction and your provider could massage your uterus or assist the placenta out. It's dirty, it's powerful, and it signposts the end to the physical trip of pregnancy.

My Health: Inside the Wait

Emotionally, week 40 is a soft, tension-filled place. You might be feeling all the things and none of the things at the same time — hopeful, annoyed, anxious, content, weepy, strong. It's not just your body in a state of suspension — it's your identity. You are entering a new version of yourself, and that kind of shift requires energy. Allow yourself to rest, to cry, to nest, to do nothing if that's what you need.

Some mamas even go into labor naturally at 40 weeks. Others hold off until 41 or even 42. Your care provider might discuss with you the options for induction, such as membrane sweeps, medications, or breaking your water. These are individual decisions — ask questions. Ask again. Trust your gut. No one knows your body better than you.

Tips & Natural Labor Encouragers (Check with Your Provider First)

• Sex: Semen has prostaglandins (which can help soften the cervix), and orgasms can trigger contractions in the uterus.
• Walking/Moving: Soft physical activity can encourage baby to drop down into the pelvis and will cause and prepare the body for contractions.
• Spicy Foods: Some people swear by them but they can be hit or miss. Be careful if you already tend toward heartburn.
• Nipple Stimulation: Can bring on contractions due to the release of oxytocin. Only do this under guidance.
• Acupressure or Reflexology: Some moms may look into this is as a mild alternative—just make sure that it's performed by a trained professional.

Do not use castor oil or herbal supplements unless prescribed by your provider. The aim is to help — not to impose — your body's timekeeping.

To-Dos: Practical and Soulful

• Last car seat check — It should be installed correctly. Either fire stations or local baby safety centers often do the checks.
• Address your refrigerator and freezer — A couple of prepared meals will at least make the very early postpartum days easier.
• Put together a soothing playlist — Labor music, feeding in the middle of the night music.
• Write affirmations or prayers — Stick them to your mirror or your hospital bag.
• Pack snacks, lip balm and comfy socks — Those might be lifesavers during early labor.
• Journal your pregnancy – This is the moment. You'll treasure it later.
• Oxytocin is your labor buddy – Watch a feel good movie or laugh. And joy is medicine.

FullnessNear: Your Coming to Be

Week 40 is not the end. It's the brink of becoming. You may feel depleted — physically, emotionally, spiritually — but you're not: You are whole. This waiting is not wasted. It's sacred. It is the last inhale before the exhale of birth.

You are the home your baby recognizes.
You are the rhythm they flow to.
You are the story they walk into.

So rest. Trust. Take up space. You are not only giving life. You are giving birth to another version of yourself. And that is wordlessly powerful.