What risks exist if delivery is delayed?

The estimated time of pregnancy is forty weeks, although few babies are born in the right week and it is customary to do so between week 38 and 42. Babies born between weeks 41 and 42 will be considered "late term", but , What risks exist if delivery is delayed?

Normally, after week 40 they will do a fetal monitoring to check that everything is going well, but if week 42 is approaching, it is possible that the gynecologist will talk to you about the possibility of causing the delivery. After a certain date, in many hospitals they have a birth induction policy.

This is because, although it could simply be that the baby is not ready to be born, because the birth date has been miscalculated, there are certain risks if the birth does not occur.

  • If the baby grows too much inside the uterus, complications may occur. The baby's head may not fit properly in the pelvis and make it difficult to erase and dilate the cervix, which would make delivery difficult. Fetuses that are too large for the mother usually involve caesarean section or instrumental delivery, increasing the risks and making their recovery more complicated.

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In Babies and more, how to advance labor naturally when it does not arrive
  • Another possible risk is that the placenta stops providing the necessary nutrients for the baby after a certain date, in which case there would be risks for the baby. And it is that the placenta is maturing throughout pregnancy, becoming the old placenta or hypermadura that can not provide the necessary nutrients and oxygen to the fetus.

  • If the baby continues to grow, the amount of surrounding amniotic fluid may decrease. By not floating the umbilical cord, it could be compressed with the baby's movements or uterine contractions. This fact could also reduce the amount of nutrients and oxygen the fetus receives.

  • As the days go by, if the fetus suffers from a lack of oxygen inside the womb, it is possible that he will make his first bowel movements inside the uterus and expel the meconium. At birth, meconium aspiration syndrome may occur.

Can I induce labor naturally?

To try to induce labor naturally, remember to stay active, walk (pelvic swaying favors softening of the cervix), gently stimulate the nipples and have sex (oxytocin is produced that stimulates uterine contractions) if there is no contraindication .

Meanwhile, you can wear a fetal movement control to monitor the health status of the baby, trying to notice several of his movements every hour (better being calm and attentive, because with the daily routine fetal movements often go unnoticed). If several hours pass without noticing movement, we must inform the doctor.

In Babies and more What happens after over 42 weeks of pregnancy

What will the baby be like?

Babies born beyond week 42 are called "post-mature". These babies are usually larger than full-term babies, they do not have so much layer of vernix caseosa and may have a somewhat bare skin in some areas. The skin of the hands may appear dry, cracked and parchment.

If the baby born after week 42 has used part of its fat stores as food, it could have wrinkled and hanging skin, especially in the abdomen. They will usually have more hair on the head and longer fingernails.

If the skin of the newborn and the cord appear yellowish, it is that the delay has been quite (grade three, this being the maximum) and the baby could have more problems.

But in general, most children born with some delay do not show any long-term harm. Recovery and growth is usually normal after adequate observation by medical staff and the necessary care.

Sometimes, the worst is how bad the mother is going through when, after so many weeks of pregnancy, with the logical tiredness, heaviness, discomfort and the desire to finally see the baby, it does not arrive. Staying calm, entertaining, active and receiving family support is important in this regard.

Definitely, Some babies who are ready to be born may need "help" to avoid risks of being born too late. Luckily, in most cases when "mature" labor occurs and sometimes the key is not to despair and perform appropriate controls to verify that the baby is well. An artificial induction of labor should only occur if the delay can cause problems in the health of the fetus or mother.

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