The birth is considered late if the pregnancy lasts more than 42 weeks, and in fact, delayed childbirth is very common among women; As only a small percentage of pregnant women give birth exactly on the expected date of delivery; Although childbirth occurs in most cases between the 37-41 week of pregnancy, this is usually within one week of the expected date of delivery, and in this context it is worth noting that the best indicators for determining the duration of pregnancy are by following one of the following methods:
Ultrasound scan between 8-12 weeks of pregnancy.
Find out the exact date of a woman’s last menstrual period.
It is noteworthy that the most accurate way to determine the duration of pregnancy and the exact age of pregnancy is to perform an ultrasound examination in the first trimester of pregnancy, specifically between the 8-12 weeks of pregnancy, as mentioned previously; Sometimes a woman may not know for sure the date of the last menstrual period, which may mean incorrectly specifying the duration or age of pregnancy, which in turn may mean that the birth is delayed than the expected date.
However, there are some cases in which the exact date of conception and pregnancy is known; Such as in vitro fertilization cases, and in fact, the main reason behind the delay of some pregnancies for the expected date of delivery is not yet known, and it is indicated that there are no main reasons for delayed pregnancy related to the practices or activities of women during pregnancy, but there are some secondary reasons Some of the risk factors that may increase the chance of a late birth, including the following:
Pregnancy for the first time.
Pregnancy at an advanced age.
Presence of a history of late childbirth in the woman.
Having a family history of late childbirth; As if the mother herself was born after her due date. Male pregnancy.
Women suffering from obesity.
Women have white skin.
The measures taken by the doctor when giving birth in general.
In the event of delayed childbirth and the woman enjoying a healthy and sound pregnancy and not wanting to undergo the procedure of induction of labor or what is known as artificial release, she should consult the doctor intensively and increase the subjection to monitoring in the remainder of the pregnancy, especially since by the 42nd week From pregnancy, labor begins spontaneously in most cases, and in this context it is indicated that the doctor may either decide to resort to induction of labor in the event that the delivery is delayed for a week, for example, and induction of labor is defined as stimulating uterine contractions during pregnancy and before labor begins on its own For the purpose of natural vaginal delivery,
Or the doctor may decide to wait for a short period of time after the original date of delivery in the hope that labor will start on its own, and the doctor’s decision in this depends on the health of the fetus and the original scheduled date of delivery, and it is worth noting that in the event of waiting until labor begins, the pregnant woman, as we mentioned, will be subject to tests And continuous monitoring, about twice a week, to check the health of the fetus. During this period, the doctor may order one or some of the following tests:
Non-stress test. During this test, a pregnant woman is placed similar to the one used during labor, in order to monitor the fetus, including monitoring the fetus’s heart rate, the response to movement, and detecting any fetal distress.
Ultrasound imaging test, to check the growth and movement of the fetus. cervical examination; To see if the cervix is dilated enough to prepare for delivery. Measuring the amount of fluid surrounding the fetus, or what is known as amniotic fluid
