Expert: Lawrence Jay Rappaport <B>M.D.</B> - 2/20/2005
Question I am not currently pregnant but a close friend is. What are the risks of going past 42 weeks in a pregnancy?
Answer A term pregnancy is 40 weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period. The woman can deliver safely two weeks prior to the due date or up to two weeks after the due date (42 weeks). After that, the placenta starts to shut down and can lead to dire circumstances for the baby. We start performing non stress testing on the baby at 41 weeks and twice weekly biophysical profiles. At 42 weeks, we either induce labor or deliver by cesarean section depending on the circumstances at the time.
