What to do if you haven't given birth yet at 42 weeks of pregnancy

Since pregnancy is a major event for women, they will be very careful throughout the pregnancy, especially in terms of diet and exercise. Reasonable arrangements must be made to ensure the smooth birth of the fetus. Generally speaking, the fetus is mature and born around 40 weeks, but there are also cases where it may be delayed. Many women are worried about what to do if they haven't given birth after 42 weeks of pregnancy? What measures need to be taken?

1. Overdue pregnancy is harmful to mother and baby

1. Insufficient placental function

When a post-term pregnancy occurs, the placenta has gradually begun to age, and its function of transporting oxygen and nutrients to the fetus progressively declines every day.

Therefore, the fetus of an overdue pregnancy is very prone to hypoxia in the uterus, which can cause severe brain cell necrosis or death from lack of oxygen.

2. Decreased amniotic fluid volume

As pregnancy lasts longer than 42 weeks, the amount of amniotic fluid decreases due to the reduced secretory function of the amniotic membrane.

When there is too little amniotic fluid, the pressure around the uterus directly acts on the fetus, which may cause fetal deformities. Sometimes the uterus directly compresses the fetal chest, which may cause fetal lung underdevelopment. When there is too little amniotic fluid and it is too viscous, the birth canal is insufficiently lubricated, and the fetus's descent is blocked during delivery, which may prolong labor and increase the fetal mortality rate.

3. Difficult labor is prone to occur

Due to insufficient nutrition from the mother, the fetus has to consume its own energy, the subcutaneous fat decreases, the skin has wrinkles, and it looks like an old person; and due to lack of oxygen, meconium is discharged in the uterine cavity, and the turbid amniotic fluid turns the fetal skin yellow; the skull of the post-term fetus gradually hardens and the cranial sutures are narrower. During delivery, the fetal head is not easy to deform, and the ability to adapt to the birth canal is poor, making it difficult for the fetal head to descend and prone to dystocia.

4. Affect the intelligence of the fetus

From the 35th week of pregnancy, the permeability of the placenta gradually decreases, affecting the delivery of oxygen and nutrients.

By 42 weeks, as the infarction and calcification areas of the placenta gradually increase, placental function further declines, gas and blood exchange between the mother and fetus is obstructed, and the oxygen and nutrient supply to the fetus is reduced, affecting the fetus.

If the lack of oxygen is severe, it can cause stillbirth or serious neurological sequelae, including intellectual disability.

2. If pregnancy exceeds 40 weeks, placental function should be closely monitored

Clinically, it is often seen that many pregnant women have serious placental aging when they just reach or are close to their due date.

Therefore, when the pregnant mother is more than 40 weeks pregnant, she should go to the hospital for regular check-ups, and do blood tests or B-ultrasound to understand the function of the placenta.

If the placenta functions normally and the cervix is ​​not yet mature, you can observe closely and wait for natural delivery. If the placenta has aged, it means that the fetus cannot get enough oxygen and nutrients through the placenta. If the pregnancy continues, it may cause long-term and severe hypoxia of the fetus. At this time, the pregnancy should be terminated as soon as possible.

3. Solutions for post-term pregnancy

If a pregnant woman has not had uterine contractions by the due date, she should go to the hospital in time to check the cause. If the due date is indeed exceeded, strict prenatal monitoring should be carried out in the hospital in a timely manner. The doctor will make corresponding treatment based on the monitored placental condition and take effective measures to induce labor or terminate the pregnancy if necessary to ensure the health of mother and baby.