Week 40

Congratulations with your new son or daughter! If your baby hasn’t been born yet, don’t panic. Only 5% of babies are born on their scheduled date. A baby is only considered overdue at 42 weeks.

What is happening to your baby:

• Your average baby is about 51 centimetres long.
• The average weight is 3.4 kilograms. The healthy range is between 2.5 and 38 kilograms.
• Most of the vernix caseosa (the whitish substance that covers him/her) is gone.
• 15% of the body is fat.

What is happening to you:

• Your amniotic fluid is pale and milky because of your baby’s shedding of vernix caseosa.

What to do:

• Rest as much as possible – this is your last chance!