can a pregnant woman stay pregnant 44 weeks SAFELY without medical intervention?

Question

Or would induction be done by that time?

Answer 1

Rare is the doctor who will let a pregnancy progress beyond 42 weeks (if he is certain that the due date is correct). The uterine environment starts to deteriorate and it's better to get the baby out.

If the doctor, and the mother, were unsure about the estimated due date to begin with, then the doctor might go past 42 weeks as long as all is going well with the baby and there are no signs of fetal distress or low fluid.

Answer 2

Induction would be done because the concerns over a decaying placenta would be too great.

I have known moms who HAVE delayed to 43-44 weeks, including a cousin, but they also had a family history of long gestations. My cousin agreed to be induced only when her Bishops score was good. Knowing what I know now, I would not have waited that long to be induced, but that's my bias.

The study below tells you why doctors do tend to induce earlier (as early as 41 weeks), but also why some doctors are fine to wait until the 42 week mark has passed (dates weren't really accurate). Some of the risks, however, are doctor induced (poor birthing practices) that don't hold up in the Holland studies (where many births are done at home without doctor interference).

Answer 3

I think the dr. would push for an induction. I was 2 weeks late with my son. My dr. scheduled an induction for 5 a.m., but I was in labor (like transition) by 3 a.m., so there was no need.

She scheduled the induction because she was getting worried about calcium deposits on the placenta, not dangerously low but lower amniotic fluid, and my baby getting too big to be delivered safely (she mentioned shoulder dystocia). As it turned out, I naturally delivered a heathy 8.5 pound boy without being induced. That was at 42 weeks, the upper limit for my dr.

Answer 4

Anyone can drink breast milk, it's not harmful. I think it's more a moral issue. Breast milk is for babies, not grown ups...eww. And, yes, a woman can produce milk without being pregnant by taking the hormones that cause women to lactate. This is what "wet nurses" used to do. A wet nurse would work in the hospital nursery and nurse babies. This practice isn't done anymore in developed countries. Also, in the case of an adoptive mother who's just adopted a newborn, she can take a combination of hormones that will cause her to start lactating, so she can nurse her baby. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

no, they will induce by 42 weeks becuase 1. the amount of amniotic fluid goes down. 2. the placenta will start to slow down which means your baby will not be getting everything it needs and 3. once a baby is in there past 40 weeks it will start to lose some weight. So the dr will induce once you reach 42 weeks for you and your baby's sake :)

Answer 6

No, not now. I know people who have been induced after going a week over their due dates. Meconium is passed soon after baby is born, and sometimes before even if not over due(Meconium is baby's first bowel movement) and that alone can seriously harm the baby.

Answer 7

Yeah, by that time, the uterine environment is deteriorating BADLY. Most drs induce around 42 weeks.

Answer 8

ABSOLUTELY...The baby will come out when its ready. There is no such thing as being pregnant forever. Obviously the due date is off and the baby isn't ready. Plus a full-term normal pregnancy can go anywhere from 36-44 weeks. And you should not induce...it causes other unnecessary medical interventions.

Answer 9

they induce at 41 1/2 weeks

Answer 10

I think they would induce way before that time. Perhaps the date of conception was incorrect.