40 weeks pregnant: your due date, and what happens if you go past it
In this article
At 40 weeks pregnant you've reached your due date. Your baby is about 50cm long and weighs about 3kg, KKH says. If nothing is happening yet, that's common: KKH notes that first-time mums tend to deliver later, and anything before 42 weeks is acceptable.
If you go past your due date
Once your due date has passed, KKH says your doctor will monitor you and your baby more closely. That can mean another ultrasound and more frequent clinic visits. If all is well, waiting a reasonable time is usually preferred. If your baby shows signs of distress, delivery may happen promptly.
Going past your due date is one of the reasons KKH gives for inducing labour. Our guide on how to start labour naturally explains membrane sweeps and which home remedies are myths. A planned induction is booked at the outpatient clinic, and you're admitted to the Obstetrics Monitoring Unit or the Delivery Suite. Induction can use medicine on the cervix, breaking the water bag, or a drip to strengthen contractions; our 33 weeks pregnant guide explains each.
Keep counting movements
Don't let the wait make you ignore your baby's movements. KKH's count-to-ten chart says to call your doctor immediately if your baby makes fewer than 10 movements a day on two days in a row. If movements slow down or stop, call your doctor or go to your hospital's delivery suite straight away, rather than waiting for your next appointment.
When to go in
| Sign | What to do |
|---|---|
| Regular contractions | KKH's example is 5 to 10 minutes apart; NUH lists 5 to 15. Time them with our contraction timer |
| Your water bag breaks | A gush or a steady trickle of clear fluid: go in |
| A bloody show | A pink or blood-streaked mucus discharge, often with contractions |
| Bleeding that isn't a show | Go straight to the Delivery Suite, NUH says |
| Fewer movements | Go in now |
From 22 weeks, KKH asks you to go straight to its Delivery Suite, at Level 2 of the Women's Tower, for water-bag leakage, vaginal bleeding or signs of labour. At NUH, the Delivery Suite is Ward 22, on Level 2 of the Main Building. Booked somewhere else? Go to your own hospital's delivery suite, or call its O&G clinic if you're unsure.
After the birth: three things to do
- Register the birth on the LifeSG app within 42 days.
- Enrol in the Baby Bonus Scheme, or the SG Child Support Package for babies born from 1 April 2027, as part of that registration.
- Submit your pre-delivery bills to the hospital for the MediSave Maternity Package claim.
Our 38 weeks pregnant and 39 weeks pregnant guides cover recovery, newborn care and leave in more detail. Every week from 4 to 40 is in our pregnancy week by week guide.
What's due in Singapore at 40 weeks
| Week 40 at a glance | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Status | Due date; anything before 42 weeks is acceptable, KKH says |
| Your baby | About 50cm and 3kg |
| Monitoring | Possibly another scan and more frequent visits after the due date |
| Induction | May be offered for going past your due date |
| Movements | Fewer than 10 a day on two days in a row: call now |
| After the birth | LifeSG registration within 42 days |
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I go past 40 weeks?
KKH says your doctor will monitor you and your baby more closely, possibly with another scan and more visits. Induction may be offered.
Is it normal to go past my due date with a first baby?
Yes. KKH says first-time mums tend to deliver later, and anything before 42 weeks is acceptable.
When will I be induced if I'm overdue?
KKH doesn't give one date for everyone. Your doctor weighs how you and your baby are doing; if all is well, waiting a reasonable time is usually preferred.
40 weeks pregnant is how many months?
About nine months. KKH's planner ends its 40-week series by calling it a 9-month stretch.
Week by week. Previous week: 39 weeks pregnant. Every week from 4 to 40: pregnancy week by week.
- HealthXchange, KKH pregnancy planner: week 40 (read 11 Oct 2026)
- HealthXchange, KKH pregnancy planner: week 33 (read 11 Oct 2026)
- KKH, Labour and delivery (read 11 Oct 2026)
- SingHealth, Count-to-ten fetal movement chart (read 11 Oct 2026)
- HealthXchange, KKH pregnancy planner: week 31 (read 11 Oct 2026)
- NUH, Obstetrics: giving birth at NUH (read 11 Oct 2026)
- KKH, Birth registration (read 11 Oct 2026)
- LifeSG, SG Child Support Package (read 11 Oct 2026)
- KKH, MediSave Maternity Package claims (read 11 Oct 2026)
- KKH, Urgent O&G Centre (read 11 Oct 2026)
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