40 Weeks Pregnant

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

More Week 40 Info

Sex positions 40 weeks pregnant

Did you know that sex can actually help send you into labor? When you have sex, with or without an orgasm, there is an increase in uterine activity, which can spark the start of contractions. 

And have you heard of prostaglandins? They are hormone-like substances responsible for helping your cervix change during labor. Guess what is a natural source of prostaglandins….semen! 

Finally, your body releases oxytocin after orgasm. Oxytocin is the same hormone that’s responsible for contractions during labor. As you can see, there are a few ways that sex can help send you into labor. 

You might be wondering if it’s even physically possible to have sex at 40 weeks pregnant. I’m going to help you out here with a few positions that might be possible at 40 weeks. 

• You can lie on your side and have your partner spooning you from behind
• You can sit on top of your partner while they lie on their back
• You can get on all 4’s and have your partner behind you
• You can scoot to the edge of the bed and have your partner in stand at the end of the bed

Those are just 4 of the more common positions for you to try if you are 40 weeks pregnant and trying to get things going.

A couple things to note: unless advised otherwise by your OB provider, sex during pregnancy is safe for all trimesters. You should also avoid having sex if your water has broken (should be fine to still do if you lost your mucus plug though.) 

40 weeks pregnant and no sign of labor

If you are 39 weeks and not experiencing any signs of labor just yet, try not to get frustrated just yet. I have been in your shoes, mama! 

I actually went past my due date with both of mine, despite doing all the things to jump start my labor. Your time will also come. Assuming you are low risk with an uncomplicated pregnancy, you are probably a good candidate to give some of the things from my “Natural Ways to Induce Labor” article a whirl. 

Disclaimer: none of them should be done without your specific OB provider’s blessing first and none of them are guaranteed to send you into labor, but what do you have to lose (those were my thoughts at least). 

I know you are tired and frustrated and over being pregnant, but try your best to stay mentally focused, you can see that flag waving at the end of the finish line!

Ultrasound at 40 weeks pregnant

If you have an ultrasound at 40 weeks, there’s a couple possible reasons for it. It might be related to concerns about baby’s growth. 

There are come complications and medical conditions during pregnancy labor that can put you at an increased risk for having a baby that is either too large or too small. Things such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia or gestational hypertension, and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) can put baby at risk for being either larger or smaller than expected. 

An ultrasound can not only give us a size estimate, but certain ultrasounds can also monitor the blood flow through the umbilical cord to baby to see if baby is getting adequate blood flow and nutrients needed for growth. If you are experiencing any of these complications during pregnancy though there’s a good chance your provider has recommended an induction or will be recommending one.

Another reason for an ultrasound at 40 weeks is simply because you have now hit your due date. Some providers will recommend an NST (nonstress test) once you’ve hit 40 weeks, and some might recommend an ultrasound or biophysical profile (BPP). 

A BPP actually combines both an NST and ultrasound to assess the health of baby. It looks at things such as fetal movement, breathing, tone, and level of amniotic fluid.