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Third trimester

Week 40 of pregnancy

Your baby is the size of a pumpkin. This is the week of your due date, though only about 1 in 20 babies arrive on that exact day.

Your baby is the size of a pumpkin

Length, head to heel
≈ 51.2 cm
Weight
≈ 3.5 kg

Your baby this week

  • The baby is ready to be born and usually weighs about 3 to 4 kilos.
  • The skull bones are not yet joined, so the head can mould a little during the birth.
  • Only about 1 in 20 babies are born on their due date; many come a little before or after.

Your body this week

  • If labour has not started, your midwife or doctor will talk to you about next steps, such as checking your cervix or inducing labour at around 41 to 42 weeks.
  • You may feel tired, impatient or anxious; these are common feelings.
  • Your body is getting ready: the cervix softens and contractions can start at any time.

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Read more for this stage

General information written by the mam.al editors. Every pregnancy is different and sizes are averages; it does not replace advice from your doctor or midwife. Sources include the NHS week-by-week guide to pregnancy. NHS. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.