41 Weeks Pregnant

You've passed 40 weeks, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're overdue. In fact, an estimated 70 percent of post-term pregnancies aren't actually late at all but a miscalculation of the date of conception and, as a result, the due date.

Try doing some meditation or deep breathing, which can help lower your cortisol levels while also boosting your endorphins (the “feel-good” chemicals in your brain that can improve your mood).

If you've reached the end of pregnancy, you've also pretty much reached the end of pregnancy weight gain. At 41 weeks, the numbers on the scale may not be going anywhere — or may even be going down.

This slowdown (or standstill) is actually one way that your body gets ready for labor — a sign that all systems are gearing up for the big event. Your body is busily ridding itself of fluid it won't need once its baby-making factory shuts down, which includes a drop in amniotic fluid as well as an increase in pee (and possibly poop).

You may also be losing weight because you’re sweating more — a habit that will pick up in the weeks after delivery. The first postpartum week, especially, will be a very damp one as your body steps up the sweat production to flush out all the fluid that’s accumulated over the past nine months.

About 2 in 3 women who deliver at a hospital opt for an epidural during labor and delivery. A mainstay of pregnancy pain relief, epidurals are numbing agents that can combine analgesics (pain relievers without the loss of muscle movement) with anesthetics (pain relief with a loss of sensation).

Usually, an epidural can be given as soon as you ask for it (and an anesthesiologist arrives to give you one), but because the shot will have to be given between contractions, it’s a good idea to ask for it relatively early in the labor process.

Now that your due date has come and gone, you're probably willing to do or eat anything to get to that million-dollar prize (your baby) more quickly. Unfortunately, at least as far as medical science is concerned, there is no miracle meal that will bring on labor.

In the category of "can't hurt, might help" are foods such as eggplant, balsamic vinegar and anything spicy. While there's no proof that any of these have labor-inducing qualities, plenty of people swear by them.

If your stomach can take the heat (late-pregnancy heartburn can be a killer!), there's no harm in trying, as long as the so-called magic foods don't crowd out healthy choices in your diet.

There’s a reason ice chips have long been a staple on the delivery-room menu — you’re allowed to have them during labor even if your practitioner has instituted an eating ban. Bonus: You may also find they’re easier to stomach than a glass of water of fruit juice once you’re in the throes of labor.

A firm mattress can do wonders for an aching back. If yours is on the softer side, try getting help placing a board under your side of the bed for the rest of your pregnancy.

Using a body pillow that’s at least 5 feet long — which can take the ache out of certain sleep positions — can also help you get comfy at night.

You’re likely chomping at the bit now that your due date has come and gone. But be good to yourself. Rest and relax as much as possible. Get out for some fresh air and exercise every day if you can, but don’t push yourself too much — or worry too much either.

As long as you’re in close contact with your doctor and have a plan in case your little one needs a little nudge out into the world, all is fine. Pretty soon, you’ll be looking back on these days of freedom wistfully. So get in as much “me time” as you can now.