Written By: Ibazainab Zeni

The day a mom completes 40 weeks, why does everyone pretend as if she is a ticking time bomb?

American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (2019) and NHS UK (2022) say that only ~5% of women give birth on their due date. According to American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ACOG, most first-time moms deliver between 40 and 41+5 weeks.

If these are the statistics, then why is there so much rush once the mother hits 40 weeks? Inductions start being scheduled and the mother is constantly reminded of risks such as the placenta “aging and calcifying”, baby “might be” passing meconium, etc. These risks may not happen all of a sudden; healthy pregnancies don’t suddenly become dangerous with no prior indications. Data shows that 41 weeks is within the normal range.

The 40 weeks due date comes from the assumption that the mother has a perfect 28 day cycle and the day she conceived is also known and exact. But that doesn’t hold true for most mothers. Labor truly starts when the baby’s and the mother’s body is ready. It is a cascade of hormones which can not be scheduled. These hormones are secreted in such precise manner which in turn influence a feedback cycle between the mother and the baby, which when left undisturbed, can peacefully lead to the natural birth of the baby.

For a healthy pregnancy, 2 weeks on either side of the expected due date is normal for giving birth naturally. Mothers should trust Allah’s (SWT) plan in choosing their baby’s birth date. While the mother is the one giving birth, we must not forget Allah is the one giving life.