Definition of "Post dates"
Last modified: over 3 years
Full term is 39-40 weeks. Late term is 41-42 weeks. Post term is >42 weeks.
?
Not exactly. Because mom can keep eating and there's essentially an unlimited supply
. However, like all technology, things get a bit rusty . Same thing with the placenta. It starts to age and will eventually fail. What's worse is, the baby needs to poop! If it does, it might accidentally eat it's own poop...
. It's now post dates!! What can we do about it?
Induce. We do certain maneuvers and use certain drugs which can help the baby pop out.
There are risks to bub, and to mom. The placenta may become calcified, so blood flow may decrease. There's going to be less amniotic fluid, because of the decreased placental function. The baby is going to poop, so this can cause it to eat it, called "meconium aspiration". And the baby may have malnutrition, because the placenta is how the baby get's its nutrient.
Post dates (aka postterm pregnancy, postmature birth, prolonged pregnancy) is where a baby hasn't been born >42 weeks gestation, 2 weeks beyond the normal 39-40 weeks gestation.
Patient information
Full term. Late term. Post term. There's a lot of terms here, what's what?Full term is 39-40 weeks. Late term is 41-42 weeks. Post term is >42 weeks.
Complications
Can carry risks for both the mother and the infant:
- Fetal malnutrition, as after the 42nd week gestation, the placenta (which supplies the baby with nutrients and oxygen from the mother) starts aging and will eventually fail
- If the fetus passes meconium (its fecal matter), which is not typical until after birth, and the child breathes it in, the baby could become sick with meconium aspiration syndrome
Patient information
What can happen to the baby if it keeps staying in mommy's tummy? Does the food supply run out?Not exactly. Because mom can keep eating and there's essentially an unlimited supply
. However, like all technology, things get a bit rusty . Same thing with the placenta. It starts to age and will eventually fail. What's worse is, the baby needs to poop! If it does, it might accidentally eat it's own poop...
Ewewewewewe alert 
!!!
Indeed. That's why we want to deliver !
Tx
- May be a reason to induce labor
Patient information
My baby is taking foreeeever to deliver. It's now post dates!! What can we do about it?Induce. We do certain maneuvers and use certain drugs which can help the baby pop out
.Complications
- Fetal and neonatal risks, including:
- Reduced placental perfusion, as the placenta starts to deteriorate. Towards the end of the pregnancy, calcium is deposited on the walls of the blood vessels, and proteins are deposited on the surface of the placenta, which changes the placenta. This limits the blood flow through the placenta and ultimately leads to placental insufficiency, and the baby is no longe properly nourished
- Oligohydramnios
- Meconium aspiration
- Fetal malnutrition
- Maternal risks, including:
- LGA
- Forceps assisted, vacuum assisted or C section birth, as post-term babies may be larger than average
- Shoulder dystocia, due to difficulty in delivering the shoulder of large babies
- Prolonged labor, as the baby's head is too big to pass thorugh the mother's pelvis, called cephalopelvic disproportion
- Psychological stress
- Labor induction
Patient information
If the baby is taking longer than normal to come out, what bad things can happen?There are risks to bub, and to mom. The placenta may become calcified, so blood flow may decrease. There's going to be less amniotic fluid, because of the decreased placental function. The baby is going to poop, so this can cause it to eat it, called "meconium aspiration". And the baby may have malnutrition, because the placenta is how the baby get's its nutrient.
How about mom? What problems for her?
Big baby. That makes it more likely to require assistance with delivery, like forceps, vacuum or C section. The shoulder can get stuck, called shouder dystocia. Labor can take longer than usual. It could be stressful. It also makes it more likely that we'll try to speed things up, using "induction".
See also
Synonyms:
Over date
Over dates
Past date
Past dates
Post date
Post dates pregnancy
Post maturity
Post term
Post term baby
Post term birth
Post term bub
Post term infant
Post term pregnancy
Postdate
Postdates
Postmature
Postmature birth
Postmaturity
Postterm
Postterm baby
Postterm bub
Postterm infant
Postterm pregnancy
Prolonged pregnancy
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