At what point does being postdate become a risk to the developing baby?
If the pregnancy continues for too long, there is reason to be worried. Postdate babies are at increased risk of becoming too large for safe delivery or of experiencing fetal post maturity syndrome which is essentially a situation where the placenta fails to function properly as it used to. As the weeks increase, the risk rises. In some situations the due date is out of whack, causing babies to be classified as postdate wrongly. Most doctors are reluctant to let a pregnancy drag on and usually would recommend induction after week 41 (increase the chances of healthy babies and decrease the chances of C-section). If you decide against this, your doctor would want to monitor baby closely by performing some tests. • A nonstress test (NST): the baby’s heart rate is monitored via external monitoring equipment for up to 40 minutes • An amniotic fluid index (AFI): ultrasound is used to assess the quantity of amniotic fluid • A biophysical profile: an NST and a detailed ultrasound that assesses
