Due Date Pressure: What You Need to Know

We’ve gotten so used to things being due in our lives - MOTs, mortgage payments, tax returns, that we’ve somehow normalised the same language for the most natural, organic event there is: the moment your baby arrives earthside. But here’s the truth: your baby’s arrival is not a task to tick off - it’s a natural, intuitive, and deeply personal process.

And yet, the concept of a “due date” has been so deeply ingrained in maternity care that it's begun to feel more like a deadline than a natural happening. Sound familiar?

Let’s call it what it is: unnecessary pressure.

Why We Need to Rethink Due Dates?

By 36 weeks, many expectant parents begin to feel the shift, from anticipation to anxiety. Conversations around “due dates” quickly turn to concerns, risks, and induction talks, often with little context and lots of fear-based messaging.

Here’s a dose of evidence based information:

Less than 5% of first-time babies are actually born at 40 weeks.

So why are we still treating this arbitrary date as a hard finish line?

What the Evidence Actually Says About Late Births:

Before you get swept up in fear or pressured into an early induction, here’s what the data really shows:

• At 41 weeks, the risk of stillbirth is 0.06% → your baby has a 99.94% chance of being perfectly healthy.

• At 42 weeks, that risk rises slightly to 0.1% → your baby still has a 99.9% chance of being totally fine.

Yes, the risk increases over time, but these are marginal shifts, and they need to be weighed against the risks of unnecessary medical intervention, especially when your body and baby might just need a little more time.

You Deserve Evidence-Based Support, Not Policy-Driven Pressure

As a doula, I offer support grounded in facts, not fear, not pressure, and definitely not outdated policy.

Together, we’ll explore your options, talk through the pros and cons, and ensure that every decision you make feels empowering, informed, and aligned with your body and your baby’s rhythm.

You deserve to birth without a ticking clock in your ear.

Have you ever felt pressured into an induction just because you reached 40 weeks? I’d love to hear your story , because the more we talk about it, the more we can challenge the narrative.