Why Hasn't My Labour Started Yet?

Due date passed? Here's why your baby might not be ready just yet.

Nobody really prepares you for the waiting at the end of pregnancy.

You get to 37 weeks, and suddenly it feels as though your baby could arrive at any moment.

Exciting? Absolutely.

Slightly terrifying? Also, yes.

Either way, it feels like the countdown has properly begun.

Then your due date comes and goes, and the excitement can quickly turn into frustration. Baby was supposed to be here by now, right? How very dare they ignore the calendar.

You are uncomfortable, fed up, can’t sleep and are seriously considering harming the next person who asks, “Have you had the baby yet?!”

It’s often at this stage that people start trying anything and everything to encourage labour along – I get it, I did it myself, twice!

The picture at the top of this blog was me at 37 weeks pregnant with my first baby. I felt huge, was extremely uncomfortable, and we were in the middle of a heatwave with no A/C. By that point, I was more than ready to meet my baby!

So, you try everything: you eat all the pineapples you can get your hands on, bounce on your birthing ball, walk up and down curbs, order the hottest curry on the menu, you even have sex in an attempt to GET. IT. OUT!!!

Why Hasn't Labour Started Yet?

If you are asking yourself, “Why hasn’t my labour started yet?”, the truth is that reaching your due date doesn't automatically mean labour will begin straight away. Every pregnancy is different, and many healthy babies arrive after their estimated due date.

So why, oh why, hasn’t the baby arrived?

Honestly? They may simply not be ready yet.

In my opinion, the phrase ‘due date’ could do with a rebrand. It is really an estimated date, a rough guide for when your baby might arrive, not a deadline they have agreed to meet. In fact, only a small percentage of babies are born on their estimated due date; some arrive before it, and plenty arrive after it.

What Actually Starts Labour?

Did you know that labour is a team effort between your baby, the  placenta and your body? All three need to work together to prepare for birth.

As your baby grows and matures, they start sending signals that they are getting ready for life outside the womb. These signals help trigger changes in your body, including the release of hormones that soften the cervix and prepare the uterus for labour.

Labour doesn't start because of just one thing. It's the result of your baby, your placenta and your body all working together at the right time. In simple terms, labour begins when everything is ready and those final pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

Can You Make Labour Start Naturally?

This is often the next question people ask.

The honest answer is that there is very little evidence that eating specific foods or trying old wives' tales will reliably start labour.

It's an incredible process, but not one that can be rushed. If labour hasn't started yet, it may simply mean that your baby and your body need a little more time to finish preparing.

What Can You Do While You Wait?

While you can't control when labour starts, you can focus on preparing yourself mentally and emotionally for birth.

Try to rest.

Stay comfortable.

Watch your favourite programmes.

Go for a gentle walk if it feels good.

Spend time with the people you love.

And trust your body where you can.

Your baby is unlikely to have forgotten the way out. They're just working to their own timetable.

And remember: YOU'VE GOT THIS.