Moms probably read 37 articles just like this one, hoping that as their due date inches closer, they'll be one of the lucky few who don’t have an overdue baby. But the reality is, the chances are pretty high that mom will go past that due date she's been working towards.

And there are some good reasons why. One of them is the fact that 37-42 weeks is considered a normal range for a full term baby, so even though you feel baby has gone way too far past due, the truth is, going an extra 2 weeks past the date your doctor gave you is still perfectly normal and healthy. In France, they automatically give you a due date of 41 weeks instead of 40 since it seems most women carry longer than the average 9 months.

If you’re still a bit early on in the pregnancy journey but are wondering whether or not you’ll have an overdue (or over 40 weeks) baby, there are some signs that may help you make an educated guess. Some are the same signs your doctor will look for later on if you’re really getting stressed about how long that bun is going to be cooking in the oven, and some are old wives’ tales that women swear by.

My advice, though? Enjoy the time without a crying baby waking you up every 2 hours, and count your blessings that modern medicine will induce you before you’re one of the women through history who carried their kiddos for 11 months. Yep, that’s a real thing.

So, here are some ways to tell if that babe will be on the later side, and some mistakes moms make at the end of pregnancy that may keep labor at bay for even longer.

20 The Bag Looks "Young"

It may sound pretty strange, but your placenta has a shelf life. Women who have a placenta that looks “old” or prematurely aged early on in their pregnancies are at a higher risk of preterm labor. A prematurely aged placenta doesn’t have enough nutrient density to sustain a growing baby, triggering the body to go into labor.Even if they don’t deliver early, their doctor will mostly likely intervene and deliver the bub as soon as they hit the 37 week mark to ensure that the little guy or gal has all the nutrients they need. 

Factors that cause a placenta to age faster than usual include smoking and drinking during pregnancy, but can also be caused by environmental factors like pollution.

If your placenta is looking young and fresh throughout your pregnancy, then you have a higher chance of carrying to term.. and beyond.

19 Your Downstairs Hasn't Been Examined

An examination in itself doesn’t mean anything, but if your doctor or midwife are checking things like your cervix, and your body is just about ready anyway, it can send you into labor. My midwife wouldn’t give me V exams after I hit the 3rd trimester for this very reason.

Some doctors will continue exams right up until the end because the idea is that if you are already that close to labor, pushing you over the edge won’t be a problem, since your body is prepared anyway.

But if you have a doctor or midwife who doesn’t want to risk it and would rather your body go into labor on its own, you may have to sit tight a little longer with that baby in the belly. And just to be clear, don’t go making up reasons to have an exam with the hopes it’ll send you into labor. If your body isn’t ready, that’s not going to do anything but make you seriously uncomfortable on a seriously cold table.

18 No Contractions, Not Even Irregular Ones

This one is up for debate, but for some women, not having contractions (not even Braxton-Hicks) in the weeks leading up to the due date can mean baby won’t be coming out anytime soon. The reason behind this is that irregular contractions and non painful Braxton-Hicks contractions help your little one move further and further down the birth canal. This of course also means that other early labor signs start to happen like softening of the cervix, losing the mucous plug (gross but yay!) and dilation. But no contractions at all can mean that, although the baby is in the right position, he is kind of “floating” above the pelvis, not truly engaged into the pelvis or ready to come out.

But don’t take this one too seriously. Many women also report that they didn’t have a single noticeable contraction before labor started, so really, anything could happen.

17 No Early Dilation

This is another one that’s kind of up for debate, but for some women, early dilation can also mean early labor. Which makes sense because as your cervix dilates and softens, your baby engages further down into the birth canal, eventually causing the membranes to rupture (cue “my water just broke!” scene) and labor to begin or progress.

So the reasoning goes that if you are not dilated towards the end of your pregnancy, you’re probably not going into labor in the next few days. But the reason this is up for debate is because some women go into labor with no previous signs of dilation (including me!) so although this is a good indicator for some, it means nothing for others. Sorry to burst that bubble.

16 You're Unsure About Your Last Cycle

It’s kind of a no-brainer - if you don’t know when you got pregnant, you aren’t going to know when you’ll give birth. Every due date is an estimate based on a window in which you probably got pregnant, since couples don’t usually know the EXACT time that they conceived.

Normally a doctor will give you a due date based on the first day of your last menstrual cycle. They will count 40 weeks, or 280 days, from the first day of your last period. But the problem here is that some women aren’t 100% sure what the date was, or they have irregular periods, or they don’t have periods that are spaced 4 weeks apart. This can really screw up the calculations, so getting a due date exactly right is really just getting lucky (no pun intended).

In the end, your baby may not be overdue at all, but right on time with your actual date of conception!

15 The Baby Is Large And In Charge

One of the ways that doctors try to estimate due dates with better accuracy is by performing an ultrasound in the first trimester. Fetuses at this stage are all relatively the same size, so there’s a higher chance of knowing the age of the fetus just by measuring it against other ones at the same stage in pregnancy.

The problem here occurs when your little one has been measuring large all along. Your doctor may take a measurement and change your due date to earlier than what was estimated by your last menstrual cycle because it seems like you’re actually further along than you truly are. This will mean that as you approach and pass that expected due date, you feel frustrated and overdue, when in reality, you just had a fast grower on your hands who’s right on target for being born when he’s supposed to be!

14 You've Packed On A Lot

This one is super frustrating for all the moms out there who were excited to finally be able to eat whatever they want. Unfortunately, choosing tubs of ice cream over kale for dinner does have a negative effect on baby’s grand entrance into the world. Studies show that women who started off on the heavy side or who really put on the pounds during pregnancy end up carrying their kiddos right up to that 42 week induction date. If you’re trying to avoid being induced, try setting down the baker’s dozen you just grabbed from the local bagel shop and go for some greens and fruit instead. Not worried about carrying past the due date? Then eat on, sister, eat on.

And just to clarify, pregnant women do need to eat more than non pregnant women, but choosing healthy alternatives (with a few splurges in between!) will help both you and baby in the long run.

13 Your Mom, Sisters Or Aunties Had Overdue Babies

You can blame the endless wait for baby on your genes, if that helps. If your mom carried you or your siblings for longer than 40 weeks, chances are you’ll do the same. Or if mom isn’t a good indicator because of health problems or other reasons, you can always look to other close female relatives to give yourself a better gauge.

If you know that overdue babies run in your family, you can try to shorten the wait time by starting squats, long walks and even pineapple smoothies once you hit the 37 week mark. But remember, your little one is safe and sound growing in your belly and there’s really no reason to evict him from that warm and cozy home until it’s absolutely necessary.

12  You Sit A Lot

This is especially troublesome for those of us who work at a desk, but researchers at Warwick Medical School found that women who sit for 6 hours or more every day have an increase in overall poundage, meaning that they are heavier at the end of their pregnancies than their more active counterparts. As we have pointed out in this list, those who gain a lot during pregnancy are more likely to carry past their due date, so sitting a lot has a negative knock-on effect.

You can combat the sitting problem by standing often at your desk, going for mini walks around your work area, and grabbing a cup of water ever 20 minutes (you need the hydration anyway!). Parking further away from work to get in a little walk before and after your shift is a great idea too!

11 There's No Full Moon Near Your Due Date

Yes, this one is an old wives’ tale, BUT there have been some instances that have made it come back to light as a real reason that some women do or don’t have their babies on time. In 2011, a hospital in Sacramento, CA delivered 45 newborns within a 48 hour window. The hospital blamed it on the full moon that occurred that weekend.

The idea behind this one is that since the moon’s gravitational pull changes the ocean tides, it would also have an effect on a full term pregnant women, especially considering that the human body is made up of 80% water.

But research doesn’t agree with this one. Multiple studies have been done, spanning decades, and no one has been able to find a correlation between the full moon and labor starting. If you’re getting desperate, however, I wouldn’t blame you for standing belly towards the moon in hopes something might happen.

10 Depression

It can be hard to keep those mood swings in balance during pregnancy, especially when hunger hits, but it can be impossible to control depression without some help. If you are feeling depressed during your pregnancy, it is always best to talk to your doctor about your options, because, let’s face it, no one wants to feel this way, especially while growing another human being.

Depression during pregnancy has the same link as sitting too long, causing obesity which is linked to longer gestation time.

Doctors suggest intervening early on for the best results. They want to treat the mental health and physical health of the pregnant mom so that she is less likely to be sedentary which increases risks for obesity and gestational diabetes.

What does this mean for you? See your doctor if you feel your mental health is suffering and put on a pair of comfy shoes for a daily walk to keep your mind and body happy.

9 Your Previous Kiddos Were Overdue

Annoyingly enough, one overdue baby often means another. I’ve heard it said so many times from friends that having the second baby will be so much easier and quicker because your body is stretched out enough to know exactly what to do when D Day comes. That may be true for the actual labor, but it doesn’t mean that the start of labor will come any more quickly than the first time. In fact, studies show that moms who had an overdue baby the first time carry slightly longer with the second and even longer with the third!

There are a lot of suggestions out there for trying to induce labor naturally, but my suggestion? Enjoy the time you have instead of trying to rush something that will happen in it’s right time. The good news is that it’s really only a few extra days to wait and it will all be well worth it.

8 You're Caucasian

Nothing you can do about this one, but if you’re Caucasian, you have a higher chance of going overdue. Researchers found that African American women generally have babies 3-5 days sooner than Caucasian women. Why? A study in the UK of over 122,000 pregnant women showed that the fetus of an African American woman matures faster than standard rates so the baby is actually at “full term” sooner than a Caucasian baby.

While this is an interesting tidbit of information (and you should definitely look up the study and read all the factors involved just for fun), it doesn’t help you get that little cutie pie out any sooner because there’s nothing you can do to change your genes. So don’t stress, get the baby room ready and enjoy that decaf coffee in peace and quiet while you can.

7 You're Under 30

Another frustrating fact that you can do nothing about is the data that suggests women under 30 tend to carry their babies longer. This may be due to the fact that it’s probably their first baby, which means the body isn’t as loosened up and ready to give birth. It can also be attributed to the fact that women under 30 don’t necessary track their periods as regularly as those over 30 who are more likely to be actively trying to conceive, which can lead to miscalculated due dates.

Either way, if you’re under 30, prepare yourself that you may be carrying your little one a bit longer than you were hoping. On the bright side, you can enjoy your maternity leave without anyone needing anything from you, so go ahead and binge watch those tv shows.

6 You're Having A Boy... And He Has A Big Head

I was really hoping to have a boy when I first got pregnant, but upon hearing we were having a girl, I knew she was going to be perfect for us. I was even more happy to have a girl when I found out that boys tend to be on the larger side PLUS have big heads. You want to steer clear of anything that even sounds like “big head” when talking to a pregnant mom, because she’s the one delivering that guy.

Obviously a big head means that moving through the birth canal isn’t going to be a walk in the park (which you may want to go take after reading this, just to see if you can get things moving along!). The process may be slower and take longer, but it will be well worth all the waiting once you hold that precious bundle in your arms for the first time.

And here are 5 mistakes many moms-to-be make at the end of their pregnancies that may keep labor at bay a little bit longer.

5 Mistake: Stressing Too Much

Stress is not good for you or your baby. There is a normal amount of stress that you’ll go through just trying to finalize things at work before maternity leave, get the baby room ready in time, attend all your prenatal classes with your partner. But when you start stressing about the little things like due date and fat ankles, you’re just adding problems to your life that don’t have solutions. Take this time as a lesson in enjoying the little things in life like a quiet and boring house. Or a super clean kitchen. Or shirts without any puke on them. You’ll really miss all those things in a few short weeks, trust me.

But if you feel like you can’t get the stress under control, try meditation or a short walk to clear your mind and bring calm back into your life.

4 Mistake: Sitting Too Much

We now know that sitting too long throughout your pregnancy can have negative effects on gestation time, but even sitting too much at the end of your pregnancy can be a problem. Movement allows gravity to keep pushing your little one further down into your pelvis, which at the end of those 40 weeks is a very good thing that will eventually lead to the start of labor. Short walks, light cleaning, laundry or gentle exercise are all good ways to keep from sitting around too much during the wait.

But that doesn’t mean you should exhaust yourself! Labor is no joke and you’ll need to be plenty rested for it, so don’t try to do too much in an effort to get baby out. Overexertion will only leave you sore and not ready for the birthing process, so take things slowly.

3 Mistake: Stopping The Exercise

Working out throughout your pregnancy will keep you and your little bub as healthy as possible, but many women mistakenly believe that they shouldn’t exercise once they hit the 3rd trimester. It’s the 3rd trimester, however, that offers the most benefits through exercise by helping to alleviate aches and pains, keeping blood pressure and blood sugar under control, and getting your hips and pelvis opened and relaxed for delivery.

While you shouldn’t do exercise that is high impact because your joints are loosened by the hormone Relaxin (your body releases this in the weeks before labor to get “down there” loose enough to accommodate a baby), there are many low impact exercises and activities that will help ease the wait during those last few weeks or days or pregnancy.

2 Mistake: Eating Unhealthily

Since we already know that gaining too much during pregnancy could lead to an overdue baby, it follows that eating unhealthily is a big mistake to make throughout those 9 months. But it’s also true in the last few weeks. Some moms believe that it doesn’t matter what they eat right at the end of pregnancy because the baby is already developed and won’t be harmed, but putting unnecessary stress on you or your baby’s body is, well, unnecessary.

Eating unhealthy food options in excess can lead to a more sedentary last few weeks (have you ever eaten a double bacon cheeseburger and immediately decided to go for a run? Nope.), which can lead to longer gestation time. Your best bet is to eat well right up until that baby is born!

1 Mistake: Trying Dangerous Home Remedies

I know that those last few days of pregnancy can feel like torture, especially if you’re hoping to avoid being induced, but trying unsafe home remedies to induce labor will only make you more uncomfortable and often times don’t produce any results. Things like drinking castor oil or eating overly spicy foods will cause your body to react by ridding itself of the problem (say hello to the toilet for the next 24 hours!), but that will only leave you exhausted and unwell right before you’re going to welcome your newest little addition. Totally not worth it and totally not helpful.

If you’re feeling that desperate, you can try non harmful options like sex, walking or pineapple juice, but like I’ve said before, you’re little one knows when he or she is meant to be born and evicting your precious little one before their time isn’t really necessary.

Try to enjoy it and get ready for the biggest adventure of your life!

Sources: mirror.co.uk, The Guardian, parents.com, DailyMail, Mayo Clinic, Science Daily