You are also more likely to have a post-term pregnancy if you: Are pregnant with your first baby. Etiology . Postmaturity is more likely to happen when a mother has had a post-term pregnancy before. Factors associated with postmaturity include … Ending the pregnancy can help parents to move forward and begin the grieving process. Causes. After one post-term pregnancy, the risk of a second post-term birth increases by 2 to 3 times. Healthcare providers do not know why some women carry a pregnancy longer than others. A post-term pregnancy is one that extends beyond 42 weeks’ gestation. After first postterm birth the incidence of a subsequent postterm birth increases from 10 to 27 percent and after two prior, successive post term deliveries the incidence further increases to 39 percent. Obese mother. White mother After childbirth, a dramatic drop in hormones (estrogen and progesterone) in your body may contribute to postpartum depression. Many parents decide to terminate the pregnancy after receiving a diagnosis of anencephaly, knowing that there is zero chance that the baby will live. Mother or father with personal history of postmaturity. The cause of prolonged pregnancy is unknown. Male baby. The vast majority of women deliver between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy. A pregnancy that lasts more than 42 weeks (294 days since the first day of the last menstrual period) is considered post-term. Post-term pregnancy is defined as a pregnancy that has extended to or beyond 42 weeks of gestation (294 days, or estimated date of delivery [EDD] plus 14 days). Older mother. The post-term infant may be LGA, AGA, SGA, or dysmature, depending on placental function.   Postterm pregnancy is when a woman has not yet delivered her baby after 42 weeks of gestation, two weeks beyond the typical 40 week duration of pregnancy. Neural tubes are one of the reasons for which pregnancy may be terminated for medical reasons. There's no single cause of postpartum depression, but physical and emotional issues may play a role. Research shows that when pregnancy extends between 41 weeks and 41 weeks and 6 days (late-term pregnancy) as well as 42 weeks or beyond (postterm pregnancy), your baby might be at increased risk of health problems, including: It is often because of miscalculating the due date. Prior post term pregnancy: some mothers will have repeated postterm births may be suggesting some biologically determined factor behind it. Post-mature births carry risks for both the mother and the baby, including fetal malnutrition, meconium aspiration syndrome, and stillbirths. Other terms often used for this include prolonged pregnancy, post-dates pregnancy … What causes post-term pregnancy? Physical changes. (This can also be called a prolonged or overdue pregnancy.) 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