What causes a baby to be overdue?

Sometimes it is because of a genetic predisposition (hereditary). Women who have already had a baby that came much later than their due date are more likely to have an overdue baby in future pregnancies. Being born after the 40th week only rarely harms the child.

Some common reasons include:

* This is your first baby.
* You have a history of giving birth to post term babies.
* Your family has a history of giving birth to post term babies.
* You have obesity.
* Your baby is a boy.
* Your due date was incorrectly calculated.