Breathe.

Just breathe.

If you’ve gone past your due date, it can feel like the world suddenly gets louder. Text messages asking “any baby yet?” Provider conversations feel more urgent. Timelines start to tighten. It’s easy to internalize the idea that your body is behind or not doing what it’s “supposed” to do.

Here’s what I want you to hear clearly: your body is not broken, late, or failing. Pregnancy is not a project with deadlines to hit. Labor begins when the internal conditions are right, not when the calendar flips.

As a Chicago Muslim birth doula, I support many families navigating overdue pregnancy while trusting the body and the process. Let’s talk about what it really means to go past your due date and what you can do next.

Is It Normal to Go Past Your Due Date?

Yes. Absolutely.

A due date is an estimate, not a prediction. It’s based on averages and calculations. Full-term pregnancy actually ranges from 37 to 42 weeks, and many healthy pregnancies naturally extend beyond 40 weeks. In fact, first-time mothers often give birth closer to 41 weeks. Genetics, baby’s position, hormonal readiness, and even stress levels all influence when labor begins. Going past your due date does not automatically mean something is wrong.

Why Labor May Not Have Started Yet

Labor doesn’t start because of willpower, walking miles, or doing “all the things.” It begins when multiple systems align.

Here are some common reasons labor hasn’t started yet:

Hormonal Readiness

Oxytocin (the hormone of labor) works best when the body feels safe and supported. Stress, fear, and pressure increase adrenaline—which can delay labor.

Baby’s Position

If your baby isn’t well-aligned in the pelvis, your body may wait. This is common and often correctable with gentle movement and rest.

Nervous System State

Constant monitoring, comparison, and urgency send signals of danger to the nervous system. The uterus responds best to calm not pressure.

Energy & Rest

An exhausted body may pause labor until it has enough reserves to continue efficiently.

Spiritual & Emotional Factors

For many Muslim families, there is also a layer of trust and surrender. Pregnancy responds not only to physical conditions, but to internal states of patience, grounding, and reliance on Allah. Science is now coming to an understanding that labor begins when the baby releases hormones indicating their lungs are ready for labor. In Islam we believe this is the time Allah has instructed the baby to begin it’s journey into the world. Having Tawakkul (trust) is a big part of surrendering to this process.

What You Can Do If You’re Overdue

Instead of trying to “force” labor, focus on creating the conditions labor responds to.

1. Prioritize Deep Rest

Sleep when you can. Dim the lights in the evening. Step away from constant updates and timelines. A rested uterus works better than a stressed one.

2. Support Baby’s Position

Gentle, forward-leaning positions, intentional walking, and avoiding long periods of reclining can help baby settle more optimally into the pelvis.

3. Eat and Hydrate Well

Overdue pregnancy still requires fuel. Focus on protein, nourishing meals, and electrolytes.

4. Reduce Stress Signals

Limit conversations that create anxiety. Say no to unnecessary cervical checks. Protect your mental and emotional space.

5. Gentle Spiritual Grounding

Du’a, dhikr, Qur’an recitation, or quiet reflection can help shift the nervous system into a state of trust. Labor often begins when the body no longer feels rushed.

What Not to Do

• Don’t assume your body is failing

• Don’t compare your timeline to others

• Don’t chase labor with endless stimulation

• Don’t let fear drive decisions without understanding your options

When to Seek Extra Support

There are times when additional monitoring or discussion with your provider is appropriate, especially as you approach 42 weeks. This doesn’t mean something is wrong; it means you deserve clear information.

This is also where doula support becomes especially valuable.

As a Chicago Muslim birth doula, I help families:

• Understand induction conversations without fear

• Ask informed questions

• Balance medical guidance with intuition and faith

• Stay emotionally grounded during prolonged pregnancy

A Final Reminder

You are not late.
You are not behind.
You are not failing.

Your body moves when the internal conditions are right not when the calendar demands it.

If you’ve gone past your due date and are looking for calm, informed, faith-centered support in Chicago or the surrounding suburbs, I’m here to walk this stretch with you.

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do while waiting for birth… is trust.

About Salam Birth Services

Hey there, I'm Lana, the human behind Salam Birth Services! I'm a Chicago-based birth photographer, doula and childbirth educator covering mainly the Western, Northwestern and Southwestern suburbs, but feel free to reach out if you live outside those borders to enquire about my availability.

You can find me on Instagram , or you can get in touch here by sending a message!

I’ve had 3 of my own babies (all blessings and thanks to Allah SWT.) The type of woman I am today, is totally different to who I was ten years ago. The knowledge I’ve acquired about pregnancy, birth and postpartum are nowhere near where they were when I first found out I was pregnant. I thought about writing this blog post so much, because over the course of the years, as I dissected and analyzed my birth outcomes, I always came up with a “I should have done X differently” and while some people may not think that this is helpful, I find that this is what makes me super useful to my clients as their doula and childbirth educator. I have come up with a running list of things that I KNOW will give better outcomes to people. 

I don’t want to influence you to do things in your birth that don’t feel right for you. At the end of the day, this is my opinion, and mine alone. You are welcome to take on and look into whatever you resonate with. Some of the things I will talk about might be things that you’ve never heard of before and some may be super common sense. My job is to put it out there so moms can look into things and feel if these things would work for them. Obviously none of this is to be misconstrued as medical advice. Please speak to your birth providers to ensure you are making the best decisions for YOU.

• First, and foremost, I would, personally, choose to birth with a midwife. I don’t think I am 100% sure on whether or not I would go the birth center route, or work with an independent midwife to have a home birth, but I definitely do know that I would birth my baby outside of the hospital system. Only because right now after the experience of birthing 3 of my own children, my beliefs around birth have changed. I can tell you that birthing within the hospital system, FOR ME, at this time, would not be my number one choice, unless it is under very specific circumstances.
  

• I would keep the amount of scans I get to an absolute minimum. I am not opposed to scans, I fully recognize the risks in ultrasound, but I would still get a few done throughout my pregnancy for my peace of mind. I would probably get a scan done somewhere early in the beginning at around 16 weeks, and then again midway through my pregnancy for a growth scan to make sure everything with the baby is okay, and then maybe once more towards the end to make sure the placenta is not anywhere it’s not supposed to be. That’s about all I would get. Knowing myself, I would want that reassurance.

With how I feel today about birth and about how my previous pregnancies/deliveries went, and with all the knowledge I have acquired, I'm 100% sure that all my energy would go into really looking after my mental, physical and emotional well-being leading up to the birth of my baby.

• I would work on learning how to relax because I know now that stress affects not just the course of the pregnancy, but also the outcome of the delivery as well. I would learn how to self regulate so that stress does not derail my pregnancy.I would work on my vagal tone, on my fight or flight responses to make sure that I am not in a constant state of stress or that I am not easily triggered. Labor thrives on oxytocin, and so, when we’re constantly stressed, the release of oxytocin is inhibited, adrenaline rises and that can directly affect the outcome of the labor. I would work on tuning into my intuition and my submission to Allah SWT. 
  

• I would keep tabs on my overall health; it’s a no brainer, but good food and movement are essential. It’s so easy to give into the tiredness that comes along with pregnancy and just want to lay on the couch all the time, and honestly, especially in the beginning, that is totally warranted! But definitely as the initial fatigue and nausea starts to go away, I would incorporate more movement into my pregnancy. I am usually pretty good about my food, I would probably just take it up a notch a tiny bit and keep processed food to an absolute minimum. There’s a great book by Lily Nichols called “Real Food for Pregnancy”,  that would be a great place to start looking at in terms of guidelines on what to eat and what to avoid.
  

• I would incorporate somatic movement into my routine, and I would also work on lymphatic drainage. I would work on my posture, get regular chiropractic sessions and definitely pay a visit to a pelvic floor PT. All of these things will help the baby get into the most optimal position for birth. Habit stacking is essential because, towards the end, when the fatigue and heaviness start to set back in, it is so easy to just get lazy and stop doing any of these things, so if you start early, and do things often, by the end it will just be an essential part of your day that you can’t live without. It’s okay if you miss a day here or there, but just make sure it doesn’t become a habit to drop these self care things.
  

• I would properly plan for my postpartum. I got better at doing this with each pregnancy, but with my last pregnancy, I thought I was doing a good job then got slammed with a home move and several other big life changes that realllyyyy took a toll on my physical and emotional health. I think had I been a bit more prepared, and built a support network around me, it would have been much easier to navigate postpartum. I would work on asking for help, and more importantly, accepting help. I’m so bad at this. But pregnancy and postpartum are not a time to wear your superhero cap and think you can do it all yourself. I would slow down and take all the help I can get.
  

• I would find a pregnancy circle with women I can relate to and bond with. This is something I didn’t do with any of my pregnancies. For one, it’s great to be going through the experience of pregnancy with other women, and sharing your struggles and accomplishments, but also, once your baby is born, how awesome will it be if you can already have a handful of families that you KNOW have babies your kid’s age, that would be up for planning play dates and doing fun things? That’s priceless!
  

• I would 100% take a better childbirth education class. During my first pregnancy, I thought I was taking a good one, and it turns out it wasn’t a great fit. I would seek an independent training that is not tied to a hospital or institution. I would have definitely benefited from a class that went over basic things like labor, interventions, how to navigate and prepare for labor, amongst other things.

Hindsight is 20/20 like they say, and I think the most important thing is to work on all the emotional baggage. I would work on my fears, release them. I would allow myself to dig deep to figure out what is truly getting in my way of having the birth of my dreams, connect more with Allah SWT and spend more time in reflection, gratitude and prayer.

How about you? If there is one thing you could have done differently during your pregnancy, what would it be?

About Salam Birth Services

Hey there, I'm Lana, the human behind Salam Birth Services! I'm a Chicago-based birth photographer, doula and childbirth educator covering mainly the Western, Northwestern and Southwestern suburbs, but feel free to reach out if you live outside those borders to enquire about my availability.

You can find me on Instagram , or you can get in touch here by sending a message!