Dating Pregnancy Using Ultrasound
Ultrasound in the first trimester is the most accurate method of dating pregnancy. During the scan, baby is measured and the age of pregnancy is estimated by comparing babys size against recorded averages. If there is a significant difference between gestational age according to LMP and gestational age according to the ultrasound, you may be given a new gestational age and due date based on the ultrasound measurements.
Your pregnancy may also be dated by ultrasound measurement if an LMP formula was not appropriate for your pregnancy for any reason. LMP formulas are not suitable in several situations including the following: LMP is not known or is not certain, birth control pills were taken in the two months before LMP, the menstrual cycle is irregular, you are carrying multiples .
Although the age of pregnancy based on ultrasound measurements is more accurate than the age of pregnancy based on LMP, both are estimates and not definitive statements.
How Is Pregnancy Due Date Calculated
Your pregnancy due date is calculated by adding 40 weeks to the first day of your last menstrual period . This is done with an assumption that you have a 28-day menstrual cycle. The time between your menstrual period and ovulation is calculated as the first two weeks of pregnancy, as ovulation takes place two weeks after the first day of LMP. If you deliver the baby on the estimated due date, she is 38 weeks old after conception and not 40 .
If you miss your first period, you are likely to be four weeks pregnant .
You May Like: What To Do If Your Pregnant At 14
How Many Months Is 1 To 3 Weeks Pregnant
Your healthcare provider will refer to your pregnancy in weeks, but you also might hear a reference to months. It gets a little tricky, given that nine months doesn’t divide evenly into weeks, but the first month of pregnancy typically includes the first four weeks. So, at 1, 2, or 3 weeks pregnant, youâre in your first month of pregnancy, even if you havenât noticed any belly bump or symptoms!
Also Check: What To Eat To Get Pregnant Faster
Are You Pregnant But Youre Not Sure Exactly When You Conceived
You have several options for determining your conception date:
- An ultrasound is the most accurate way to see how far along your pregnancy is. Ultrasounds provide a detailed look at your babys development and will give you a good estimate of how far along your pregnancy is.
- An online pregnancy calculator can give an estimate of when you conceived based on when your last period was. This method is not as accurate as a confirmation ultrasound.
We offer free ultrasounds at our pregnancy center. Our medical professionals are trained in limited obstetrical ultrasound and provide medical services under the direction and supervision of a licensed physician.
Could My Due Date Change
As you can see, calculating your due date is not an exact science, and its possible it will change as more information comes to light. For example, if your period is irregular, your originally calculated due date, based on the first day of your last period, might change after a dating ultrasound. Similarly, if your fundal measurement is above average, it may be determined that you are actually further along in your pregnancy than originally thought.
Due dates are important, as they help doctors and midwives make assessments on how your pregnancy progressing and when to consider induction if youre overdue. But remember, there are no guarantees for when youll go into labouryour guess for when your baby will be born is as good as any!
Also Check: What Other Signs Of Pregnancy Are There
Remembering How Many Weeks Pregnant You Are
As your pregnancy progresses, you might find it challenging to remember how many weeks pregnant you are . If ever you get confused, go back to the first day of your last period, and count from there.
Heres how the weeks translate into trimesters:
Second trimester: Weeks 13 to 27
Third trimester: Weeks 28 to 40
Due Date Calculator: Conception Date
With this calculation, 266 days of pregnancy are added to the date you conceived. But theres a little. You might know the exact date you had sex. But the exact conception date isnt always known. This is because it can be challenging to determine the exact date of ovulation. Sperm can live in the female body for up to 5 days, and the egg can live for 24 hours after its released from the ovary.
Therefore, the conception date can be several days after youve had unprotected intercourse.
Recommended Reading: How To Terminate Dog Pregnancy
Sex At Week 36 Of Pregnancy
It could be getting uncomfortable by now, but sex is still perfectly safe. In fact, you can keep on having sex right up until your due date. Try different positions to see what works for you! And if youre not in the mood for sex, there are other ways to spend quality romantic time with your partner.
When youre 36 weeks pregnant, its normal to feel like theres so much left to do! Here are some things you can try scheduling for this week:
Why Do I Calculate From The First Day Of My Last Period Not Conception
Before we understood the physiology of ovulationand that women dont ovulate until a couple of weeks after their period, so they really cant get pregnant until that timethe only thing that primitive physicians and midwives knew was that from the first day of the last period, it was about 280 days before a woman gave birth, says Scurfield. All of the research and medical literature have been based on that formula being used.
You May Like: What Stops Heartburn While Pregnant
What Is A Trimester
- Your first trimester lasts from the very beginning of your pregnancy until you’re 13 weeks plus six days pregnant. Along with the excitement of discovering that you’re expecting, you may feel exhausted and queasy.
- Your second trimester lasts from when you’re 14 weeks to when youre 27 weeks plus six days pregnant. During this trimester you’ll probably feel much better. You may start to bloom, your bump will show and early pregnancy symptoms will be behind you.
- Your third trimester lasts from when you’re 28 weeks pregnant until you have your baby. You’ll need extra energy to help your baby’s growth spurt, and tiredness will probably return.
Beginning Your Pregnancy Journey
Once youve calculated your due date, you can get a better idea of when to expect your little one and start to plan accordingly.
If you havent done so already, one of the first steps you should take is to schedule an appointment with your doctor, who can confirm that you’re pregnant with a blood test and physical exam, and also help you establish a more precise due date.
At each following prenatal care appointment, you’ll be examined to determine the size of your uterus, and to monitor your little one’s development. Pregnancy milestones such as hearing your babys first heartbeat and seeing your baby via ultrasound will be a thrilling part of these checkups. Along the way, depending on what is observed, your pregnancy due date may be adjusted.
While your doctor will be able to advise you best, there are still plenty of things you can do as soon as you discover youre pregnant. Explore the rest of our site to find out more.
You May Like: Can I Get Pregnant After Vasectomy
How Do I Know How Many Weeks Pregnant I Am
If you know the date of the first day of your last menstrual period or the date of conception, the easiest way to get an estimate of how far along you are is by using the Babymigo due date calculator. Keep in mind that your healthcare provider will be able to give you a more accurate answer at your first prenatal care appointment.
Factors Affecting Due Date
With so much focus and excitement over an assigned day, youd think itd be an accurate numberbut its not always the case. The simple truth is that only 5 out of 100 people will deliver their babies on their actual due date.
Still, determining which week of pregnancy youre in is crucial to receiving good prenatal care and planning for your upcoming life change.
The majority of babies are born over a 35-day span, with birth typically occurring anywhere from about 37.5 weeks to 42.5 weeks. Due dates are also not deadlines. You could have your baby a week later than your due date and still be considered on time.
There are many factors that can influence your due date. First, each pregnant person has their own predetermined schedule.Many people will tell you that their pregnancies were all about the same length. If you had two kids, each delivered around 41 weeks, your third kid is likely to arrive around 41 weeks.
People who are pregnant for the first time tend to go into labor later. Youre more likely to go a few days past your due date with your first baby.
And finally, some people are at risk of preterm labor. About one in 10 pregnancies end with premature delivery. Maternal risk factors for premature babies include having a previous preterm birth, vaginal bleeding during pregnancy, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, and even periodontal disease.
Don’t Miss: When Can You Not Get Pregnant
Pregnancy Week 37 Fetal Development
At this point, baby is too big to do much kicking and punching. Youre more likely to feel her stretching, rolling, twisting, and turning as it gets more crowded in there. Your uterine wall continues to stretch out, becoming thinner and letting more light through as baby starts to adjust to a more regular schedule.
Currently, baby is practicing breathing by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid. The brain and lungs arent quite finished growing and developing, although if baby is born this week, everything is likely to be just fine.
How Soon Can You Tell If Youre Pregnant 24 Really Early Signs
So you think you may be pregnant? But how early can you tell if you really are?
Honestly, its hard to pinpoint exactly how soon you can tell if youre pregnant because each one of us is unique.
Some women get a 6th sense about it straight away , while others dont know until months down the line.
Most of us will fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes and well start to get an inkling we may be pregnant within 2-4 weeks of conception.
Pregnancy symptoms are usually very mild in the first couple of weeks making them hard to detect without a blood or urine test. Usually, the first sign is a late period. But what other early signs and symptoms will give you a clue to whether youre pregnant or not?
And how early can you take a pregnancy test to find out for sure?
How reliable are urine pregnancy tests, what can you do to make sure you get an accurate result and what might cause a false positive?
What about super early symptoms, like before implantation? Is that even possible?
We answer all your questions below.
Read Also: Vagisil Cream While Pregnant
Also Check: Is Hair Loss Normal During Pregnancy
What If I Dont Know The Date Of My Last Period
Sometimes it is not possible to know when your last period was, and in these cases, the doctor can order a dating ultrasound. My measuring uterine height, the ultrasound technician or doctor can calculate how far along you are as well as your estimated due date. Oftentimes, an ultrasound and a blood test to check beta-HCG levels are ordered together to determine dating.
Read Also: Vagisil While Pregnant
When Exactly Does Pregnancy Begin
Most people think that pregnancy starts at conception. Politics aside, thats not entirely accurate. Recent research indicates that conception itself is not a rare event, but only a small portion of fertilized eggs are fit enough to implant. By that logic, the most accurate way of dating pregnancy would be beginning from implantation.
The standard method of dating pregnancies does not start from conception or from implantation. Rather, it starts from the first day of your last menstrual period. Thats rightyour doctor considers day one of your pregnancy as the first day of your period, when you could not have been pregnant!
Recommended Reading: How Can I Terminate Pregnancy
How Long Does It Take Hcg Levels To Be Detected By Home Pregnancy Tests
Pregnancy doesnât necessarily start the day that two people have sex. An egg can be fertilized by sperm up to six days after intercourse.5 And then, it can take between six and ten days for the egg to implant itself in the uterus.
The hormone that home pregnancy tests look for starts being released from when the fertilized egg implants itself, which is why you have to wait for them to be effective.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, HCG is made by cells formed in the placenta, which nourishes the egg after it is has implanted itself in the wall of the uterus.4
Levels of HCG can be detected by two kinds of tests:5
- Blood testâaccurate as early as 11 days after conception
- Urine testâaccurate as early as 12 to 14 days after conception
So, if you donât know when your period is supposed to start and you think you might be pregnant, you should test about two weeks after you had sex and possibly conceived.5
If itâs negative and your period still hasnât come and you still think you might be pregnant, test again in another week.
You May Like: Why Am I Not Getting Pregnant If Everything Is Normal
How Can I Ensure The Most Accurate Due Date Possible
Start tracking your periods before you get pregnant so that you can easily tell how far along you are. You can use a calendar or period tracker app, such as Period Calendar, Flo and Clue, all of which are free on iPhone and Android.
Then, if you get pregnantwhether its planned or a surpriseyoull know the start of your last period and can accurately assess how far along you are. At that point, you can sign up for Todays Parents free week-by-week pregnancy newsletter to learn about your babys development, how youll be feeling and what to expect.
Free pregnancy apps like The Bump, What to Expect and Pregnancy Tracker include pregnancy calendar calculatorsto estimate your due date, as well as functions to help track the size of your baby, anticipate pregnancy symptoms and plan for doctors appointments and other key dates .
Read more:
Read Also: How To Get Pregnant After An Iud Removal
Determining If Labor Is Premature
Babies who are born too early are at risk for numerous health problems. There are steps we can take to slow or halt preterm labor. With that said, there are also risks to the medications used to stop preterm labor, both to the mother and the baby.
You and your doctor have to decide together when the risks of allowing labor to continue to outweigh the risks of intervention. This is partially determined by knowing which week of pregnancy you are in.
There are also risks to the baby and mother if a pregnancy goes on for too long. Post-term pregnancy is when birth does not occur by week 42 . If this happens, your midwife or doctor may decide to induce labor.
Sex At Week 37 Of Pregnancy
Sex at 37 weeks is perfectly fine for most pregnancies. Unless told otherwise by your doctor, you and your partner can continue to be intimate until your water breaks or youre rushing to the hospital due to real labor contractions.
Youll definitely want to experiment with different positions if your go-to is missionary. For example spooning . At 37 weeks, there can be too much pressure on your belly. Also, it isnt a good idea to lie flat on your back for too long because it can compromise blood flow to the large blood vessels behind the uterus.
Another thing you may experience after having sex at 37 weeks is spotting. Your cervix is very tender now, and theres a lot more blood flow in that area than usual, so you may get irritated pretty quickly. A little blood is usually not a cause for concern.
Feeling antsy? Week 37 is the perfect time to prepare mentally and physically for babys arrival. Here are some things you can do each day of week 37 to better prepare yourself for D-day.
Recommended Reading: Can I Go To Urgent Care While Pregnant
How Do I Know What Week I Am Currently In My Pregnancy
Your doctor says youre 15 weeks pregnant, but youre also being told that youre in week 16. Which is right? Short answer: both. In both cases, your due date is the same its the language referring to it thats different.
Turns out how many weeks into pregnancy you are is a little different than how many weeks pregnant you are. If youre in week 16, youre actually 15 weeks and some days pregnant. Fifteen full weeks have gone by, but not 16 weeks, so people say that youre both 15 weeks pregnant and in week 16 of pregnancy.
To clear things up, think about birthdays. When you were born, you werent even a day old but you were in your first week of life. When you turned 1 year old, you had lived through your first year and were starting on your second. In other words, on your first birthday you were in day one of your second year. But no one said you were 2 years old until youd finished that second year and had begun your third.
The same rules apply when talking about your weeks of pregnancy: You are x weeks pregnant, but in your x+1 week of pregnancy.
