How Far Along Am I Based On Positive Pregnancy Test

Can An Ultrasound Determine A More Accurate Due Date

When can my baby’s due date be determined?

Your doctor may adjust your due date during a dating ultrasound, which typically occurs during one of your first appointments. Since healthy embryos grow at a highly predictable rate during the first trimester, measuring the length of the embryo can provide a more accurate estimation of how many weeks pregnant you are.

If your dating ultrasound does not match the due date based on your LMP, your doctor may adjust your due date according to the ultrasound, as this is typically considered more accurate.

Sex At Week 5 Of Pregnancy

Its safe for you to have sex at any stage during your pregnancy. Some women experience an increased sex-drive around this stage. But keep in mind that symptoms like morning sickness can put you off sex when youre around 5 weeks pregnant, which is normal.

Some women can spot lightly after having sex. This happens because your cervix has become more tender and vascularized. Unless the spotting doesnt stop, theres nothing to worry about.

  • Take a pregnancy test after missing your period.
  • Make your first antenatal appointment with your doctor.
  • Start taking a prenatal vitamin.
  • Develop healthier eating and exercise habits.
  • Drink plenty of water.
  • Listen to your body for cues and rest as much as you need.
  • Start a pregnancy journal this will help you remember every detail in the years to come!

How Do I Know How Many Weeks Pregnant I Am

So the weird thing about how far along you are is that the 40 weeks of pregnancy start before youre actually pregnant. How to determine how far along you are in pregnancy starts with remembering the first day of your last menstrual cycle.

That day is day 1 of pregnancy. By counting forward from that day, you can work out how many weeks pregnant you are, and what your due date might be. Never has a calendar been more exciting!

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What Is A Ultrasound Scan Why Is It Used And Not Used

An ultrasound exam uses high-frequency sound waves to create a picture of the baby and the placenta. While the sonogram refers to the picture and ultrasound refers to the exam, most people use the terms interchangeably.

In the United States, most pregnant women are offered their first ultrasound scan by their doctor or midwife between 9 and 14 weeks of pregnancy.

The first scan is used to determine how far along you are and how many babies youre carrying!

First trimester ultrasounds help identify the babys heart rate, umbilical cord, the placement and size of the placenta, and confirms how far along your little one is.

The longer you wait for your gender scan, the better chance the technician has of being able to visually determine the babys gender provided your little bean cooperates.

Good ultrasound technicians claim upwards of 95% success rate.

The technician is looking for physical markers that might indicate an abnormality, versus typical development.

Ultrasounds will not detect every birth defect, and a typical ultrasound doesnt guarantee a healthy baby.

The diagnostic benefits of ultrasounds and the visual image parents can see, make ultrasound a valuable pregnancy tool.

If according to these ultrasounds, your baby appears to be developing typically, you will probably not need additional ultrasounds during your pregnancy.

Some women might have a third-trimester ultrasound if they are advanced maternal age , or if they have low amniotic fluid.

What Are The Chances Of Delivering On My Due Date

What does a positive pregnancy test really look like ...

Just four percent. The due date isan estimate, says Scurfield. There are all sorts of factors that go into when a woman delivers. It may have to do with the size of the fetus or the health of the mother. Some women will have one baby early and the next baby late. Its nice to be able to predict and plan, but babies come when theyre ready.

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Development Scan / Gender Scan

The second ultrasound is usually between 18 to 20 weeks and helps your doctor determine if your baby is developing typically. This ultrasound will probably be your most thorough checkup.

Your doctor or midwife will check your babys organs such as the heart, brain, spine, abdomen, kidneys, and liver.

They will also check your babys head, face, limbs and count your babys toes and fingers. Using the ultrasound, your doctor or midwife can measure the amniotic fluid and check the placenta.

What To Do During Your Sixth Month Of Pregnancy

  • This is a great time to start taking birthing classes, especially if you are planning on a natural and unmedicated birth or home birth.
  • Its important to learn how to manage your labor and decide what you want for your labor and demand it. Its your body, your labor, and your babyyoure in charge!
  • Prepare yourself for stretch marks. As your baby grows, your belly will expand. Stretch marks may start forming across your abdomen. Although they should fade after you deliver, help your skin to adapt to the changes as best you can by staying hydrated, eating well, and getting some vitamin D.

What to Expect During Your Pregnancy During the Third Trimester

The Third Trimester

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What Can A High Hcg Level Mean

There are a few reasons why a womans hCG can be particularly high – miscalculation of pregnancy dates, carrying a multiple pregnancy or very rarely, a molar pregnancy or a placental tumour. It is common for health care providers, if concerned, to recommend repeat testing with 48-72 hours to check for changes in the level of hCG.

Whats Happening To Your Immune System

I’M PREGNANT! I LIVE PREGNANCY TEST REACTION! *positive*

You might be catching more colds than normal, as your immune system is slightly impaired while pregnant.

While the common cold isnt an issue for little bubs, other infections can cause problems for unborn babies .

Try to avoid people with these viruses while pregnant.

Unfortunately for me, I was plagued with a cold the entire time coupled with 3 sinus infections!

NO FUN.

I am sure the reason was from the work environment I was in being around chemicals and such

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What Exactly Is The Date Of Conception

The date of conception is the day that the egg and sperm meet.

Women who track their ovulation may know their exact date of conception. But for many women, date of conception can be tricky to pinpoint.

Sperm can live in a womans body for up to five days, and the ovum can live for up to 24 hours after being released. In other words, you have a six-day window where you could potentially get pregnant each month.

Do you already know your due date but want to know when you likely conceived? Try our reverse due date calculator.

How Does Hcg Behave In A Normal Pregnancy

In a normal pregnancy, hCG will begin to rise rapidly once successful implantation has occurred. For the first four weeks of pregnancy, hCG will typically double every 48 to 72 hours. From week four to six, it may take three to four days to double. Once you have reached week 10, hCG no longer doubles but instead remains steady for the rest of the pregnancy. It can even slowly begin to slowly decline after week 17.

If hCG does not rise at the right pace, this could potentially be a cause for concern. Molar pregnancies, ectopic pregnancies, and miscarriages are all potential risk factors in cases where hCG levels are too high or too low. Regular hCG testing and monitoring combined with ultrasounds by your doctor can help you gain better insight into whether or not your pregnancy is healthy and developing normally.

For more information on the doubling time of hCG, check out our recent article hCG Doubling Time: What to Expect Before, During, and After Pregnancy.

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How Long Is The Menstrual Cycle

Womens cycles can vary in length and from month to month, but the average is around 28 days. Its normal to have regular cycles that are longer or shorter than this .

It doesnt matter how long your cycle is, most women will ovulate around 10 to 16 days before the start of their next menstrual cycle.

What Does It Mean If I Give Birth Before My Due Date

Clearblue: The First Home Pregnancy Test That Tells You ...

Pre-term birth is defined as birth occurring before week 37, but as you can suspect, inaccurate dating can also be problematic here. There is a diagnostic range of pre-term, with very pre-term being less than 28 weeks and late pre-term being closer to 36 weeks. Based on this spectrum, your doctor can attempt to delay delivery to help the baby grow longer in utero, or if it cannot be delayed, your baby will have to be closely monitored to ensure its health.

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How Soon Can You Take A Pregnancy Test

At-home pregnancy tests are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration , meaning their accuracy and labeling is evaluated before they reach store shelves. When it comes to the accuracy of at-home pregnancy tests, research shows if the test is used as directed, an inaccurate result is rare. While false-positive pregnancy test results are uncommon, if you do receive an inaccurate result, its more likely to be a false-negative. In this case, its likely youre testing too early, before HCG can be detected.

For most women who have a regular menstrual cycle, a pregnancy test could be taken on the expected day of the period, says Dr. Merhi. The earliest would be the expected day of the period however, I usually tell patients to wait at least a few days after the expected day of the period in order to lower the chances of having a false result.

Its worth noting that at-home pregnancy tests accuracy claimsmany of which advertise an accuracy rate of 99% from the day of the expected periodare based on data used in a sterile laboratory testing environment. If you think you received an inaccurate result, you can either wait and test again a few days later or see your doctor for a blood test, which can detect HCG earlier than at-home tests and has an accuracy rate of 99%.

How To Calculate How Far Along You Are

Once you have the date of the first day of your last period, you can start counting.

  • Two weeks from that date is probably when ovulation and fertilization happened.
  • However many weeks have passed since that date is how far along you are now. Yay!
  • 40 weeks from that date will be your estimated due date. Yikes!

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What Do High Hcg Levels Mean For A Pregnancy

If your hCG levels are above the normal range, this could indicate any of the following.

Twins or multiples

If you are carrying twins or multiples, it is normal to have hCG levels that are higher than the normal range. While there is no specific chart or figure for how high hCG levels can reach when carrying twins, some doctors suggest that it can be up to 30-50% higher than a normal pregnancy.

Molar pregnancy

Molar pregnancies occur when there is an abnormal growth of tissue in the uterus due to a genetic error. In a complete molar pregnancy, the emerging placenta grows and produces hCG, however there is no embryo. In a partial molar pregnancy, an embryo does exist however it has severe birth defects.

Molar pregnancies should be treated immediately by a doctor. In addition to elevated hCG levels, a molar pregnancy may also be accompanied by bright red or brown vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain, and severe nausea.

Down syndrome

Higher than normal hCG levels can also indicate that your pregnancy may be at risk of Downs syndrome. However, your doctor will need to conduct further blood testing and ultrasounds throughout your pregnancy to determine how high this risk level is.

Miscalculation of your conception date

Pregnancy Conception & Due Date Calculator

EARLIEST SYMPTOMS | 3-4 weeks pregnant

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 give a good estimate of when you conceived. 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 verification ultrasound.

We recommend our free pregnancy ultrasound services to any woman who isnt sure when she conceived. To schedule your free pregnancy ultrasound appointment, call Pregnancy Support Center of Roanoke Rapids today at . Until your appointment, feel free to use our conception date calculator below.

NOTE: The results of this calculator are estimates only. Our center does not guarantee the information provided by this calculator.

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What Are The Risks Of Labor Induction If Im Not Post

Induction is often the safest option for post-term pregnancies, but it may not make sense to discuss induction until you are confident that you are truly post-term. This is because the drugs used for labor induction do carry some risks. They can cause abnormal contractions, which can adversely affect the babys oxygen intake and heart rate, and can increase the likelihood of post-birth hemorrhage and infection. Also, theres always the chance that the induction fails, in which case a c-section will likely be the next step.

In the case of true post-term cases, the benefits generally outweigh risks, but its important to be aware of this cost-benefit assessment.

My Menstrual Cycle Is Still Irregular Has The Pill Affected My Fertility

Its unlikely the pill has caused any fertility problems, but it can sometimes cover up problems you already have, such as missing periods or PCOS .This is because the pill prevents the ovaries from releasing an egg , so although its normal to experience period-type bleeding on the pill, you dont have a real period.

Contact your GP if youre still having irregular periods 3 months after stopping contraception.

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Whats The Most Accurate Way To Date A Pregnancy

Going back to the hypothetical scenario above, its easy to see why the most accurate method for calculating how far along you are would be by implantation. Heres the catch: Its very hard to know when implantation occurs with certaintyeven if you know when you ovulated.

After conception , the fertilized egg travels from the fallopian tubes into the uterus. Compared to the tiny blastocyst, the uterus is huge! There are many places for the blastocyst to implant, and it can implant in the upper area of your uterus or it may take the longer route to the lower area.

Because of the time it takes to travel to the implantation location, most experts agree that implantation occurs about nine days after conception, but it can range from as early as six days to as late as 12 days after conception.

There is good news though! While there is no test to determine exactly what day implantation occurred, your body may give you hints that implantation has occurred:

Calculating From Your Last Menstrual Period

Pregnancy test positive and nothing on the ultrasound ...

Pregnancies are 40 weeks, but you’re actually pregnant for only 38 of them. Why? Because for doctors, the pregnancy clock starts its countdown from the day of your last missed period â the tricky date responsible for the infamous two-week wait when trying to conceive.

The absolute best way to date a pregnancy is from the date of conception, but Plancher says that can be hard to track, especially if you have sex often .

But the day of a missed menstrual period is also hard to track. I know that my period likes to take her sweet time arriving some months, while on others, she’s way ahead of schedule. If you’re the lucky lady with a Swiss cycle, I’ve got great news: you can figure out how far along you are, simply by counting backwards.

“If someone gets their period every 28 days, you can probably get a pretty good due date based on their last period, but thatâs rare. I like to confirm their LMP due date with an early ultrasound,â Plancher says.

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Disclaimer About The Calculator

Our calculator strives for the highest accuracy, but your pregnancy progress may differ from the calculator’s results for several reasons including possible miscalculation errors in input data individual variations in the timing of ovulation, and/or conception.

The information provided regarding pregnancy progress and fetal development is a guide through the weeks. It is not specific information for a specific individual but serves as a general guide only. As each pregnancy differs, any dates, weights, and lengths should be considered general information for interest only.

Our week-by-week guides use both standard and metric units of measure including pounds and kilograms.

Why Pregnancy Is Counted From The Last Menstrual Period

Pregnancy is counted from a women’s last menstrual period because the start of a period is easily observable and usually known to a woman whereas the date of conception is much less likely to be known.

Historically, the first day of the last menstrual period became the date from which pregnancy is counted even though conception occurs about two weeks later.

The LMP formula is good for working out an initial age of pregnancy but ultrasound is more accurate. The age of pregnancy may be revised following your ultrasound scan.

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