Pregnancy Due Date Calculator Guide
The expected date of delivery is calculated by adding one year, subtracting three months, and adding seven days to the first day of a woman’s last menstrual period . The result is approximately 280 days .
Example: LMP = 20 August 2017
+ 1 year = 20 August 2018
– 3 months = 20 May 2018
+ 7 days = 27 May 2018
Please Note : The calculation method above does not always result in a 280 days because not all calendar months are the same length, nor does it account for leap years.
Childbirth usually occurs about 38 weeks after conception, or about 40 weeks after the last menstrual period. The actual length of pregnancy depends on various factors, for example:
- The first pregnancy tends to last longer than subsequent pregnancies.
- Fewer than 10% of births occur on the due date.
- 50% of births occur within a week of the due date, and almost 90% occur within two weeks of the due date.
-
The Nest
Welcome to The Nest, Bangalores foremost center for personalized care for new mothers. A programme initiated by Fortis Hospitals , The Nest endeavours to provide the very best and most caring obstetricians, gynecologists and specialists to comfort you and your baby.
-
Recent Posts
Why Is It Important To Calculate My Due Date
Its important to know your due date for planning purposes knowing your expected delivery date helps you prepare to welcome your baby. Youll have time to pack for the hospital and get the things you need for the baby, like a car seat. If you have other children, counting down the days until the new baby arrives can help siblings prepare for a new family member.
Knowing when youre due also allows you to get appropriate prenatal care. This includes taking prenatal vitamins and getting prenatal screenings at the right times during your pregnancy. Your provider will also measure your babys size and position throughout your pregnancy to ensure that your baby is growing properly.
How Are The Weeks Of Pregnancy Calculated
The 40 weeks of pregnancy begin on the first day of your last menstrual period.
This can be a little confusing because, for most people, conception doesnt occur until day 14 of the menstrual cycle. So yes, you arent actually pregnant during those first two weeks of pregnancy.
Modern data suggests that women have their babies a few days after their due date on average. Studies like this one found that Naegeles rule consistently places the due date about 2-4 days too early. So a better estimate may be 40 weeks and 3 days from LMP.
Alternatively, you can use our Advanced Due Date Calculator, which uses the Mittendorf-Williams rule to calculate your due date, which has been shown to be more accurate.
Read Also: Can You Donate Plasma When Pregnant
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.
What If I Don’t 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
Pregnancy Symptoms Week 5
During week 5 of pregnancy, your hormones are running the show. Estrogen, progesterone, and hCG are elevated to keep your pregnancy on track. These hormones can cause many symptoms, and lots of women start feeling their effects during week 5 of pregnancy. Some of the most common symptoms of early pregnancy include:
- Fatigue: this is one of the most common symptoms of early pregnancy. Most of your energy is going to your baby, so its normal to feel tired often.
- Morning sickness: morning sickness can actually happen at any time of the day. Nausea and vomiting are more common during the first trimester, and they tend to subside later in your pregnancy.
- Tender breasts: at 5 weeks pregnant, your breasts could feel sore and swollen.
- Cravings: many women experience food cravings and aversions during their pregnancy.
- Frequent urination: the hormones in your body increase the blood flow to your pelvic area and to your kidneys which means youll need to take more frequent trips to the bathroom.
- Cramps: some mild uterine cramping is perfectly normal at this stage. It could be due to your uterus getting slightly larger or a sign of embryonic implantation.
- Light spotting: dont be scared if you have light spotting on week 5 of pregnancy. This is another sign that the embryo has implanted inside your uterine lining. But if the spotting – or cramping – doesnt stop or gets worse, dont hesitate to call your doctor.
How To Understand Gestational Age
LMP refers to the first day of your last menstrual period. Health care providers measure pregnancies in weeks starting from the first day of the LMP. If your period is regular and lasts 28 days, and if ovulation generally happens on day 14 of your cycle, then conception probably took place about two weeks after the LMP. For gestational age counting, these two weeks are added to a pregnancy as a simpler method than trying to track from ovulation or fertilization.
Nevertheless, this estimation is not always accurate. It doesn’t take into account factors like changes in the menstrual cycle, variations in ovulation, and imperfect recall by patients.
A due date calendar or calculator can help pregnant people determine their babys due date.
To calculate your due date, add 280 days to the first day of your LMP .
Different calculators can help determine your due date based on ovulation, date of conception, and ultrasound data. Specific calculators can predict the due dates of people who are using assisted reproductive technologies and embryo transfer.
The conception date refers to when a baby was conceived. Since sperm can live inside the vaginal canal for three to five days, conception can take place up to five days after sexual intercourse. Fertilization depends on ovulation and can occur within 12-24 hours from the release of the egg .
Don’t Miss: Restylane While Pregnant
Acog Definition Of Pregnancy
- Early-term: 37 weeks through 38 weeks and six days
- Full-term: 39 weeks through 40 weeks and six days
- Late-term: 41 weeks through 41 weeks and six days
- Post-term: any pregnancy that goes beyond 42 weeks
Sometimes, when talking about twins or triplets, you will hear people say things like, Twins are full-term at 37 weeks. But this isnt truly accurate. All pregnanciesincluding twins, triplets, or morearent truly full-term until they reach 39 weeks.
While you might be at greater risk of earlier labor with twins, that doesn’t affect how the timing of labor would be classified.
With Our 9 Divine Package
Motherhoods 9 divine package is a comprehensive 9-month package with pre-delivery to the due date and three months after delivery. It is a one stop solution to address all the needs of expecting moms during and after pregnancy. The 9divine package caters to all the medical needs of a to-be mother, including delivery. Right from consultation to ultrasounds and new-born screening to recovery exercises, this comprehensive package ensures that the journey from pregnancy to playing with your child is a worry-free and comfortable one.
To know more about package, visit your nearby Motherhood Hospital or call us at 1800 108 8008
Also Check: Vagisil Cream Pregnancy
Role Of Fundal Height
Your midwife or doctor may measure your fundal height at your pregnancy well-checks. The fundal height is the measurement in centimeters from your pubic bone to the top of your uterus. It should grow at a predictable rate as your pregnancy continues.
After 20 weeks, your fundal height in centimeters will typically be the same as the number of weeks you are pregnant. In other words, at 21 weeks pregnant, your fundal height should be around 21 centimeters .
Sometimes, the fundal height won’t match perfectly. Slight variations are normal, but if you are measuring much smaller or larger than expected, your primary care provider may want to investigate with another ultrasound.
While useful, the fundal height is not an accurate measurement of gestational age and would not affect the estimated due date in any way.
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.
Also Check: Does Donating Plasma Affect Fertility
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 women 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 occurring anywhere from about 37.5 weeks to 42.5 weeks. Due dates 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.
How Many Weeks Pregnant Am I
Congratulations, youâre soon going to be a mom! Now that you have found out youâre pregnant, you must be wondering: How many weeks pregnant am I? Before you jump into knowing your due date and all the latter important stuff, you need to know how many weeks pregnant are you. This will help you better track your pregnancy milestones along the way, as well as the due date.
The next question that takes up your mind would be: How do I know about my pregnancy week? Well, youâve just got the news, and your emotions must be at peak right now. So, let us do the work for you. Weâve curated a simple guide for your reference that will help you prepare for the journey!
You May Like: Can Pregnant Women Use Vagisil
Beginning Your Pregnancy Journey
Once youâve calculated your due date, you can get a better idea of when to expect your little one â and start to plan accordingly.
If you havenât 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 babyâs 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 youâre pregnant. Explore the rest of our site to find out more.
How To Calculate How Many Weeks You Are
Example:count one week to the nextuntil you reach the present date.
LMP = December 2, 2021
1st Wed = December 9, 2021 = 1 Week2nd Wed = December 16, 2021 = 2 Weeks9th Wed = February 3, 2022 = 9 WeeksYou are 9 Weeks and 1 Day pregnant
Another method to calculate how many weeks pregnant you are is to:
How Many Weeks Am I Formula:LMP = Last Menstrual PeriodHow Far Along Am I Formula:LMP = Last Menstrual Period*LMP date may be adjusted if unknown or following ultrasound.
Each of these methods will give you the gestational age of your pregnancy.
Don’t Miss: Vagisil Pregnant
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.
Will I Get A More Accurate Due Date Later In The Pregnancy
You will have your first appointment with the midwife, the ‘booking appointment’, between 8 weeks and 12 weeks pregnant. Here you will be given a scan and receive an accurate date for your baby’s birth. But if you’re impatient to know when your baby will arrive, then our pregnancy calculator tool gives you an estimate due date without the wait.
Not pregnant yet?
You May Like: Is It Safe To Use Vagisil During Pregnancy
Drawbacks Of Using Gestational Age
Due date predictions are not always accurate to some degree, theyre an assumption. Some pregnant people even report their health care providers changed their due dates in the third trimester. In most cases, the due date based on a first-trimester ultrasound is considered the most accurate.
If the first ultrasound is performed after 22 weeks of gestation, it wont be quite as accurate in estimating the due date. In this case, the pregnancy will not be considered optimally dated.
Conception Calculator Based On Due Date
So, what day did I conceive? There are two ways to use our conception calendar calculator.
The first way is to provide the birth due date. When you visit the doctor they will most likely perform an ultrasound. Although the doctor can see the baby from the 5-6th week of pregnancy, the best time to go for the first sonography is between week 8 and 12.
Based on the characteristics of the image and the results of your blood test, the due date and week of pregnancy can be determined. Remember that those dates, as well as conception calendar, are only an estimation and may change during the next visit.
Pregnancy typically lasts around 40 weeks . That is 266 days from the conception date. If a baby is born before week 37, it’s called a premature birth. But don’t worry if the due date changes or you go in labor on a different date – only 4% of babies are born on their due date and 80% are born either two weeks before and after the date.
Let’s go back to the question: what day did I conceive? In our conception calculator, we subtract 266 days from the estimated due date and get the most probable day of conception:
due date – 266 = conception date
Don’t Miss: Vagisil Safe While Pregnant
How To Calculate In Weeks
To calculate how many weeks you are, start by taking note of the first day of your last period on a calendar, or your LMD . Every 7 days from that first day counts as 1 week in your pregnancy.
For example, if the first day of the last period was March 11 and you recently had a positive pregnancy test, your first day of pregnancy is March 11 . If March 11 was day 1, then March 18 will mark week 1 of your pregnancy. April 16, for example is calculated as 1 week and 1 day of your pregnancy, and you will have been in your second month.
Calculation is done this way because the exact fertilization day is difficult to determine. Sperm cells can survive in the woman’s body for up to 7 days, and can fertilize the egg and initiate the pregnancy on any of these days.
Will My Due Date Change When I Have A Scan
Youll get a more accurate due date once you have your dating scan. This is usually done at around 12 weeks of pregnancy, and will be used as the final due date given to you, especially if there is more than 5-7 days difference between your date based on your last period and the scan, or if your periods were irregular or you had just stopped hormonal contraception prior to getting pregnant as it is difficult to know when you ovulated exactly. It will not change however if you have had IVF treatment to conceive, as the exact date of conception is then known.
Ultrasound uses the size of the fetus to determine the gestational age . It is most accurate for dating purposes between 7 and 13 weeks of pregnancy. Earlier than 7 weeks and after 14 weeks, the measurements are not as precise in terms of calculating exact gestation.
Read Also: Vagisil And Pregnancy
