How To Find Out How Far Along You Are Pregnant

Your First Three Weeks Of Pregnancy

Hereâs the thing: Because of the way pregnancy is usually measured, youâre not actually pregnant during the first two weeks or so of your pregnancy. Healthcare providers calculate the length of an average pregnancy as 40 weeks, starting from the first day of your last menstrual periodâthis is known as the LMP dating method. So, when youâre 1 week pregnant, youâve only just started your period. At two weeks pregnant, youâre ovulating. And since ovulation happens about 14 days after the start of your period you canât really become pregnant until week 3 at the earliest.It can be mind-bogglingâwe get it. But, for the sake of calculation, and what you and your healthcare provider will consider as 1 and 2 weeks pregnant, youâre not actually pregnant! But although at 1, 2, or 3 weeks pregnant you may not notice any of those very early signs of pregnancy, there may be a lot happening on the inside.

What To Expect During Your Third Month Of Pregnancy

Youve been waiting patiently. Now that youve passed the 12-week milestone, its time to shout the news to the world: Youre pregnant!

How Is My Due Date Determined

Normally, your due date is 280 days from the first day of your last period. However, if your periods are not regular or are not 28 days apart, your due date may be different from the “280-day rule.” Your health care provider may order an ultrasound to more accurately determine your due date.

If you are certain of your conception date , please tell your health care provider. This information can be helpful in determining your estimated date of delivery .

A full-term pregnancy ranges from 37 weeks to 40 weeks and 6 days, so your actual date of delivery can be different from your estimated date of delivery, which is sometimes called estimated date of confinement, or EDC. A very small number of babies are actually born on their due dates. Typically, only 5% percent of women deliver on their due date.

Show Sources

Also Check: Can I Donate Plasma While Breastfeeding

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.

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.

Recommended Reading: Kinesio Tape For Pregnancy Round Ligament Pain

Can I Plan My Due Date

Whether youre trying to avoid being very pregnant in the middle of summer or are a teacher who wants to maximize time off with your little one, you can try to time when you conceive in order to plan your due date. But even if youre one of the lucky ones whos able to get pregnant when she really wants to, just remember that you probably wont be able to map out exactly when youll give birth to the day .

Still, you can try our Ovulation Calculator, which uses the date of your last menstrual period and your typical cycle length to discover the days youre most likely to be fertile and increase your chances of conceiving.

You Can’t See This Cool Content Because You Have Ad Block Enabled

Please whitelist our site to get all the best deals and offers from our partners.

We strive to provide you with a high quality community experience. We respect everyones right to express their thoughts and opinions as long as they remain respectful of other community members, and meet What to Expects Terms of Use.

If you feel a message or content violates these standards and would like to request its removal please submit the following information and our moderating team will respond shortly.

Please select a reason for escalating this post to the WTE moderators:

How far along were you when you announced your pregnancy?

You May Like: Vagisil Cream While Pregnant

How Are Due Dates Calculated

If you were having regular periods before pregnancy, your doctor will calculate your due date based off of your last menstrual period. This goes back to the fact that in order to get pregnant, your body ovulatedor released an eggroughly in the middle of your cycle and it was fertilized by sperm. That was the moment of conception.

To clarify, the gestational period of 40 weeks actually starts with the first day of your last period, which adds two weeks of time to the gestational period when your baby didnt even exist yetclear as mud, right?Is an ultrasound a more accurate way of finding out my due date?If you are having irregular cycles before getting pregnant, an ultrasound is usually done to find out how far along you are. An ultrasound is actually the most accurate way to date a pregnancy because all fetuses grow at a consistent rate during the first trimester and early second.

In other words, if your baby measures 9 weeks 2 days when you have your ultrasound, thats how far along you are, no matter when your last period was. Some women with regular cycles are confused about why their ultrasound due date doesnt match up with their last menstrual period due date. Ovulation isnt a perfect science and can happen earlier or later than the norm, which might shift your due date slightly.

Do Hcg Levels Change With Twins

If you are carrying twins or multiples, your hCG levels will also increase rapidly during the first few weeks of pregnancy and peak around week 10 just like in a singleton pregnancy. However, there is a chance that your overall hCG levels will be up to 50% higher than what is considered the normal range for a single pregnancy.

Bear in mind though that this is not the case for every pregnancy with twins or multiples. You can still have a successful multiple pregnancy even if your hCG levels measure within the normal range.

Recommended Reading: Risks Of Donating Plasma While Pregnant

# 28 And 29 Weeks Pregnant

Your babys senses continue to develop. Around this time your baby might be able to tell the difference between your voice and your partners voice.

As her hearing continues to develop shell be able to hear higher pitched sounds and sounds from outside the womb.

Your baby is about the size of lovely butternut squash.

He or she weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and is about 15 inches long.

Your babys hair is growing well, and his or her head is growing bigger to accommodate a growing brain.

To keep up with the growing nutritional needs of your baby, eat foods with plenty of protein, calcium, folic acid, iron, and vitamin C.

First Day Of Last Period

Most pregnancies last around 40 weeks , so typically the best way to estimate your due date is to count 40 weeks, or 280 days, from the first day of your last menstrual period . You could also subtract three months from the first day of your last period and add seven days.

The first day of your LMP is how most health care providers estimate a baby’s due date. But remember, it’s only an estimated due date, not a deadline for your baby to arrive. Just 4 percent of babies are born on their estimated due date.

Read Also: Can You Donate Plasma When Pregnant

What Is A Due Date Calculator

A due date calculator helps you estimate when your baby will be born. By calculating your due date, youll have an idea of your babys birthday. But keep in mind that your due date is only an estimate. Very few babies are actually born on the day they were due.

Knowing your due date is important for several reasons. It helps you plan and prepare for your babys arrival. It also gives your provider essential information they need to monitor your health and your babys health.

You can calculate your due date at home using a couple of different methods. But these methods arent always accurate. When you visit your provider, they may give you a different due date based on the size of your baby on ultrasound and the date of your last period.

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.

Read Also: Is It Okay To Use Vagisil While Pregnant

How Far Along Am I Pregnancy Quiz

Here is a ‘How far along I am Pregnant’ quiz that will predict whether you are pregnant or not. Is it your first time being pregnant? Are you struggling to find out how long you’ve been pregnant? Well, you’ve landed on the perfect quiz that will help you find out. It’s not that hard to tell how far along you are in your pregnancy. There are some basic symptoms that you can observe your body emitting. This quiz can accurately tell how far along in your pregnancy you are by asking you if you have any of these symptoms, so don’t delay and find out now!

• Is your period more than a week late?
• A.& nbsp

  No/not sure about the dates.

• B.& nbsp

• Sample QuestionOkay, the very first thing: When do you want to get pregnant?Late teenage.

What If I Have Irregular Periods Or Long Cycles

Some women have cycles that are consistently longer than the average 28-day cycle. In these cases, a pregnancy wheel can still be used, but some simple calculations are necessary.

The second half of a womans menstrual cycle always lasts for 14 days. This is the time from ovulation to the next menstrual period. If your cycle is 35 days long, for example, then you probably ovulated on day 21.

Once you have a general idea of when you ovulated, you can use an adjusted LMP to find your due date with a pregnancy wheel.

For example, if your menstrual cycle is usually 35 days long and the first day of your LMP was November 1:

After you calculate your adjusted LMP date, simply mark it on the pregnancy wheel and then look at the date where the line crosses. That is your estimated due date.

Some pregnancy wheels may allow you to enter the date of conception which occurs within 72 hours of ovulation instead of the date of your LMP.

Don’t Miss: Is Kinesio Tape Safe For Pregnancy

How To Use The Due Date Calculator:

Few things can compare to the rush and excitement of when you take a pregnancy test and read out the positive result! Once youâve processed the news that youâre going to be a mom, your thoughts will naturally turn to planning and one of your first questions will no doubt be: when is my due date? Use these three simple steps to find out how far along you are in your pregnancy:

Keep in mind every pregnancy is unique and the result will be an estimation rather than a fixed date.

Using Date Of Conception

The window for conception ranges from a few days before ovulation to a few days after. A typical menstrual cycle of 28 days means you ovulated around day 14. So if you know the exact date of conception, count 266 days to get your due datebut, of course, understand that baby might actually arrive a few days before or after, says Skeete Henry.

Counting from date of conception isnt always the most precise method for determining how far along you are, since its often difficult to know, with absolute certainty, when you actually conceived. Were not just talking about the day you had sex sperm can live inside your fallopian tubes for up to five days, so its possible to conceive up to five days after intercourse.

You May Like: Using Vagisil During Pregnancy

How To Determine Your Due Date

When you find out youâre pregnant, youâre probably wondering when youâll meet your new baby! For an estimate, try our Due Date Calculator, where you can simply enter the first day of your last menstrual period or the date of conception.

Healthcare providers use the LMP method to determine your estimated due date. Due dates are typically calculated as 280 days starting from the first day of your last menstrual period. Remember, when generating a due date this way, you arenât technically pregnant during the first couple of weeks of pregnancy.And, again, this is why you probably wonât feel those highly anticipated very early signs of pregnancy in weeks 1, 2, or 3. But once you start to notice themâand take a pregnancy test or confirm youâre pregnant with your healthcare providerâyou can calculate your due date!

# 32 And 33 Weeks Pregnant

Your baby can now turn their head side to side and is about 3 3/4 pounds now, and 16 1/2 inches long.

Your baby will continue to gain weight, gaining 1/3 to 1/2 of their birth weight in the next seven weeks.

Your babys lungs arent fully developed yet, but they are busy exercising by inhaling amniotic fluid.

Babies born after 32 weeks have a good chance of survival.

Your doctor or midwife are going to be checking the position of your baby over the next few weeks, to see if he or she has turned head down.

Its important your baby be in the right position before birth, but some babies continue to flip until right before birth.

Your baby is about 4 pounds now, and a little over 17 inches long.

If youre out of breath , blame your baby pushing against your diaphragm. Leaning back slightly helps stretch out the area, and may give some relief.

But dont worry, pretty soon your baby will drop when his/her head moves down into your pelvis, to get into position for birth.

This releases the pressure against your diaphragm and makes it easier to breathe.

Recommended Reading: Early Pregnancy Implantation Rash