How Many Months Pregnant Are You
Rachel Gurevich is a fertility advocate, author, and recipient of The Hope Award for Achievement, from Resolve: The National Infertility Association. She is a professional member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and has been writing about womens health since 2001. Rachel uses her own experiences with infertility to write compassionate, practical, and supportive articles.
Women who are planning to have a child expect their pregnancy to last about nine months. But many expectant fathers and mothers wonder how many weeks there are in nine months. The average pregnancy lasts forty weeks from the first day of the last normal menstrual period.
To get a more specific prediction of pregnancy duration, most physicians and midwives use a gestation calculation like the one below to provide a personalized estimate. You can use the first date of your last period or the date of conception if you know it.
Calculating From Your Last Menstrual Period
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.
Can My Due Date Change
During your prenatal checkups, your healthcare provider will monitor how far along you are. Don’t be surprised, though, if your provider gives you a slightly different due date than the one you calculated.
Also, most babies don’t arrive exactly on their due date. Every pregnancy is unique, and only a small percentage of babies are born right on time. Babies are typically born between weeks 38 and 42, and it’s totally normal for your baby to arrive any time during this window.
If your baby is born pre-term, your doctor will be able to advise you on any extra care your baby might need. On the other hand, if your baby isn’t born by the end of week 42, your doctor may suggest inducing the labor to bring on a vaginal birth, or he may discuss the option of a cesarean section with you.
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How Long Does It Take Hcg Levels To Be Detected By Home Pregnancy Tests
Pregnancy doesn’t 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 don’t 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 it’s negative and your period still hasn’t come and you still think you might be pregnant, test again in another week.
Using Last Menstrual Period
To figure out your due date, count 280 days, or 40 weeks, from the first day of your last period . The LMP method works best for women who have a consistent period with a regular cycle, says Delisa Skeete Henry, MD, an ob-gyn with Serene Health OB/GYN & Wellness in Fort Lauderdale, Floridaand by that she means a cycle ranging from 28 to 38 days. Your estimate can then be refined with what the doctor learns from your pelvic exam. Thats because a typical uterusone without fibroids or massestends to be certain sizes at certain points in pregnancy. The result is accurate plus or minus seven days, Ruiz says.
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How Can You Tell If You’re Pregnant
Answering the burning question of whether you are pregnant or not can be easy or difficult depending on how far along you are and how well you know your own body.
Many women can tell if they are pregnant within two or three weeks of conceiving, and some women know a lot sooner, even within a few days. It really depends on your ability to pick up on the changes occurring within your body and how sensitive you are to them.
Of course, you’ll definitely be able to find out for sure once you have missed your first period by doing a pregnancy test . Don’t be tempted to take a pregnancy test too early, though. Doing so can increase your chances of getting an inaccurate result or maybe a faint pregnancy test line.
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.
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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.
You And Your Pregnancy At 1 To 3 Weeks
Your weeks of pregnancy are dated from the first day of your last period.
This means that in the first 2 weeks or so, you are not actually pregnant your body is preparing for ovulation as usual.
Your “getting pregnant” timeline is:
- day 1: the first day of your period
- day 14 : you ovulate
- within 24 hours of ovulation, the egg is fertilised by sperm if you have had sex in the last few days without using contraception
- about 5 to 6 days after ovulation, the fertilised egg burrows into the lining of the womb this is called implantation
- you’re now pregnant
Find out more about trying to get pregnant.
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What Is The Ultrasound Date And Why Is It Different From My Due Date
When a doctor performs an ultrasound, they write a report on the findings and include two estimated due dates. The first date is calculated using the date of the LMP. The second date is based on the ultrasound measurements. These dates are rarely the same.
When your doctor evaluates the ultrasound results, theyll determine whether or not these dates are in agreement. Your doctor probably wont change your due date unless its significantly different from your ultrasound date.
If you have more ultrasounds, each ultrasound report will contain a new due date based on the most recent measurements. An expected due date shouldnt be changed based on measurements from a second- or third-trimester ultrasound.
Due date estimations are more accurate earlier in pregnancy. Later ultrasounds are helpful in determining whether the fetus is growing well but not for determining the age of the fetus.
Can A Blood Test Tell Me How Far Along I Am In My Pregnancy
Blood test results are about 99 per cent accurate and can detect lower amounts of hCG than urine pregnancy tests. The two main types of blood pregnancy test include: Quantitative blood test measures the exact amount of hCG in the blood and can give you an estimate of how far along the pregnancy has progressed.
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How Many Weeks Am I
Again check my calculator above.
Getting back to the now that I know Im pregnant thought
You want to learn as much as you can about the changes you will be going through.
Most pregnancies average 40 weeks or 280 days.
Every day of that pregnancy your baby, and your body is growing and changing.
Well cover those changes in the week by week detail below.
But lets first talk about some of the terminologies your doctors, nurses, and technicians are going to throw around.
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.
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Calculate Using A Dating Ultrasound
A dating ultrasound, which measures the length of the fetus from crown to rump, is an accurate way to estimate your due date or how far along you are if completed within the first trimester . Most women have a pretty good idea of when their last period was, within a day or two, says Scurfield. If a woman has no idea, youll want to try to get her as early as you can. Once you get past 13 weeks, the variability of the growth is such that an ultrasound can be off by a week or so.
Whats Happening To Your Immune System
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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How Far Along Am I Four Ways To Figure Out How Pregnant You Are
Youre itching to know when your little one will arrive. Heres how to calculate how far you are in your pregnancy.
Its a question youll hear over and over until youre holding a baby in your arms: When are you due? Everyone wants to know that magic date, and youre probably more than a little curious about how far along you are, too. Your due date may become a beacon or a deadline , but its important to remember that your due date will only ever be an estimate of the week youll give birth .
That said, theres one big reason why an accurate estimate is important: in case of complications. If a woman goes into labour early, then we really want to know how far along she is, as best as we can tell, says Carol Scurfield, medical director of the Womens Health Clinic in Winnipeg. A week can make a big difference as far as the health of the baby is concerned.
Do your best to calculate your due date as soon as you discover youre pregnant. Heres how to do it.
How Big Is Your Uterus At Week 6
You might not have a baby bump yet, but your uterus has already started to grow to accommodate your baby. The change in size is still small, but it can be noticed by a doctor during an ultrasound. Your uterus at week 6 of pregnancy is becoming more egg-shaped and its starting to press down on your bladder.
Although your uterus is growing already, it will be contained inside your pelvic bones until the 12th week of pregnancy which is why you wont see a bump yet.
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Size Of Your Baby At 6 Weeks Of Pregnancy
The size of a baby at 6 weeks can be compared to a pea or a lentil. It measures approximately 0.25 inches from head to rump. This might seem tiny, but your baby has actually doubled in size since last week. And this week, it will double in size again!
Your baby is in the famous fetal position. Its curled up with an arched back, a curvy little tail, and its paddle-like legs tucked in.
Its no wonder that the early stages of pregnancy can be so exhausting. Your bump might still be unnoticeable, but your little embryo is growing at the fastest rate it ever will even compared to after birth! Throughout the entire pregnancy, your babys weight will increase 3,000 million times.
What Happens During Each Week Of Pregnancy
Our pregnancy week by week emails will keep you updated about whats happening every week of your pregnancy!
Simply enter in your estimated due date, and well send you emails based on what week of pregnancy youre currently at no need for calculations!
All the best for a wonderful pregnancy and be sure to bookmark BellyBelly for all your pregnancy questions and answers.
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Your Baby At 5 Weeks Of Pregnancy
Your baby at 5 weeks pregnant is actually looking a bit like a tadpole. The placenta, amniotic sac, and umbilical cord are still forming. Instead, the baby is surrounded by the gestational and yolk sacs, which also provide protection and nutrients to the 5-week old embryo.
Most of your babys systems are beginning to form during week 5 of pregnancy. This includes their nervous and circulatory systems.
How Far Along Am I From Ovulation Date
Even if you dont have a regular average cycle, or your cycle length varies, the second half of your cycle is the more regular part.
The second half goes from ovulation to the first day of your next period, or missed period if youre pregnant.
That means any pregnancy calculator will say youre two weeks pregnant when your egg and the sperm havent even met yet.
The reason its done this way is because the first day of your period is the first day of your menstrual cycle and the due date is calculated by adding 280 days or 40 weeks to this date. Remember, the average pregnancy is 40 weeks long.
Technically, if we count pregnancy weeks from ovulation youre two weeks less pregnant than what the due date calculator says by starting from your LMP.
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Successful Implantation What Is Implantation Bleeding
Once it finds a nice and cushy spot, it burrows into the lining of the uterus, hopefully for the next 9 months!
This is .
Signs Of Implantation:
Some women experience light spotting at the time of implantation, but most women do not know when a blastocyst has implanted.
Implantation of the blastocyst usually happens between 7 and 10 days after ovulation, or 21 to 25 days after the first day of your *last menstrual cycle* .
The blastocyst cells continue to divide, and start to separate into two groups: one to form the baby and one to form the placenta to nourish the baby.
# 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.
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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.
