How to calculate the duration of pregnancy?
Before birth, the baby is in38 weeks in the mother's womb. But human biology is so complex that it does not fit into strict frameworks. A woman can make a mistake in determining the date of birth, even if she remembers the exact day of conception. Sperm can remain in the fallopian tubes for several days, maintaining their activity.How to consider the gestational age? Photo: Getty But back in the old days the midwives were able to calculate the cherished deadlines. Here are the methods that are still used by midwives:
- Remember the day when the last menstruation began. From this date, count on the calendar 9 months. Add a week.
- Take as a starting point the first day of the last menstrual period. Add to it 280 calendar days.
- Count on the day of ovulation. It occurs 2 weeks after the first day of the last menstruation. From the date of ovulation, count on the calendar 38 weeks.
- Remember the number when you first felt the movement of the fetus in your stomach. If you are waiting for the first child, add to this date 20 weeks. With subsequent pregnancies, add 14 days more.
These methods are only suitable for women with the perfect cycle. Hormonal failures, as well as chronic diseases can bring or delay the date of birth.
How to count pregnancy by month?
Patients of the antenatal clinic oftenare perplexed - why does the doctor write "22 weeks" if the 4th month is about to end? The fact is that obstetricians do not count the first 7 days. The count starts from the 2nd week - for your doctor it will be the first. There is also a difference in months. If you look at the calendar, you will see that most months consist of 4 weeks and a tail of 2-3 days. In gynecology, lunar months are used - exactly 28 days each. How to calculate the date of birth? It depends on when the pregnancy period is counted. From the first day of the last menstruation - 40 weeks, and from the day of ovulation - 38 weeks. The calculation is based on the lunar calendar - 10 months of 28 days. In the usual calendar, it turns out a little more than 39 weeks. Knowing how experienced women calculate the pregnancy period, you should not neglect the achievements of science. An ultrasound examination carried out before the 12th week will determine the date of birth with an accuracy of up to a day.