Pregnancy Information

How do I Calculate My Pregnancy Due Date?


You're pregnant! The next question is: When is the baby due? Calculating the pregnancy due date is not complicated. There are several methods to calculate your estimated due date, but we all know that babies have their own timetables and most don't arrive on the estimated due date.

The age of the developing baby is called the "gestational age." Since the exact date of conception is seldom known, the date of the mother's last period is often used to begin calculating when the baby is due. The normal due date is 40 weeks after the first day of the last menstrual period

Another way to calculate the pregnancy due date is from conception, if known. Since ovulation and conception usually occur two weeks after the first day of the last menstrual period, the pregnancy due date is 38 weeks from conception.

Probably the most accurate way to confirm the baby's gestational age and calculate the due date is by confirming one of the above methods with an ultrasound. Ultrasound is used to measure the baby, and these measurements are used to calculate gestational age. This test is non-invasive and can be performed as early as 5-6 weeks after the last menstrual period. The most accurate results are obtained between 8-18 weeks from the beginning of the last menstrual period. The results of the ultrasound, combined with the calculated date from the first day of the last period, provide a relatively firm due date.

Women whose periods are irregular encounter difficulty using the first day of the last period or conception methods and usually must rely on the ultrasound examination. However, if the baby is unusually large or small, even the ultrasound may not provide enough information to estimate the due date.

Maria writes for Pregnancy Due Date, a site that tries to information for expectant mothers. For more great pregnancy articles, visit our Pregnancy articles archive.


MORE RESOURCES:

TopNews

Soothing music reduces stress during pregnancy
Hindu, India - 15 hours ago
Half of the women were pregnant for the first time and just over half of the pregnancies were planned. The number of women in their second and third ...
Music can relieve pregnancy stress The Press Association
Pregnant mums: Listen to music to relieve your pregnancy stress TheMedGuru
Music during pregnancy NHS Choices
UKfamily - Telegraph.co.uk
all 51 news articles


BBC News

'Cactus Kid' ad for Oasis banned for condoning teenage pregnancy
guardian.co.uk, UK - 5 hours ago
The advertising watchdog has banned a TV campaign for Oasis soft drink after finding that it could be interpreted as condoning underage sex and pregnancy. ...
Cactus Kid advert ordered off air BBC News
Watchdog bans Coca-Cola's "Cactus Kid" TV ads Reuters UK
Coca-Cola’s Oasis ads banned ICM Commercial & Business News
NewsLite - The Press Association
all 14 news articles


Dealing With Acid Reflux During Pregnancy
FOXNews - 15 hours ago
Acid reflux is common during pregnancy, said Dr. Anish Sheth, a gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at Yale University. ...


Pregnancy: body changes
Canada.com, Canada - 20 hours ago
This article touches on some of the common bodily changes that women experience during pregnancy. Don't, however, hesitate to ask your doctor for more ...


Study warns of risk to future pregnancies after miscarriage
guardian.co.uk, UK - 26 minutes ago
Women who have suffered a miscarriage are more likely to develop dangerous complications in future pregnancies, researchers said today. ...


Pregnancy: how to prepare
Canada.com, Canada - 20 hours ago
What lifestyle changes can I make to help ensure a successful pregnancy? A healthy lifestyle is always a very good idea, and never is this more true than ...


BEING DAD DVD Offers a Sneak Peek at Pregnancy From a Guy's Point ...
MarketWatch - 17 hours ago
The feeling of being a father is universal and BEING DAD addresses pregnancy and birth from the man's point of view and provides an entertaining resource ...


Guest column: An appeal to Gov. Palin: Lead dialog on teen pregnancy
DesMoinesRegister.com, IA - Oct 7, 2008
In a flurry of headlines following last month's announcement of Bristol Palin's pregnancy, the 17-year-old's parents pledged unconditional love and support, ...
Television series makes teenagers think before they act Jesup Citizen Herald
all 2 news articles


Levels Of Key Hormone During First Trimester Of Pregnancy Could ...
Medical News Today (press release), UK - 3 hours ago
New research shows women who develop diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes mellitus) have reduced levels of an insulin-sensitive hormone, ...


Greenwood Index Journal

Pregnant Women Missing Important Protection During Flu Season
International Business Times, NY - Oct 7, 2008
Pregnancy-related changes in the respiratory and immune systems canincrease not only the likelihood of getting the flu, they also increase therisk of ...
Mother’s flu shot may protect baby South Bend Tribune
all 22 news articles

Pregnancy - Google News

home | site map
© 2006