After all, determining this period will help calculate the approximate date when the long-awaited child will be born. There are a lot of methods, and it’s hard to say which one is the most accurate. But it is quite possible to determine what week of pregnancy you are in at home.
Medical examination methods
Let's look at how doctors determine the gestational age:
- According to ultrasound. This is one of the most common methods. The doctor measures the size of the fetus and uses it to tell you approximately your due date.
- By date of last menstruation. This way you can determine when ovulation occurred
- According to the size of the uterus. With each week of pregnancy, the uterus changes, increases in size and rises higher.
- HCG analysis. It shows the amount of hormones in the blood. The method is quite accurate, but still does not give an unambiguous result.
Pregnancy: how to determine its duration at home
Some women prefer not to see a doctor right away because they know how to find out if they are pregnant in the early stages at home. There are a considerable number of methods, here are some of them:
- By date of ovulation.
- According to the last menstruation.
- According to the baby's movements.
- By date of conception.
- Naegele's formula.
Determining pregnancy at home in the early stages
If you don’t have a test at hand, there are other ways to find out if you are pregnant in the early stages at home:
- Using baking soda.
Take a small container and fill it with morning urine. Add a spoonful of soda there and watch carefully what happens. If the baking soda reacts and starts to fizz, it means you are not pregnant. And if it precipitates, it means you will soon become a mother.
- With the help of iodine.
You will need a container filled with morning urine. You need to add a small drop of iodine to it. If the drop remains on the surface, then you are pregnant, but if it dissolves, then you are not.
Ovulation: how to determine the gestational age by it
Ovulation is the period of the menstrual cycle when a woman can become pregnant. At this time, the egg matures, then exits into the fallopian tube and remains there for a certain period of time in order to wait for sperm.
If you want to understand how to find out the gestational age by the date of ovulation, then you must have a chart for maintaining basal body temperature. By the way, in pharmacies you can find tests that help accurately determine ovulation. If sexual intercourse occurs during this period, then most likely you are pregnant.
We determine the period based on the last monthly
Finding out the gestational age by the last menstruation is another method that you can use at home, without the help of doctors. The first day of the last menstrual cycle is the period when the egg matures, the body is completely rebuilt and conception is currently as possible as possible.
Finding out the gestational age from the last menstruation is very simple. Count how many weeks have passed from this date to now - that's all.
Take a calendar and add 280 days to this date. This is approximately 40 weeks (this is how long the pregnancy itself lasts). You will get an approximate date for the birth of your child.
The easiest way to find out the gestational age is by the last menstruation. It is for this reason that women use it at home. Not everyone can measure their basal temperature and determine the period of ovulation, but everyone records the start date of menstruation.
When the baby starts to move in the womb
Any representative of the fair sex who is preparing to become a mother is very sensitive to the period of bearing a baby. Many questions arise regarding pregnancy and childbirth. Some people try to find out the gestational age by their periods, others use other methods.
It is worth noting that it is almost impossible to determine the exact period. But if you count it in several ways, the probability will increase. For example, you have already calculated your period based on your period, now wait until you feel the baby’s first movement.
In primiparous women this usually occurs at 20 weeks, in multiparous women it may be earlier. In any case, when you feel the baby begin to move in the womb, you will know that you are now approximately 20 weeks pregnant.
Date of conception: how to use it to calculate gestational age
Determining which week of pregnancy you are currently in is only possible if you know exactly the date when conception occurred. Otherwise, only a gynecologist can do this.
To find out the duration of your pregnancy by weeks and days, sign up for an examination, the doctor will find out from you the date of the first day of your last menstrual period and calculate the obstetric period and name the approximate date of birth. Please remember that this is only an approximate date. Only your baby knows when he will be born. It is possible to find out the gestational age by weeks and days quite accurately, but you should not rely on the date of birth.
Naegele's formula
The Naegele formula is the easiest way to find out the approximate date of birth.
- Take the first day of your last period and subtract three months from it.
- 7 days are added to the resulting date.
- The final date is the approximate time when the baby will be born
The exact date of pregnancy - is it possible to find out?
Most women are interested in the question of how to find out the exact date of pregnancy. Doing this at home is problematic, because any method gives deviations from the truth. If you want to get more reliable information, you can do this in the following ways:
- Ultrasonography.
Ultrasound can show the exact date only in the early stages. The fact is that embryos develop equally only in the first 3-4 weeks after conception occurs. Further, the embryo develops differently in each girl.
- Gynecological examination.
How to find out the exact date of pregnancy during a gynecological examination? The doctor measures the uterus and sometimes even determines the position of the fetus at this stage. Based on the data obtained, you can understand what week of pregnancy a woman is in, because the uterus is constantly changing and there are standards for how this should happen.
Boy or girl
An ultrasound examination is not yet done soon, but the expectant mother is already overwhelmed with interest in who she will give birth to - a boy or a girl? It is worth noting that ultrasound sometimes fails to determine the sex of the child. Some parents are happy about this because they want a surprise, while others, on the contrary, want to know everything at once.
You can find out the sex of the child in the early stages of pregnancy in the following ways:
- According to the intensity of sexual life.
If the conception of a child occurred during a period when the couple was sexually active, then it is more likely that a boy will be born. The fact is that mobile “male” sperm do not live very long. Therefore, when a man rarely has sexual intercourse, the body experiences greater vitality of “female” sperm. This has been proven scientifically.
- By blood purity.
The gender of the child is very often determined depending on which spouse has newer blood. It is believed that in women the blood is renewed once every 3 years, and in men once every 4 years. If at the time of conception the man’s blood is newer, it means there will be a boy, if the woman has a girl.
- According to the formula.
Our grandparents very often used a formula to determine the gender of their unborn child. It looks like this: 49-X+1+Y+3. Y is the month when conception occurred, and X is the father's age. Substitute all the data and calculate what happens. If the number is odd, it means there is a higher probability that a girl will be born, and if it is even, it means a boy.
- By woman.
They say that if a woman becomes prettier during pregnancy, then she is expecting a boy, because boys take care of their mother and give her beauty. With girls the situation is the opposite, they take away beauty. Therefore, if you notice that your hair has become thinner, your nails are peeling, your skin is dry - this means that, most likely, you will give birth to a representative of the fair sex.
Which method is the most accurate?
Every woman is interested in how to find out the duration of her pregnancy, and at least the approximate date when she will give birth. All of the methods listed above are good in their own way, but none of them can give you a clear answer to this question.
The fact is that each representative of the fair sex is special, just like her body, and only he himself knows when the baby decides that he is ready to be born. This may happen several weeks earlier if the fruit is ripe. If the baby is not yet ready to leave the mother's womb, then the pregnancy is delayed for several more weeks.
Now you know how to find out your gestational age at home, just like doctors do. Moreover, if the ultrasound does not show the sex of the child, then thanks to the methods listed above you can determine it yourself. Even if the result turns out to be unreliable, it is still interesting. After the baby is born, you will be able to determine which method turned out to be true for you.
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Pregnancy term calculator
For many women, the feeling of an upcoming or already begun pregnancy occurs before the test shows two lines - that is, even before the actual delay. Scientists cannot yet give an explanation for these true premonitions, but the concept of Early Pregnancy Factor has already been introduced into the scientific lexicon, which describes the chemical reactions of the mother’s body in response to the accomplished conception after just a few hours. Currently, there are already tests for identifying the Early Factor hormone in the female body, but due to their significantly high cost, these tests are not produced on an industrial scale.
On average, birth occurs 10 obstetric months (280 days) after pregnancy, when the baby is ripe for birth. However, it should be noted that 280 days is the conditional number of days of bearing a child. All women's bodies are different, and all babies mature differently in their mother's tummy. Some will need 280 days, while others will be “already ready” in 240 days. Only 2% of newborns are born on a precisely calculated day. Most children are two weeks earlier, or several days later than the appointed time. The duration of pregnancy and childbirth is calculated based on the date of the start of the last menstruation.
If we take into account all the changes that occur with the baby almost every day during pregnancy, and especially the first trimester, then in general these processes in importance and complexity, in depth, can be compared with the birth of a new universe. Every day of the little baby inside you is not just a step, it is a huge leap, a breakthrough forward. The birth of a new life, despite the scale of achievements, does not require any external efforts... everything happens under the cover of secrecy. After all, the woman herself learns that conception has occurred only after some time. Thanks to modern technology, scientists have been able to study a little of the great mystery of birth - where EVERYTHING begins. Enter your data and flip through the pages of the calendar of human life development throughout pregnancy. Believe me, amazing discoveries await you!
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Pregnancy
How to determine the gestational age? Every pregnant woman asks this question. From our article you will learn not one, not two, but 5 ways to determine the duration of pregnancy.
Pregnancy is an amazing and exciting time. A pregnant woman is looking forward to the arrival of her baby, worries about his well-being and health and, of course, wants to know exactly how long her pregnancy is?
Correctly determining the gestational age is not as easy as it seems. There are many factors that complicate the establishment of an exact date, ranging from the characteristics of the menstrual cycle to the individual characteristics of the baby’s development. To find out the gestational age as accurately as possible, it is better to use several methods at once.
Method number 1: date of last menstruation
Determining the gestational age by the date of the last menstruation is the simplest and most accurate method. Let's make a reservation right away - in obstetrics, as a rule, they use the obstetric gestation period, which differs from the embryonic period. The obstetric period is calculated from the date of the last menstruation, that is, from the beginning of the last menstrual cycle, but the embryonic period is the true “age” of the fetus.
To calculate obstetric gestational age Doctors often use a convenient scale with a rotating arrow-identifier. This saves them from the tedious task of counting weeks on a calendar. But we can easily do without special devices - we don’t need to count weeks several times a day. Just take a calendar and count down the weeks.
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The site is interactive |
Embryonic term coincides with ovulation, which occurs in the middle of the cycle. With a 28-day cycle, ovulation occurs on the 14th day after the first day of menstruation, but if the cycle is longer, then ovulation also shifts. For example, if the menstrual cycle lasts 31-32 days, ovulation will occur on days 16-17. The embryonic period is rarely taken into account by obstetricians, and it does not make much sense for the pregnant woman herself to calculate this particular indicator - to control her condition and to prepare for the birth of the baby, knowledge of the obstetric period is quite enough.
Method number 2: date of sexual intercourse
Often pregnant women try to determine the duration of pregnancy by the date of sexual intercourse. However, this method of calculation is not highly accurate for three reasons.
It doesn’t often happen that a young married couple has had only one sexual intercourse for the entire month. Given an active sexual life with a frequency of sexual intercourse of 2-4 per week, it becomes completely unclear which of these days to focus on?
Once in the uterus, sperm remain active for 2-3 days, and some, especially hardy specimens, survive up to the 7th day. Therefore, in which of the 7 days after intercourse conception occurred is completely unclear.
This method can only be suitable for establishing the embryonic gestational age, which, as we have found out, is rarely used.
Method No. 3: Ultrasound of the uterus and fetus
You can find out the gestational age using an ultrasound examination, especially since every pregnant woman is sent for an ultrasound scan more than once. It would seem that such a high-tech method should be highly accurate, but this statement is not always true.
The fact is that fetal development proceeds relatively equally only in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, after which physiological individuality begins to manifest itself with increasing force. It becomes extremely difficult to focus on size (remember how different in weight and length babies are born). But it is difficult to talk about any specific period up to 6-7 weeks due to the small size of the embryo. And it turns out that you can rely on ultrasound to determine the due date only from 7 to 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Method number 4: fetal movement
How to determine the gestational age by the first fetal movement? There is nothing complicated here: it is believed that in the case of an upcoming first birth, a woman first feels movement at 18-20 weeks, and in the situation of repeated births - at 16. However, it is no coincidence that we used the word “considered” - it only denotes an average indicator that depends from:
baby activity;
uterine tone;
woman's sensitivity;
the intensity of intestinal motility (it is not so easy to distinguish between the movements of intestinal loops and the movement of the baby);
psychological mood and suggestibility of a woman.
That is why this method of determining the duration of pregnancy is the least reliable and can only be interesting from a historical point of view.
Method No. 5: experience of an obstetrician-gynecologist
And finally, the most reliable way is to contact an obstetrician-gynecologist. If you trust your doctor, then you won’t even have a question about how to find out the gestational age - you just ask an experienced specialist about it.
Already at the first appointment, when doing an examination on a gynecological chair, the doctor determines the size of the uterus by touch and sets an estimated period based on it. In the future, when you come to the doctor for an appointment, you will have to regularly measure such an indicator as the height of the fundus of the uterus - it is determined by a centimeter tape from the pubis to the highest point of the uterus.
Of course, the doctor focuses not only on the size of the uterus - he compares them with the period calculated from the first day of the last menstruation, and with the results of ultrasound, so the doctor rarely makes a mistake in such an important issue.
So, do you still have doubts? Then rely on the doctor’s opinion - it’s much easier, calmer and more reliable.
Every expectant mother wishes and strives to ensure that the pregnancy proceeds without complications, and that the baby is born strong and healthy. To do this, you need to correctly determine the date of conception and the timing of pregnancy.
It is very difficult to say with accuracy on what day conception took place, even for gynecologists with extensive work experience. But you can find out the approximate date. There are several ways to determine it. Let's look at these methods, as well as their pros and cons.
1.You can determine the period of conception by the date of your last menstruation. This calculation method is suitable for women with a regular menstrual cycle. To do this, you need to count two weeks from the first day of your last menstruation. The method of this calculation is explained by the fact that conception can occur only after ovulation. For example, if your cycle lasts 26 days, then your ovulation period will be between 11-15 days. With this method of calculation, an error of 1-2 weeks is allowed.
By the date of the last menstruation, you can find out the approximate date of birth. The following 2 methods are very popular and simple:
— 280 days are added to the date of the first day of the last menstruation. The resulting month and date will be the approximate date of the start of the labor process.
- Nägel's formula. From the date of the most recent menstruation, subtract 3 months and add 7 days.
2. If you have forgotten when your last period was or have an irregular cycle, an ultrasound will come to the rescue in this situation. In the initial stages of pregnancy (up to the 7th week), all embryos have the same rates and signs of development. It is an ultrasound examination in the early stages that will help to find out the most accurate date of conception. After 7-8 weeks, all babies begin their individual development, therefore, the longer the pregnancy, the more difficult it is to determine the date. Ultrasound examination not only provides the most accurate indicators of the period of conception, but also helps in identifying pathologies.
3. All women, suspecting that they are pregnant, immediately rush to the gynecologist for an examination. But, unfortunately, the doctor will be able to tell a more accurate date of fertilization only in early pregnancy.
From the second trimester, doctors can determine the date of pregnancy by the length of the uterus. As you know, with each subsequent week of pregnancy, the uterus increases in size by 1 cm. Lying on a couch or gynecological chair, the doctor feels the uterus and uses a centimeter to determine its size.
There is also a special table from which you can find out the gestational age by the location of the uterus relative to the womb and navel.
— At 12 weeks, the uterus is located closer to the upper edge of the womb.
- At 14 weeks of pregnancy, the uterus is located below the womb at a distance of about two fingers.
- At week 16, the location of the uterine fundus is between the navel and the womb.
- At week 20, the uterus drops below the navel.
— At 24 weeks, the uterus is located at the level of the navel.
- At 28 weeks, the fundus of the uterus is above the navel at a distance of two fingers.
- At 32 weeks, the length of the uterus reaches 27-30 cm and is located between the short part of the sternum (xiphoid process) and the navel.
— At 36 weeks, the uterus is positioned so that it supports the ribs.
- At 40 weeks, before the birth itself, the baby changes its position and prepares to be released, so the uterus takes a position between the navel and the xiphoid process.
Again, this method of determining the period has its own errors, since the body of each pregnant woman has individual characteristics.
4. The exact duration of pregnancy can be determined using the calendar method. The calendar method includes measuring basal temperature over several cycles. Temperature should be taken every morning at the same time. The data is recorded in the form of a graph, according to which the day of conception is determined. This method also includes those cases when a woman has rare sexual intercourse and knows the date of her last intimate relationship.
5. You can determine the date of conception by taking an hCG test. Blood is taken from a vein to analyze the level of human chorionic gonadotropin. This method of calculation is inaccurate even at the initial stages. This analysis is carried out more to identify pathologies in the fetus and to identify the pregnancy itself.
6. The gestational age is determined by the very first movement of the baby in the womb. Women who give birth for the first time should feel the first movement strictly at 20 weeks. And those giving birth for the second or third time feel the first movements 2 weeks earlier, that is, at 18 weeks. This method of calculating the due date is also not very accurate, since the course of pregnancy is a purely individual process. Many expectant mothers often confuse the baby's first movements with bowel activity. This is explained by the fact that almost all pregnant women have increased gas production.
7. The approximate date of conception can be determined by the size of the abdomen. With this method of determination, it is necessary to take into account the woman’s weight and physique. The abdominal volume is measured using a centimeter at the level of the navel.
The gynecologist can calculate the most accurate date by collecting data from all of the above indications. If the pregnancy is multiple, labor may begin 2-3 weeks earlier than the expected date.
True and obstetric timing of pregnancy
The true gestational age is calculated from the last release of the egg or so-called ovulation, which occurs 2 weeks after menstruation. Let us remind you once again that determining the exact date of ovulation is possible only with a regular menstrual cycle. Obstetric period is calculated from the first day of the last menstruation.
The difference between these periods is that the true period is 2 weeks less than the gynecological one.
Every expectant mother must remember that plans for the birth of a long-awaited baby may not coincide with the calculations of even the most experienced gynecologist.
Pregnancy calendars
Calculate your pregnancy calendar by week. Every week of your pregnancy from 1 to 40 weeks with details.
Pregnancy is an amazing and exciting period in a woman’s life. In just 40 weeks, a single cell forms an entire organism capable of life in environmental conditions. A person never again develops at such a rapid pace as in the prenatal period. Every day the fetus's appearance changes, new organs and new abilities appear. The woman’s appearance and well-being are also rapidly changing - just last month her “interesting position” was not noticeable to anyone, but today a nice round tummy has already appeared. During pregnancy, you need to do a lot - you will have to undergo more than one medical examination, take several tests, review your menu and sleep schedule, change your habits and update your wardrobe. It is better to prepare for all changes in life in advance and especially so that you are aware of all the upcoming surprises, we have prepared a detailed pregnancy calendar by week.
Where does the confusion come from at two weeks?
Doctors in antenatal clinics traditionally count the duration of pregnancy starting from the first day of the last menstruation, despite the fact that conception occurs, according to such calculations, only in the third week of pregnancy. Our interactive calendar is built according to the same scheme - this is the so-called obstetric pregnancy calendar. There is another, much less commonly used, method of calculating the timing of pregnancy, when the day of conception is taken as the starting point. The resulting calendar would be correctly called the fetal development calendar. Sometimes this method is reflected in obstetric ultrasound reports, where it is possible to determine the life expectancy of the fetus with an accuracy of one day, especially in the first trimester. As a rule, the fetal development calendar lags about 2 weeks behind the obstetric pregnancy calendar.
It is most logical to schedule your pregnancy by week - this way you will have a better idea of how your baby is growing and what processes pregnancy causes in your own body. By studying the pregnancy calendar week by week, you will find timely advice on how to choose clothes for pregnant women, how to avoid toxicosis, and how to eat properly during pregnancy. Accordingly, each week the size of the fetus and its new skills are given - you will be surprised at how much it already has, when even the tummy is not yet noticeable to others!
In order to automatically calculate the pregnancy calendar, you can use the calculator on the website. It is enough to indicate the date of the first day of your last menstruation, and you will receive a calendar of your own pregnancy by week. Perhaps it should be interesting for a pregnant woman to learn every week about how her baby’s life is going, but you should not take the given timeframes literally. Keep in mind that the duration of pregnancy, as well as the rate of fetal development, are always individual and may differ slightly from the data provided by the interactive pregnancy calendar. The following pattern is typical: the longer the menstrual cycle, the longer the pregnancy lasts.
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