Pregnancy is a touching and at the same time exciting period in the life of every family. While waiting to meet your baby, it is important to know what changes are occurring in the body of mother and baby. Our pregnancy calendar will help with this.
If you are unsure whether you are pregnant or not, go through.
- Negative result test? Perhaps it’s not time yet, try to go through it later.
- The test showed positive result? Congratulations!
In the calendar you will find the most important information And useful tips. Here you will find out what happens to your baby in every week of pregnancy, in every trimester. The calendar will tell you what sensations a mother may experience during pregnancy, as well as under what conditions she needs to be vigilant.
First, the calculator will help you calculate your gestational age and approximate due date. To do this you need to enter the first day last menstrual period, as well as the length of your cycle. Let us remind you that calculation of the menstrual cycle: you need to take the number of days from the first day of menstruation to last day before the next menstruation (inclusive). Usually average values are taken. Fine menstrual cycle is 28 plus/minus 7 days.
The calendar is divided into 3 stages - trimesters (1 trimester = 3 months). Each trimester includes weeks of pregnancy. Yes, pregnancy is measured in weeks, not months, as many of us are used to. And the mother needs to get used to this, since the gynecologist will calculate the period exactly this way. In our calendar calculator, the pregnancy period is also calculated in weeks.
First trimester – 1-12 weeks of pregnancy. This period is the most crucial. The first 2 weeks of pregnancy are theoretical, they are needed for ease of calculation. Fertilization has not yet occurred. But in the third week, the nuclei of germ cells merge and a small “pea” appears in the tummy. The baby has not yet formed either arms or legs, but from the moment of fertilization he is endowed with a soul. In the first weeks of the first trimester, the mother’s immunity decreases so that her body does not perceive the baby as something foreign. Symptoms of toxicosis often appear. By the end of the trimester, the baby already looks like a person, only very small. The doctor recommends an ultrasound.
Second trimester – 13-26 weeks of pregnancy. Toxicosis has passed; during this period there is less risk for the baby. Mom's belly is getting rounder. Very soon she feels the first tremors - the movements of the baby. Towards the end of the second trimester it is recommended to repeat ultrasonography.
Third trimester – 27-42 weeks of pregnancy. As the baby grows, his “house” also grows. In some cases, it becomes difficult for the mother to breathe, because... the uterus rises very high. This goes away before childbirth. Closer to cherished day After childbirth, immunity decreases again. This is how it is being rebuilt hormonal background, preparations are underway for an exciting meeting with the baby.
The baby is considered full term at 38 weeks of pregnancy. Most often, childbirth occurs at 38-40 weeks, but there are cases when pregnancy drags on to 41-42 weeks. This is quite normal, especially for first-time mothers. We have included these weeks in the pregnancy calendar so that we can continue to be with you until the birth.
During the entire period of pregnancy, the mother and baby are monitored by a doctor to monitor the slightest disturbances and deal with them in a timely manner.
A woman, having learned from a doctor about her desired pregnancy, will definitely want to find out the “age” of the future baby. There are several ways to determine the baby’s date of birth, both independently and with the help of specialists. How to correctly calculate the gestational age, and how it differs real time from obstetrics, we will try to tell in this article.
The obstetric date that gynecologists set at the first appointment with the expectant mother differs markedly from the real one, but is the most accurate parameter. It is believed that pregnancy occurs at the moment of direct conception or fertilization of the maternal egg. This usually occurs towards the middle of the menstrual cycle, so if a woman knows the day when the egg leaves the follicle and ovulation begins, then she can accurately calculate the duration of pregnancy.
Basal temperature (BT)
To do this, you need to measure your temperature rectally every day, while remaining horizontal in bed. After menstruation, in the period of 10-14 days, it most often does not exceed 37 degrees, and during and after ovulation it can rise to 37.2-37.3 degrees. The day of conception does not always coincide with the time of sexual intercourse. The sperm has the ability to remain viable for three to seven days while waiting for the egg to emerge from the ovary. And the lifespan of the mother cell itself is limited to 24 hours. Therefore, if sexual intercourse occurred 5-7 days earlier than ovulation occurred, then conception can occur 5-7 days later than coitus. Therefore, experts say that this calculation method for determining embryonic period not entirely accurate. In addition, every woman, by virtue of her individual characteristics: a certain menstrual cycle, the day of ovulation and the possibility of repeated release of the egg from the ovaries, will have its own period of fetal development, which cannot be determined one hundred percent.
In obstetric practice, the date of the first day of the last menstruation is used. Error this method is only 7-14 days. The obstetric period is calculated in two ways: 10 average menstrual cycles (28x10) or 280 days are added to the first day of the last menstruation; in the second case, subtract 3 months from the same date and add (Nägele’s formula) 7 days. Ideally, when the date of ovulation is known exactly (days 12-16 of the menstrual cycle), you can add 264 days.
Note! At an appointment with a gynecologist future mommy finds out the obstetric period, since doctors do not take into account other calculations.
Ultrasonography
For many years, the ultrasound method has been quite actively used in the diagnosis of fetal development. The most accurate gestational age is obtained using studies conducted on the most early stage pregnancy - up to 8 weeks. The development of healthy embryos these days is identical and the gestation period can be determined by the size of the fetus up to a day. Subsequently, children begin to show their individuality; any healthy fetus may develop minor deviations (for example, height is slightly below normal or the size of the head is slightly larger). If this difference falls within a period of no more than 7-10 days, then doctors usually do not take this circumstance into account, but if it is a period of two or more weeks, then doctors make a diagnosis intrauterine retention development of the fetus and recommend paying attention to the correct balanced diet, walks, healthy image life that will help normalize the development of the embryo.
A consultation with a gynecologist on the first day of a delay regarding pregnancy is usually not necessary, since the doctor will not yet be able to determine whether the uterus is enlarged as a result of PMS or conception. The noticeable growth of this female organ in connection with pregnancy begins only at the end of the first trimester. In the second or third week of a missed period (5-6 weeks), the uterus reaches the size chicken egg, at 8 weeks - goose, at 10 - usually acquires the size of a woman's fist.
HCG and gestational age
How to correctly calculate the gestational age using human chorionic gonadotropin? A blood test from a vein is ideally used not to determine the timing of “ interesting situation", and for early diagnosis possible complications. In the second week, an approximate table of hCG values in the blood of a pregnant woman contains a parameter from 25 to 150 honey units per ml, and in the eighth week – up to 70 thousand honey units per ml. Serious deviations from the table values indicate a serious pathology, such as a frozen or ectopic pregnancy.
First fetal movement
Doctors say that in pregnant women for the first time, the feeling of the internal presence of the baby occurs exactly at 20 weeks of pregnancy, in repeat pregnant women - at 18 weeks. This date is important stage in correctly calculating the gestational age. It is easy to notice the movement, especially when lying on your back.
Uterus length
Starting from the second trimester of pregnancy, gynecologists measure the length of the uterus with a centimeter tape in a patient lying on the couch. U expectant mother Every week the uterus increases in size by about a centimeter. In addition, there are special tables that can be found in manuals on gynecology and obstetrics.
Heart sounds
The heart of the embryo begins to beat already at four and a half weeks (or 2-3 weeks after a woman’s missed period). This is noticeable during early ultrasound examinations. Through an obstetric stethoscope, the fetal heartbeat is heard much later, approximately after the date the unborn baby begins to move. Poor hearing can be caused by the placenta located closer to the anterior wall of the uterus or significant abdominal deposits of adipose tissue.
No matter how hard you try to correctly calculate the gestational age to the day, most likely it will hardly be possible. This can only be done tentatively. Your baby will be born into this world only according to the laws of Mother Nature, when he is ready for it. Good luck to you in this difficult and noble task!
Video
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The pregnancy calendar is a kind of list of all important points pregnancy. You can also use it to calculate your due date. In order to calculate when a long-awaited event will happen, you simply need to:
- Remember the date of your last period, for example: December 17, 2015.
- Then the most likely date of conception: January 1, 2016.
- Estimated date of birth of the child: September 22, 2016.
You can determine the expected date of birth yourself using simple diagram calculation. To do this, you need to remember the date of the first day of your last menstruation and add 280 days to this number.
Online pregnancy calculator
Especially for you, dear expectant mothers, the site has developed an online pregnancy calendar. With it, you can easily find out the date of expected birth, the age of the baby in the tummy, how many days are left until significant event, and also find out who your baby’s zodiac sign will be.
Why do pregnant women and doctors need to know what stage of pregnancy it is? Firstly, to determine the due date, secondly, to adequately monitor the baby’s development, correcting possible developmental delays in a timely manner, and thirdly, to determine the date of maternity leave.
I would like to make a reservation right away that there is a difference between obstetric and true pregnancy periods. Obstetricians begin to count the gestational age from the 1st day of the last menstruation. This is quite justified, because from this moment the egg begins to mature, which will later be fertilized by a sperm, a zygote is formed and implanted in the uterus, a fertilized egg with an embryo, and then a fetus (after 12 weeks of pregnancy) will begin to develop. The duration of pregnancy from the first day of the last menstruation until birth is about 10 lunar months or 280 days or 40 weeks. However, each fruit has its own term intrauterine development- from 37 to 42 weeks. This depends on many factors, but is primarily determined genetically. It is necessary to ask at what stage of pregnancy the patient herself, the father of the child was born, and until what period the pregnancy of the maternal relative was carried to term.
The true pregnancy period lags behind the obstetric date by two weeks - it is counted from the day of ovulation and conception. Thus, to determine the obstetric gestational age, two weeks must be added to the true one.
How to find out the gestational age by ovulation and date of conception
Ovulation is the very period of the menstrual cycle when conception of a child can occur. During ovulation, a mature egg is released from a woman’s ovary into the fallopian tube and “awaits” sperm there. Unprotected sexual intercourse at such a time is more or less healthy woman and men will most likely lead to pregnancy. The date of ovulation is used to determine the duration of pregnancy.
A woman ovulates around the middle of her menstrual cycle (but not every month). If your menstrual cycle is 28 days, then ovulation will occur somewhere on the 14th day, with a 35-day menstrual cycle - on the 17-18th day of the cycle. Exact date pregnancy should be counted starting from the day of ovulation.
Ovulation can also be determined at home, using special tests sold in almost any pharmacy, or by regularly measuring basal temperature(temperature in the rectum). Throughout the first half of the cycle it will remain at approximately the same level - below 37 degrees. The day before ovulation it will decrease slightly. And on the day of ovulation and on all subsequent days you will maintain a level of 37-37.2 degrees. Thus, you can calculate the duration of pregnancy (), if it began in the menstrual cycle when you determined your ovulation.
There are women who can determine their ovulation without any tests or temperature measurements, simply by subjective feelings– pain in the lower abdomen, increased libido, increased amount of vaginal discharge. It is easy for such sensitive women to determine the duration of pregnancy on their own.
Most exact way Determining the gestational age by the date of ovulation is an ultrasound. This is the only way to accurately see ovulation. But it’s problematic to go for an ultrasound every day for a week, or even longer. And financially, such “pleasure” will not be available to every woman. Trying to determine your ovulation only so that you can later accurately calculate the duration of your pregnancy is inappropriate. There are more simple ways calculating the gestational age already, in fact, after the onset of an interesting situation.
The number of days (weeks) at the time of examination of the pregnant woman is counted from the first date of the last menstruation. To determine the day of birth, add 280 days (10 lunar months) to the first day of the last menstruation or use the Naegele formula: subtract 3 months from the start date of the last menstruation and add 7 days. This method cannot be used in women with irregular menstrual cycles.
Determining the gestational age by gynecological examination.
If you come for an examination to a gynecologist in the first weeks of pregnancy (at 3-4 weeks), then it will not be difficult for the doctor to accurately determine the gestational age. In this case, it is performed based on the size of the uterus. For example, at 4 weeks of pregnancy the size of the uterus can be compared to a chicken egg, at 8 weeks - to a goose egg. An experienced gynecologist is able to determine the gestational age through a vaginal examination with an accuracy of one day. It will be difficult to accurately determine the gestational age beyond 8-12 weeks simply based on the size of the uterus. Since starting from the second trimester of pregnancy, the size of the uterus may differ in women at the same stage of pregnancy.
Determination of gestational age by ultrasound.
Of course, here, as with the previous method, much depends on the qualifications of the doctor who interprets the results. Ultrasound data obtained before the 12th week of pregnancy are considered the most correct for determining the date of expected birth. At this stage, the determination of the gestational age is based on the measurement ovum, its average internal diameter.
In the second and third trimesters, the gestational age is determined based on the determination of such parameters as fetal head circumference, average diameter chest and fetal tummy, fetal abdominal circumference. The most reliable information is considered to be obtained by measuring the circumference of the baby's head.
However, in general it is believed that late dates During pregnancy, the error in determining the due date using ultrasound increases. This is understandable: after all, each child develops individually, and at the end of pregnancy, the size of the fetus, which the doctor focuses on in his calculations, can vary significantly depending on the characteristics of a particular child.
With all the variety of methods for determining the date of the upcoming birth, there is no one “absolutely accurate” method, as we have already said. Therefore, we can say that a more or less accurate determination of the date of the upcoming birth is possible if all the data obtained are not contradictory, but complement and reinforce each other.
Although even in this case, the date of birth may shift by one or two weeks in one direction or another due to the fact that term birth (that is, birth at term) can occur in the period from 38 to 42 weeks of pregnancy.
Determining the gestational age by the first movement.
Primipara women begin to feel the first movements of the baby at 20 weeks of pregnancy. Multiparous women a little earlier - at 18 weeks. Gynecologists recommend that a woman remember the date of her first movement and be sure to include it in the pregnant woman’s dispensary card. This is of great importance when determining the due date of pregnancy and childbirth. For example, in order to determine the date of birth, it is necessary to add 20 weeks (or 4.5 months) to the date of the first movement; for multiparous women, it is necessary to add 18 weeks or 5 months.
But this method of determining the gestational age is not always correct. There are women who, even in their first pregnancy, feel the baby’s movements much earlier due date at 20 weeks, at 17 weeks, or even earlier. Such early movements are especially often observed in skinny women. There are women who feel the first movements 2 weeks later than expected.
Doctors have their own opinion about such early movements and setting the gestational age based on them. Most experts believe that women before the due date do not feel the baby’s movements at all, but the “work” of the intestines. After all, as you know, most pregnant women suffer from increased gas formation...
Determination of gestational age by measuring the length of the uterus and fetus.
You can calculate the gestational age in a more complex way. Only a gynecologist can make such a calculation. You are unlikely to succeed on your own. So, in order to measure the length of the uterus, a woman lies down on the couch and straightens her legs. It is necessary to empty the bladder first, otherwise errors in the determination may occur. the right time pregnancy. The length of the uterus is measured using a measuring tape or pelvis gauge. Usually the length of the uterus is equal to the number of weeks. For example, the length of the uterus is 36 cm, which means the gestational age is also 36 weeks.
Nowadays, the development of the medical industry and technology makes it possible to make accurate diagnostics and predictions regarding the state of human health. This fully applies to the course of pregnancy. If previously no one could predict the date of birth or the sex of the child, today it is quite possible normal phenomena. Today, even the duration of pregnancy can be determined in several ways and even without medical participation. Let's find out about this in detail.
Why do you need to know your gestational age?
If we talk about methods for determining the duration of pregnancy, some can be called not very accurate, but convenient and accessible to most women, while others, more accurate, require special diagnostic examinations.
All these methods for determining the period serve one purpose - competent monitoring of the course of pregnancy and fetal development. Knowing the exact number of weeks of pregnancy makes it possible to timely diagnose developmental pathologies of the unborn child (for example, Down syndrome), deviations from the norm, and accurately determine the date of future birth. When the doctor knows the gestational age, then using ultrasound it is possible to compare generally accepted indicators and characteristics of fetal development with a specific pregnancy. So, let's look at ways to determine the duration of pregnancy with their advantages and disadvantages.
How to determine the gestational age by the date of conception?
Conceiving a child is the fusion of an egg and a sperm, which occurs within a day or two after ovulation. Some ladies feel it based on certain symptoms, others purchase special tests to identify it, and still others measure theirs for this purpose. Therefore, it is easiest for the category of women who feel the onset of ovulation and know the day of conception to independently determine the duration of pregnancy.
But even if you accurately calculate the day of conception (if sexual intercourse was only once), gynecologists, for a number of reasons, put the gestational age at 2 weeks longer. Pregnant women consider this a sign of pregnancy large child. Unfortunately, in the first weeks the size of the embryos is almost the same. Doctors simply state the gestational age. It is used to calculate the date of future birth. Therefore, knowing your gestational age by the day of conception is interesting for the pregnant woman herself, and not for her doctor.
By the way, some expectant mothers keep their due date calendar until the end of pregnancy. Then it will be simply interesting to compare it with the doctor’s term, to determine whose was more accurate.
The first movement of the unborn child is an important parameter in the course of pregnancy. After all, doctors, as a rule, write down future date birth depending on ultrasound readings in the first trimester and the day of the baby. Women giving birth for the first time feel such movements at the twentieth week of pregnancy, and multiparous women a little earlier - at 18 weeks.
How do doctors determine the gestational age?
When a pregnant woman comes to antenatal clinic for the first time, the gynecologist necessarily examines her on the chair. Gynecological examination helps in identifying existing problems and determining the duration of pregnancy. Good doctors They can quite accurately (with an accuracy of up to half a week), as well as the location of the fetus (meaning its likely location outside the uterus).
You should know that a gynecological examination of a pregnant woman with a delay of 3-4 weeks, that is, at a period of 5-6 weeks, reveals a slightly enlarged uterus. It is approximately the same size as a chicken egg. And at 8 weeks the uterus is the size of a goose egg. Approximately the size of a woman's fist, she is the size of 10 weeks pregnant. Without any problems, the gynecologist determines the size of the uterus after 12-14 weeks of pregnancy. We are talking about the length of the uterus when examining a pregnant woman on the couch. In this case, the doctor uses a measuring tape.
How to determine the gestational age from the last menstruation?
Determining the duration of pregnancy by menstruation is called the obstetric period. How is it calculated?
This is not difficult, because the date of ovulation in this case is not taken into account. The duration of menstruation itself is not important. The doctor needs to know the date of the first day of the pregnant woman's last menstrual period. It is from this day that the doctor begins to calculate the gestational age. That is, if you went to the antenatal clinic one week after the delay and are absolutely sure that your pregnancy is 3 weeks, then the gynecologist will give you a 5-week pregnancy.
How to determine the gestational age using ultrasound?
Traditionally, a woman’s first ultrasound examination is prescribed at 12-14 weeks of pregnancy. But at this estimated time it is problematic to establish its accuracy. After all, the embryos of all expectant mothers develop equally only in the first weeks after conception. Then the doctor is able to determine the period with an accuracy of one day, and clarify the position of the child in the absence of a heartbeat. And if the ultrasound shows any abnormalities, then a repeat examination is prescribed after a week or ten days to accurately determine the abnormalities and exclude a frozen pregnancy.
That is, it is possible to determine the gestational age by ultrasound only at early stages. During the next two planned ultrasounds, doctors will set the gestational age in accordance with the parameters of the body parts of the unborn child, his head. However, we should not forget that the second half of pregnancy is a purely individual development kids. After all, the birth at term of girls and boys weighing 2800 g and 4000 g is considered normal.
At what date will an hCG test show pregnancy?
Recall that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is one of the the most important indicators the presence of pregnancy, its normal development. HCG is a hormone that is produced in the body of a pregnant woman after the implantation of the fertilized egg into the wall of the uterus, that is, after implantation of the embryo. This occurs already on the sixth to eighth day after fertilization of the female egg. It is the presence of this hormone in the blood and urine that is the basis for pregnancy testing. Traditional tests, sold at pharmacies, detect the presence of this hormone with two strips.
In the first trimester of pregnancy, this hormone stimulates the production of progesterone and estrogen. These two female hormones are necessary to maintain the normal course of pregnancy.
You should know that in the first weeks the level of human chorionic gonadotropin doubles approximately every 2-3 days. An increase of 60 percent in two days is considered normal. As pregnancy progresses, the increase in hCG levels decreases. Namely, at 8-9 weeks of pregnancy, the level of human chorionic gonadotropin stops growing. On the contrary, it begins to decline at a slow pace.
By the way, when multiple pregnancy In women, the level of this hormone increases in accordance with the number of fetuses. That is, if there are three fetuses, then the hCG level is three times higher than normal. It is the standard, generally accepted norms of this hormone for different dates pregnancy are the main determinants of this period.
It should be taken into account that the gestational age is hCG level does not coincide with obstetric calculations. Why is this happening? The fact is that human chorionic gonadotropin determines the gestational age relative to the day the child is conceived. It essentially reflects the age of the unborn baby. But the obstetric gestational age is determined by the doctor relative to the date of the last menstruation and is not related to the date of conception of the child.
So, using the above methods you can accurately determine the gestational age. However, it is recommended to take into account that with the most correct calculations, your baby may be born earlier or later. Therefore, the main task of the expectant mother is to do everything in her power for a healthy pregnancy and the safe birth of a daughter or son.
Especially for Elena TOLOCHIK