Pregnancy is one of the most interesting and enjoyable changes in life. This time always carries a huge number of different questions. When a woman is pregnant, she certainly wants to know everything about her current condition. About how the baby develops by weeks, how she herself changes, and, of course, I want to know when the baby will be born.
Determining the due date based on the date of the last menstrual period
It is quite easy to calculate the gestational age. This can be done as follows: add 40 weeks to the first day of the last menstruation, as a result, you will get an approximate date of birth. On an ultrasound scan, which is normally done three times (at 12-14, 22-24, 34-36 weeks), the doctor will also set you a certain period based on how the fetus develops. Most often, this date coincides with the calculations according to this scheme.
Let's say that the first day of the last period is March 3, 2014. We add 40 weeks and we get December 8, 2014.
Calculations by date of conception and day of ovulation
Determining the date of birth by the date of conception is also quite simple. A woman's body is able to conceive a child only during ovulation. Ovulation is the release of a mature egg from the ovary, which occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle. Knowing the date of ovulation is easy enough to calculate the date of the upcoming birth.
Some women tend to feel the moment of ovulation. This is expressed in a stabbing or pulling sensation in the lower abdomen and an increase in the amount of discharge. You can accurately determine the date of ovulation using an ultrasound scan. If you do not know the exact date of ovulation, then simply calculate the middle of your menstrual cycle and add 280 days to this day. For example, if your cycle is 28 days, then the approximate date of ovulation is 12-14 days. Add 10 lunar months to this date (which is 280 days), and as a result, you will get the approximate date of birth of the baby.
If you decide to calculate the date of future birth by the day of conception, then this option will be even more reliable, especially if you had a single intercourse in the last cycle. However, it should be remembered that the day of conception may not coincide with the day of intercourse. The fact is that sperm cells can be stored in a woman's body "alive" for several days. For example, if intercourse occurred on the 10th day of the menstrual cycle, then ovulation and the process of conception could happen on the 12th day.
When making calculations, remember that labor may not start right on time, but may occur two weeks earlier or later. Quite often it happens. This situation is quite common, but it is still advisable to know the approximate date of birth in order to protect yourself as much as possible at such a crucial moment in your life.
