beginning of content 1-minute read Show Once you have confirmed that you are pregnant, you will want to find out when your baby is due to arrive. The average pregnancy is calculated at 282 days (40 weeks) from the first day of your last menstrual period. However babies rarely keep to an exact timetable, so a full-term pregnancy can be anywhere between 37 and 42 weeks. A baby born before 37 weeks is considered to be premature and anything past 42 weeks is considered overdue. Due dates are usually calculated on your last period instead of the date of conception because of a number of reasons.
If your periods are irregular or you are unsure of the date, an ultrasound will help determine the development of the embryo and your due date. Ultrasound scans can be done at any stage of pregnancy after the first 6 weeks. The best timing for an ultrasound to determine the due date is between 8 weeks and 13 weeks 6 days. You can use the Pregnancy, Birth and Baby due date calculator to work out when your baby is due. Some doctors will refer to your due date as 'expected date of confinement' or EDC. Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content. Last reviewed: July 2021 To estimate your conception date based on your menstrual cycle, simply add approximately two weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period you had before you became pregnant. This should give you the start of your ovulation period, when your body is most fertile and likely to become pregnant. Ovulation is a normal part of a woman’s monthly cycle, and it usually happens about two weeks after your menstrual period ends. Keep in mind that this method isn’t 100% accurate. It is possible to become pregnant at any time during the month, not just during your ovulation period. You can even become pregnant during your menstrual period. Also, remember that these estimates are based on the average woman’s regular 28-day menstrual cycle. If your cycles are irregular, this method may not work for you. You should also know that a man’s sperm can stay alive inside your uterus and fallopian tubes for several days after intercourse. In other words, you might not actually conceive until days after having intercourse. BabyCenter's Due Date CalculatorUse our pregnancy due date calculator by plugging in either the date of your last menstrual cycle or the date you know you conceived. The calculator will do the rest. How is my due date calculated?There are several ways your due date is determined. If you happen to know the day you conceived, you can count 38 weeks from that day to find your due date. (Human gestation takes about 38 weeks.) But very few expectant moms know exactly when they conceived. Even if you only had sex once during your fertile period, you wouldn't conceive on that day unless you happen to be ovulating. Sperm can live for up to five days inside your fallopian tubes. So, it could be up to five days after you have sex that you release an egg (ovulate) and it gets fertilized by a waiting sperm. That's the day you conceive. So, without knowing the day of conception, how does anyone determine a due date? First day of your last periodThe most common way to calculate your pregnancy due date is by counting 40 weeks from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP). And that's how most healthcare providers do it. If your menstrual cycle length is the average length (28-day cycle), your menstrual cycle probably started about two weeks before you conceived. This explains why pregnancies are said to last 40 weeks instead of 38 weeks. This method doesn't take into account how long your menstrual cycle actually is or when you think you might have conceived. But generally speaking, women typically ovulate about two weeks after their menstrual cycle starts. And women are more likely to know when their last period started than the day they ovulated. Conception dateIf you do happen to know precisely when you conceived – say, if you were using an ovulation predictor kit or tracking your ovulation symptoms – you can calculate your pregnancy due date based on your conception date. Just choose that calculation method from the pulldown above and put in your date. Note: Again, you don't necessarily conceive on the day you have sex. IVF transfer dateIf you conceived through IVF, you can calculate your due date using your IVF transfer date. If you had a Day 5 embryo transfer, count 261 days from your transfer date. If you had a Day 3 embryo transfer, count 263 days. Can my due date change?Your healthcare provider might revise your due date if your baby is measured during a first trimester ultrasound scan and found to be much bigger or smaller than expected for gestational age. This is more likely to happen if you have an irregular menstrual cycle length that makes it hard to pinpoint the date of conception. Your healthcare provider will measure your baby during that ultrasound exam to figure out how far along your baby is and then provide you with a new due date. What if I already know my due date?If you already know your due date, you can use this calculator to see your pregnancy timeline. It will tell you when you'll hit various milestones, and when you may be due for prenatal tests and prenatal visits. You'll also find what your baby's sign and birthstone will probably be and which famous people were born on your due date. How likely am I to give birth on my due date?Of course, a due date calculation is always approximate, whether it's from our tool or from your doctor or midwife. Only 1 in 20 women delivers on their due date. You're just as likely to go into labor any day during the two weeks before or after. Want more information about how the weeks, months, and trimesters of pregnancy are counted? See our pregnancy timing chart. How soon can I take a pregnancy test?With all this talk about pregnancy due dates, you may be wondering when you can take a pregnancy test. To ensure you get the most accurate reading, it's best to wait a few days after your missed period to take a pregnancy test. At-home urine tests measure the amount of hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotropin) present in your body. If you take a pregnancy test before you miss your period, you may not get an accurate result, despite what some tests advertise. If you're getting a blood test in your provider's office, you may get results sooner. These tests also measure the amount of hCG in your bloodstream, but they're more sensitive than at-home urine tests. Blood tests may be able to detect pregnancy six to eight days after ovulation. Read more
|
