How to Calculate Due Date for Pregnancy
Now that you know you are pregnant, you will have a lot of questions and plenty of things to learn about. You will likewise need to routinely answer one of the most widely recognized inquiries that pregnant ladies are posed: when are you due? While it is difficult to know the exact due date of your baby without the help of your doctor, there is a way to calculate your due date on your own.
Things You’ll Need:
- Calendar
3 Steps to Calculate Due Date for Pregnancy
1. Use a calendar to find the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP).
The LMP formula is often used by doctors to determine the due date and it assumes that conception occurs within two weeks after the first day of your last menstrual period.
2. Tally 40 weeks from the principal day of your last period.
A full term pregnancy is between 38 and 42 weeks long with the average being 40 weeks. Your doctor might go by Naegle’s Rule to come up with the same due date in which you count backwards three months from the first day of your LMP and add seven days to the date. Either method will result in the same estimated due date.
3. Consider the factors that have an impact on your due date and discuss them with your doctor.
Because the LMP formula is based on the idea that you have a regular menstrual cycle that lasts 28 days, your actual due date may be two weeks after or before your estimated due date. There is only no real way to know without a doubt what day you will start giving birth and conceive an offspring. If you have irregular periods or periods that are longer or shorter than the average five to six days, then you should discuss this with your doctor. Your doctor or midwife will be able to do an ultrasound or measure the size of your belly to get a better idea of when you are due.
Use the pregnancy due date calculator found in the resource section of this article for a faster way to find your estimated due date.
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