How Long Is the Average Pregnancy?
The average pregnancy lasts 266 days, about 40 weeks or nine months. The days start on the date of conception, but few couples know the exact moment of conception. If you remember when you had unprotected intercourse, add 266 days to that date and you’ll have your very own due date calculator.
Last Menstrual Period Calculation
If the exact date of conception is unknown, you can use your last menstrual period as a due date calculator. Grab a calendar and put a large star on the first day of your last menstrual period. Count 280 days into the future and place a smiley face on the day you land on. This is the expected due date for your pregnancy based on your last menstrual period.
Can Estimated Due Dates be Incorrect?
Estimated due date are educated guesses and nothing more. Each pregnancy is unique just like normal menstrual cycles differ between women. Some women have a history of shorter gestational periods or preterm delivery. This history could alter the expected due date, but the attending obstetrician will use the expected due date as a guide for fetal health, development and growth. The ideal pregnancy will last 40 weeks because it takes about 40 weeks for the fetus to achieve optimal development for life outside the womb.
Due dates can also be off if the date of the last menstrual period is not accurately reported. Typically the due date will be adjusted based on prenatal blood work or pregnancy ultrasound. But, even fetal size and hormone levels vary between women, so the due date is nothing more than a flexible estimate on which prenatal care is based.
Find Out Your Due Date Now
The simplest way to find out your due date is to use a due date calculator online. The calculators use a mathematical equation based on the information you provide to tell you when your baby is due without hassle or wait.
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Due Date Calculator: When is My Pregnancy Due?
Finding out you are pregnant is an amazing feeling. You immediately start planning where baby’s room will be located, how it will look and your brain sets afire with a thousand possible baby names. Then, the most important question of all smashes your mind like a freight train – when is my baby due? Your doctor will use a combination of tools and prediction models to give you an estimated due date, but you don’t have to wait until that first doctor’s visit to find out when you can expect baby.