How to determine the gestational age at home. How to determine how many weeks of pregnancy: an accurate calculation by day at home. Term detection can be done in several ways.
Pregnancy is a long-awaited and desired event for many women. And now it will be interesting for you to find out everything about your situation: how pregnancy develops by weeks, what happens in the body. And it is with the help of the pregnancy calendar that you can do this very quickly and easily.
Pregnancy Calendar is a convenient and useful service for future parents of moms and dads, which will tell you in great detail about pregnancy by weeks. He can be your companion throughout the entire period of pregnancy up to the birth itself.
Pregnancy is divided into 3 trimesters:
- First trimester - 1-13 weeks after conception
- Second trimester - 14-26 weeks
- Third trimester - 27-40 weeks
How does the fetus develop during each trimester? Our pregnancy calendar will give you the answer.
Why you need a pregnancy calendar
The pregnancy calendar will tell expectant mothers about how their baby changes and grows at one time or another, how its organs develop, how the baby gains weight. Our pregnancy calendar will tell you what to do and what to abstain from at each stage of pregnancy, which doctors to visit, how to eat and what lifestyle to lead so that your baby is born healthy.
Also, our online pregnancy calendar will help you find out in which week with the help of ultrasound you can determine the girl you have to be born or the boy.
It is this weekly pregnancy calendar that gynecologists use when determining the age and development of the fetus. But there is also the age of the fetus, which differs from the menstrual period of pregnancy by 2 weeks.
In addition, this online pregnancy calendar allows expectant mothers to communicate and share their feelings and impressions with friends in an interesting position every week of pregnancy. Leave your comments and you will find out who has the same feelings and what they can mean.
But you need to know that the body of each pregnant woman is different, and our calendar does not take into account individual characteristics menstrual cycle, so the calendar contains information common to all. All dates are approximate, as the length of the menstrual cycle varies from woman to woman and can vary, as a rule, from 24 to 36 days. In addition, you need to take into account the fact that the cycle may be irregular.
Reviews
Galina Chalay
I approached the moment of conception very consciously and, of course, I take my pregnancy responsibly. It is very important for me to know what happens to the baby at each stage of his development. After all, from the moment of conception, he is my child, whom I must take care of. Therefore, I always look with pleasure at the pregnancy calendar and read how my son lives in my tummy.
Natalia Semerichko
For me, the most important thing was that by reading about my week of pregnancy, I could chat on the forum and discuss feelings with other expectant mothers who are at the same time.
Maria Krylova
This calendar helped me learn a lot about my future baby. useful information. During this period, I was most interested in how he was in my tummy. After all, this was my first pregnancy. Very convenient and helpful service. Thanks a lot!
Send your feedback about the Pregnancy Calendar to [email protected] website
Firstly, in this way a woman will know when she will need to prepare for being sent to the hospital. Secondly, knowing the gestational age, the doctor will be able to monitor the development of the baby, correcting the possible developmental delay in time. Finally, this date will become the basis for issuing maternity leave.
I want to make a reservation right away that they distinguish between obstetric and true terms of pregnancy. Obstetricians start counting gestational age from the 1st day of the last menstruation. This is quite justified, because from this moment the egg begins to mature, which the sperm will later fertilize, after which the zygote 1 is formed and implanted in the uterus and the fetal egg with the embryo begins to develop, and then (after 12 weeks of pregnancy) - with the fetus. The duration of pregnancy from the first day of the last menstruation to childbirth is about 10 lunar months, or 280 days, or 40 weeks. True gestational age lags behind obstetric by 2 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 determine the gestational age
- On the day of conception, which coincides with the day of ovulation. If a woman measures the temperature in the rectum (rectal temperature) or, according to indications, makes an ultrasound several times during the menstrual cycle (this is necessary for drug stimulation of ovulation), then this day is known for sure. These methods are usually used by women who are being treated for infertility. Rectal temperature is measured daily at the same time - in the morning, without getting out of bed. In the first half of the menstrual cycle, the temperature is not higher than 37 degrees, on the day of ovulation the temperature rises above 37 degrees. You can’t navigate by the day of sexual intercourse: spermatozoa enter the uterus and the fallopian tubes and can live there for 3-4, and sometimes up to 7 days, waiting for the release of the egg from the follicle. That is, the day of sexual intercourse does not necessarily coincide with the day of conception, and the day of ovulation is the day of conception, since the egg after leaving the ovary can exist for no more than a day. It follows from this that it is better for women seeking to become pregnant to have intercourse a few days before ovulation than to be one day late.
- Reliable (up to 2-3 days) is considered by ultrasound at the most early dates- up to 6-7 weeks, when the embryo grows proportionally and its size in all women with the same gestational age will be identical. When performing the following ultrasound examinations, the size of the fetus will vary in patients from different ethnic groups, with different body weights, the weight of the mother and father at birth will matter, and so on. That is, at a later date, normally developing children of the same “age” may have different sizes (within + 3 weeks).
- By date of last menstrual period. This is also a reliable count, but for women with a regular menstrual cycle. When menstruation is delayed, it is necessary to compare terms of pregnancy according to various indicators. Find out an approximate due date you can, if you add 280 days to the day of the last menstruation. To facilitate the calculation, a formula was invented: -3 + 7. Three months must be subtracted from the month in which the last menstruation occurred, and seven days must be added to the number of the last menstruation. For example, if your last period started on June 20, then estimated due date at (exactly 40 weeks) will be March 27; if October 2, then the addition to the family should be expected on July 9.
- By the first movement of the fetus. It's not very accurate determining the duration of pregnancy. Women begin to feel the movement of the child at 18-20 weeks. So for determining the term of childbirth 20-22 weeks must be added to the date of the first movement. However, multiparous or lean patients may feel fetal movement as early as 16 weeks.
Defining due date, the doctor usually uses not one, but several methods: this increases the reliability of the count. At the same time, the most reliable are the determination by the date of ovulation and by early ultrasound.
However, the child's birthday does not always coincide with the date given by the doctor. But the reason is not a miscalculation. The fact is that the period of gestational development (intrauterine life) of the fetus can range from 37 to 42 weeks. This period depends on many factors, but first of all it is genetically determined. Therefore, when establishing the estimated date of delivery, the doctor may ask what week of pregnancy the patient herself and the father of the child were born, as well as how long the maternal relatives carried the pregnancy. Therefore, if you gave birth a little earlier or later than the appointed time, you have no reason to worry.
1 Zygote - (from the Greek zyg?tós - connected together), a fertilized egg; a cell formed in animals and plants as a result of the fusion of male and female germ cells; early stage of embryonic development.
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 earlier no one could predict the date of birth, the sex of the child, today these are quite normal phenomena. Today, even the gestational age can be determined in several ways, and even without medical participation. Let's learn about it in detail.
Why do you need to know the gestational age?
If we talk about methods for determining the duration of pregnancy, then some can be called not too accurate, but convenient and accessible to most women, while others, more accurate, require special diagnostic examinations.
All these methods for determining the term serve one goal - competent observation of the course of pregnancy, the development of the fetus. 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 with the help of ultrasound it is possible to compare the generally accepted indicators and characteristics of the development of the fetus with a specific pregnancy. So, let's look at ways to determine the gestational age with their advantages and disadvantages.
How to determine the gestational age by the date of conception?
Conception of a child is the fusion of an egg and a sperm, which occurs within a day or two after ovulation. Some ladies feel it for certain symptoms, others acquire special tests to identify it, and still others measure theirs for this. Therefore, for the category of women who feel the onset of ovulation and know the day of conception, it is easiest to determine the gestational age on their own.
But even if you accurately calculate the day of conception (if the sexual intercourse was once), gynecologists, for a number of reasons, put the gestation period longer by 2 weeks. Pregnant women consider this a sign of bearing a large child. Unfortunately, in the first weeks, the size of the embryos almost does not differ. Doctors simply ascertain the gestational age. According to it, the date of future birth is calculated. 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 own due date calendar until the end of pregnancy. Then it will be simply interesting to compare it and the medical 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 the future term of childbirth, depending on the ultrasound readings in the first trimester and on the day of the baby. Women who give birth for the first time feel such movements at the twentieth week of pregnancy, and those who give birth a little earlier - at 18 weeks.
How do doctors determine the duration of pregnancy?
When a pregnant woman comes to the antenatal clinic for the first time, the gynecologist must examine her in the chair. Gynecological examination helps in identifying existing problems and determining the gestational age. Good doctors can quite accurately (up to half a week), as well as the location of the fetus (meaning its probable location outside the uterus).
You should know that gynecological examination a pregnant woman with a delay of 3-4 weeks, that is, for a period of 5-6 weeks, states a slightly enlarged uterus. Its size is approximately the same as that of a chicken egg. And at 8 weeks, the uterus is the size of a goose egg. Approximately in the female fist, it has the size of 10 weeks of pregnancy. 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 centimeter tape.
How to determine the gestational age by 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 ovulation period in this case is not taken into account. The duration of the menstruation itself is not important either. The doctor needs to know the date of the first day of the last menstruation of a pregnant woman. 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 sure that your pregnancy is 3 weeks, then the gynecologist will give you a period of 5 weeks.
How to determine the gestational age by ultrasound?
Traditionally, the first ultrasound examination for a woman is prescribed at 12-14 weeks of pregnancy. But it is problematic to establish its accuracy at this estimated period. After all, embryos in all expectant mothers develop the same way only in the first weeks after conception. Then the doctor is able to determine the period with an accuracy of one day, to clarify the location of the child in the absence of a heartbeat. And if the ultrasound shows any deviations, then a second examination is prescribed in a week or ten days to accurately determine the deviations and exclude a missed pregnancy.
That is, it is possible to determine the gestational age by ultrasound only in the early stages. With two subsequent planned ultrasounds, doctors will set the gestational age in accordance with the parameters of the parts of the body of the unborn child, his head. However, we should not forget that the second half of pregnancy is a purely individual development of babies. After all, the birth of girls and boys weighing 2800 g and 4000 g is considered normal.
How long does an hCG test show pregnancy?
Recall that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is one of the key indicators the presence of pregnancy, its normal development. HCG is a hormone that is produced in the body of a pregnant woman after the introduction of the fetal egg into the wall of the uterus, that is, after the implantation of the embryo. This happens already on the sixth or eighth day after the fertilization of the female egg. It is the presence of this hormone in the blood and urine that is the basis of pregnancy testing. Traditional tests, which are sold in pharmacies, determine 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 essential for maintaining 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. Its increase by 60 percent in two days is considered to be the norm. With increasing gestational age, the increase in hCG levels decreases. Namely, at a period of 8-9 weeks of pregnancy, the level of chorionic gonadotropin ceases to grow. On the contrary, it begins to decline at a slow pace.
By the way, during a woman's multiple pregnancy, the level of this hormone increases in accordance with the number of fetuses. That is, if there are three fetuses, then the level of hCG is three times higher than normal. It is the standard, generally accepted norms of this hormone for different terms pregnancies are the main determinants of this term.
It should be noted that the gestational age hCG level does not match obstetric calculations. Why is this happening? The point is that by chorionic gonadotropin the gestational age is stated relative to the day of conception of the child. It, in fact, displays the age of the unborn baby. But obstetric term pregnancy is determined by the doctor in relation to the date of the last menstruation and is not associated with the term of conception of the child.
So, the above methods can accurately determine the gestational age. However, it is recommended to take into account the fact that with the most correct calculations, your baby may be born earlier than this period, and 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.
Specially for Elena TOLOCHIK
During planning and during pregnancy, each girl takes care of herself more carefully than usual. You want to see the long-awaited result almost immediately. And then she is interested and finds ways: how to determine pregnancy in the early stages at home.
Today you can find many different methods. Some have been used since ancient times, others are modern. It is required to know some general symptoms of the onset of fertilization, therefore, you need to study your body.
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Is it possible to determine pregnancy before a missed period?
Pregnancy is manifested by special signs in the first days after conception:
- nausea;
- irritability.
How to identify them is described below. Having identified similar symptoms, this will not absolutely mean that conception has occurred. Often a girl thinks up many signs for herself. The methods described below will help pacify curiosity and impatience and determine pregnancy before a missed period.
But there is a chance that these home research methods will show the wrong answer. It is recommended to use each of them almost immediately after conception.
The processes of transformation and change in the female body are launched from the moment the sperm enters the egg.
Next comes the attachment of the fetus to the uterus. Then folk and traditional ways will show the result. If none of the methods gave a positive answer, the woman should not despair. As you know, every organism is unique. The exit from the tubes and the fixation of the fetal egg takes a couple of days, for others this process can take a week. Do not rush to get upset, but try again a little later.
How many days after conception is it possible to determine?
Carrying a child under the heart is a magical period in the life of any girl, full of discoveries. Many with aspiration are waiting for the moment when they will be able to realize their main purpose on earth. And, of course, the girl begins to learn all the ways how to check pregnancy in the early stages at home.
Naturally, modern pharmacy tests show a plus sign with almost 100% accuracy. They respond to hCG, which constantly rises up to three months of pregnancy. In the first days after conception, this hormone allows you to determine pregnancy.
The reagent present in the tests starts working with a fairly high hCG level, corresponding to 3-4 weeks of pregnancy. Previously, the result may not appear.
A few days after conception, they try to determine pregnancy. You should set the day of ovulation: it is calculated independently, or using a special test. If 2 bright stripes are revealed, which means that in a day or two there will be ovulation. This is the most suitable day for conception. As a rule, during this period, women have abundant transparent selection, side aches, sometimes even nausea. It is generally accepted that the moment X falls on 5-7 days after the last menstruation. Again, every organism is unique. Fertilization can occur on time, immediately after menstruation.
At home, it is quite simple to determine pregnancy before conception. Every woman should study and know her body, be able to read the signal. After all, many signs make it clear to her what is happening in her body at the moment.
Now let's deal with ovulation. On this day, presumably, conception occurred. And a woman needs to be patient. After all, as written above, the fixation of the fetal egg takes place in different ways. As soon as this process is completed, hCG rises. It is this hormone that launches new processes, begins to prepare the body for the upcoming, difficult, nine months.
Armed with knowledge and scientific facts, the girl already understands how many days after conception or poorly protected intercourse it is worth trying to determine pregnancy. The common people have invented quite a few methods that answer an exciting question faster than a purchased test. How to try to determine pregnancy, starting from the first week after conception, is described below.
The first signs of pregnancy
It is possible to check pregnancy in the early stages as follows:
- enlarged belly;
- by allocations;
- with the addition of iodine or soda to the urine.
By the stomach
Of course, the stomach takes on a "pregnant" shape later. Nevertheless, the expectant mother notices that the jeans do not fasten. And here a problem arises, how to determine pregnancy by the stomach before a delay in the early stages, if it is not visible at all. This starts the processes that accompany a woman throughout her pregnancy.
During the first 4-6 weeks, the uterus changes slightly and it is completely imperceptible. Its parameters are comparable to chicken egg by the end of the first month. During gestation, blood flow throughout the body and the uterine area especially increases. There is a filling of the walls of the stomach with blood, as a result of a slight swelling of the mucous membrane. These processes lead to increased gas formation, constipation. Accordingly, the volume of the abdomen increases.
Many women will perceive these symptoms as indigestion, something wrong was eaten for dinner. But when the discomfort continues for more than one day, then it is worth considering whether pregnancy is possible.
According to basal temperature
Before the delay of menstruation, pregnancy is also determined by another scientifically based method. It is based on measuring basal temperature several days in a row before menstruation. Two or three days before menstruation, body degrees are slightly higher than normal, the indicator is overestimated by an average of one degree, this is due to a rush of blood, the release of an egg from the body.
You need to prepare in advance and find out all the nuances of how to determine pregnancy before a delay in basal temperature. It won't take a single day.
- On the bedside table I need to put a thermometer.
- Every morning, making minimal movements, the temperature is set.
- Basal is measured rectally (the most accurate data) or orally.
- You need to write down every day.
- It is necessary to measure after a delay.
If the temperature is the same, higher than usual, menstruation does not occur, then the woman will soon become a mother!
By allocation
The following method for determining pregnancy in the early stages will bring the girl closer to the exact answer. The fertilized egg clings to the walls of the uterus, they are filled with blood. Like all processes, this one is connected with hemodynamics. Then, most likely, there will be discharges:
- brownish;
- pink.
Don't be afraid, this is normal. After, after about a week, there will be a yellowish and transparent appearance. This is also the norm for a period of 3-4 weeks and even until the very birth. If a woman is sure that fertilization has occurred, and the discharge is painful, brown or red, abundant, unlike menstruation, you should immediately consult a doctor or an ambulance.
A woman who wants to have children can read any signal that her body gives her. It is important to remember that for many, ovulation is accompanied by abundant, necessarily transparent discharge. This happens due to the hatching of the egg and its travel through the abdominal cavity. But if during auspicious days the conception of the discharge is white, curdled - this is an alarming and dangerous signal. So, there is a fungal disease, there are inflammatory processes. You should immediately make an appointment with a gynecologist.
Nevertheless, doctors do not perceive this method of determining pregnancy before a delay in discharge as effective and informative. Just because the discharge means the following: the early onset of menstruation or fertilization.
With the help of iodine
With the use of this solution, more than one tool has been invented to answer the question: how to determine pregnancy in the early stages. The result will be true when all conditions are met. Let us consider in more detail how a girl can determine a long-awaited pregnancy in the early stages at home with iodine.
- You need to pee on a piece of paper, then drip a few drops of iodine solution.
- The check is carried out with the morning collection of liquid tests, on an empty stomach.
- If the girl is pregnant, then the leaf will turn pink, if not, it will turn brown or blue.
Successful fertilization can be determined using iodine by another method.
- Pee in any vessel, drip iodine solution there.
- If the droplet retained its shape, went down, then went up, it is highly likely that the fertilization of the egg has occurred.
But it is important to contrive so that it smoothly descends into the liquid, then it will definitely disintegrate. Women have learned to determine pregnancy with iodine at home for a very long time. Up to 2 months of pregnancy, this method will help determine the presence of pregnancy in the early stages.
soda
A long-awaited pregnancy before a delay in menstruation can be determined with soda. Since time immemorial, women have known how to test pregnancy at home using baking soda, and have successfully used this method. Only now there is practically no scientific justification for it.
- You will need a clean, sterile container, morning urine, a spoonful of soda.
- Put a spoonful of baking soda into the beaker and observe the reaction.
- If she hissed, the result is negative.
- Nothing happens, soda just precipitates - the answer is yes.
How does urine with soda help determine pregnancy in the early stages at home, why does such an interaction occur? Urine from all over the body receives harmful waste. During the day, the acidity of the urine increases due to what is eaten. It is because of this that it is better to do it in the morning, when the acidity is at a minimum. However, other factors also influence this:
- disease;
- Lifestyle;
- duration of the last sleep;
- hygiene;
- the volume of water consumed.
The baking soda method is extremely ambiguous to determine pregnancy in the early stages, but helps the impatient to find hope.
How to find out the gestational age at home?
One who actively plans future pregnancy, must study her body in great detail, the symptoms and signals of the body, know which medicines are categorically contraindicated. Therefore, it is worth studying in detail the process of the appearance of the egg and its further movement through the body, and how long it takes to determine pregnancy after conception.
This process is repeated in every healthy woman every month:
- It all starts with PMS.
- The old egg is released and the new one begins to mature.
- The process is completed, her next step is ovulation.
- The process is triggered by a special hormone - luteinizing. The highest content of it in the urine falls out a couple of days before the readiness for fertilization. It is he who enters the reagent with tests to identify favorable moments for conception.
- There is the peak: this is a specific day. Fertilization can occur a few days before and after day X.
- Further, the follicle becomes a corpus luteum, begins to secrete a hormone that prepares the uterus for the adoption of the fetus.
- When fertilization and implantation of the egg does not occur, the exfoliation of the endometrium of the uterus starts - menstruation.
Having learned all this, the girl understands how to determine the gestational age at home. Important: menstruation is considered to have ended when there is not a trace of discharge. A woman can also find out at home the almost exact gestational age.
Now we need to figure out how many days you can determine pregnancy after ovulation. Ovulation occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle. Menstrual cycle- 28 days, then the 14th day from the beginning of the last menstruation becomes favorable. From there you can start counting. Conception will occur at the peak. The peak lasts one day. Fertilization has occurred, now how to determine pregnancy in the first days after conception.
Joy comes sometimes in double and triple size. There are ways to determine multiple pregnancy in the early stages.
- You need to check with close relatives whether there is a genetic likelihood of twins. Often this is inherited.
- A sure sign of twins is nausea from the first day of conception. A monosyllabic pregnancy can bypass this ailment, twins and triplets - no. And it lasts up to 4 months.
- Plus a big weight gain, drowsiness and extreme irritability.
A pharmacy pregnancy test, even before the delay, can show two bright, clear stripes. After all the calculations and keeping these records, the girl knows exactly how many days pregnancy can be determined after conception.
Useful video
Determining pregnancy in the early stages is not so easy. This video is for those who want to know about the first signs of pregnancy at the earliest possible date:
Conclusion
- After reading the article and getting acquainted with all the nuances, the girl now knows exactly how to determine pregnancy before a delay in menstruation at home.
- Pregnancy can be tried to determine a few days after conception.
- The process of fertilization depends on the characteristics of the organism, it takes from two to seven days.
- The girl needs to be a little more patient. Of the above methods, the most accurate, scientifically based and practically error-free is the method of determining the basal body temperature. Since the girl will be based on exact numbers and medical reports.
- For a woman, pregnancy is a moment of self-discovery. It is important to take care of yourself and avoid big stresses!
One day for every expectant mother comes that very special day. She learns about her new condition. And soon a woman will often hear the question: “What is your (your) deadline?” How to calculate the gestational age to answer correctly?
It's pretty simple!
Almost always, the answer to the question about the gestational age will be based on the two most famous and popular calculation methods - obstetric and embryonic (from conception) terms.
obstetric term
The beginning of pregnancy is the first day of the last menstruation. This method is called obstetric. It does not take into account the individual characteristics of the woman's body, but is almost universal. Any doctor will use it.
The obstetric method has its own logic. The term is calculated from the most early stage pregnancy - the beginning of the maturation of the egg.
According to the obstetric method, the doctor will determine the expected date of birth (PDR), as well as the period maternity leave. In medicine, it is generally accepted that pregnancy lasts 280 days. This is the well-known 40 weeks or 10 lunar months.
Why 10 months and not 9? And why are the months lunar? Astronomy is to blame for this. The moon repeats its phases at intervals of 28 days (4 weeks). This is the lunar month. And if you count in calendar months, then only 9 of them really fit in a normal pregnancy.
Embryonic (true) term - from conception
The beginning of pregnancy is the first day of the last menstruation plus 2 weeks. It is believed that it is in the middle of the cycle that ovulation occurs. In this case, the period from one month to another is taken as an average - 28 days.
This method of calculating the term is called embryonic or true. But it’s worth considering: isn’t the truth hiding somewhere else? From a medical point of view, ovulation can occur within 12-18 days from the start of the cycle.
Example. Oksana's husband from the beginning of spring until late autumn constantly traveled on business trips. At home I was sometimes only one or two days a month. Soon after another visit by her husband, Oksana realized that she was pregnant. And with a smile I thought I knew the exact date conception - June 2. After all, before and after that day, she and her husband did not see each other for almost two weeks. Oksana's last period was May 18-21. And if we consider May 22 as the beginning of the cycle, then the conception took place on the twelfth day. And the egg was already mature. Or not?
Another question is important here - how long does ovulation last? If strictly according to science, then a few seconds. After all, ovulation is only the release of a mature egg from the follicle. But most of us consider ovulation to be the next few (or even many) hours that the egg will live in the female body. How? Sometimes up to two days. By the way, about the same amount will live in the female body and sperm after intercourse. And sometimes even longer - up to a week.
So the true day of conception is a real mystery! After all, there may well be two different situations. The egg moves to the uterus for the second day and literally at the end of its life it turns out to be fertilized. Or vice versa. Spermatozoa entered the woman's body before ovulation and actually "waited" for the release of the egg.
As accurately as possible, the day of conception is known to couples who carefully planned their pregnancy. In this case, the day of ovulation is determined using a special test (sold in a pharmacy) or by ultrasound.
There is another old method for determining ovulation. This is a measurement of basal temperature. It is carried out in the morning, at the same time, before getting out of bed (it is even recommended not to open your eyes). The thermometer is placed in oral cavity, vagina or rectum. Before ovulation, basal body temperature drops slightly and then rises. This means the release of a mature egg.
And sometimes women themselves feel that ovulation has come. The lower abdomen aches, the discharge from the vagina becomes a little more viscous. And the attraction to the beloved man becomes stronger.
That is why many expectant mothers consider their gestational age to be the embryonic method: the beginning of the cycle plus 2 weeks or the day of ovulation known to them. In this case, we are talking about the period from conception.
Can there be difficulties?
Lyudmila's periods often came literally "every other time." The doctor's verdict is ovarian dysfunction. While Luda did not live a sexual life, she was not too worried. But after marriage, the same question often came. Delay is a sign of dysfunction? Or the contraception didn't work? Once the second option turned out to be correct. But the doctors could not calculate the term by the usual method - there was a clear discrepancy.
For the former athlete Valeria, the first menstruation came only at the age of 16. And the cycle was not established in any way. Up to six months could pass between critical days. The girl did not go to the doctor. I somehow didn’t find time - either study, or personal life. One day, thin Valeria noticed that she had clearly gained weight. The first reaction is the desire to go on a strict diet and remember the previous sports loads. It's good that the girl first consulted with her mother. More precisely, with the future grandmother of her child.
Lena's first child had just turned ten months old. The baby grew up healthy, and on the occasion of such a round date, the nursing mother decided to eat melon. A few hours later, she became nauseous. Lena thought she was poisoned. But soon the doctors clarified the situation: Lena was pregnant again. The first period after childbirth simply did not have time to begin.
How many more such cases! If a woman's periods are irregular or did not have time to come at all, as in the situation with Lena, traditional calculations will not help. It's good that there are alternative methods.
How else to determine the time?
Moms take note!
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- based on a gynecological examination;
- with the help of ultrasound;
- by the first movement of the fetus;
- according to the size of the uterus.
In some cases, the doctor "looks after" all the signs in order to make less mistakes in calculating the term.
Gynecological examination
An experienced gynecologist will be able to calculate the correct period only by the size of the uterus. The doctor's hands will accurately determine the boundaries of the uterine cavity. If the uterus is comparable in size to a chicken egg, the period is 4 weeks. And if closer to the goose, then we are talking about eight weeks.
This method works effectively if the gestational age is less than 12 weeks.
ultrasound
Ultrasound scanning today allows you to effectively examine the fetus and even take some measurements. In the first trimester, the doctor will determine the size of the fetal egg and compare them with traditional data. In the second and third, the doctor will already measure the circumference of the chest, tummy or head. The last "measure" is considered the most correct for determining the term.
In the first weeks of pregnancy, calculating the term in this way gives a very accurate result. Later, future babies begin to differ greatly: some are larger, some are smaller. Just like in the life that awaits them in the future.
Baby is pushing!
The first fetal movement is another indicator. If a woman is preparing to give birth to her first child, she will feel his movements at 20 weeks. If the baby is the second, third, and so on, then the first stirring is expected at 18 weeks. This is official medical data. And future kids do not at all consider that they must follow them!
The fetus actually makes its first movements in the first trimester of pregnancy. But the unborn child is still so tiny that the mother does not feel anything for many weeks. But there are exceptions.
Inna was expecting her second child. And so she was thin, and in the first weeks she even lost weight. With a height of 167 cm - 46 kg. And this is in the second trimester! The doctor shook his head disapprovingly and worried. And Inna felt great. Nausea almost did not torment, vomiting was occasionally. True, I constantly wanted oranges, and one red-haired “handsome man” was always in my bag. And there were no problems at all.
The baby pushed at the seventeenth week. First once, and after a couple of hours - again. And the next day, and the day after, the woman experienced the same sensations. At the next appointment with the gynecologist, Inna named the date. The doctor once again shook her head, smiled and clarified - maybe it was gases? Inna laughed - she perfectly remembered the movements of the baby from her first pregnancy and could not be mistaken.
True, sometimes you can still confuse. If a future mom regularly suffers from flatulence, and even expects a child for the first time, the movement of gas through the intestines is sometimes taken by her for the movements of the baby.
When weeks equal centimeters
And another way, which is related to the size of the uterus. More precisely, with its height. This method is available only to doctors. The pregnant woman lies down on the couch. The doctor takes a centimeter tape or a special tool - a pelvis meter. Determines the upper and lower boundaries of the uterine cavity and makes measurements.
The height of the uterus in centimeters is the gestational age. That is, if the doctor measures 30 cm, then the gestational age is 30 weeks.
These four methods (usually in combination with each other) give the most accurate determination of the gestational age.
And when will it be born?
The expected date of birth will tell the mother when the baby will be born. But this is a theory. Children very rarely follow the calculations of doctors. True, there are exceptions here.
On ultrasound at 12 weeks, Lika was called PDR - March 10. Lika just shrugged her shoulders. She carried her first baby exactly a week. The doctors then said that the baby probably wants to grow up. Indeed, even a post-term son weighed only 2 kg 700 g at birth.
Therefore, early in the morning on March 10, Lika did not even immediately realize that contractions had begun, and stubbornly tried to sleep a little more. But it didn't work out. It soon became clear - it began. That's how the daughter was born - just right on time.
Negele formula:
Quite accurately, the expectant mother can calculate the EDD herself. Of course, if the periods before conception were regular.
- It is necessary to add seven more days to the first day of the last menstruation, and then subtract three months.
- Or add 9 months and 7 days to the first day of your last period.
Here is the approximate date of birth of the future crumbs!
You can find out the EDD using a special pregnancy calendar for the last menstruation. In the red line we are looking for the date of the beginning of the last menstruation, next to it, in the yellow line, we see the date of the probable day of delivery.
For example, the last menstruation began on January 28. Plus seven days is February 4th. Minus three months - we get the 4th of November. And how it will actually be - life will show.
The main thing is that at any time the pregnancy should be easy.
Moms take note!
Hello girls! Today I will tell you how I managed to get in shape, lose 20 kilograms, and finally get rid of the terrible complexes of overweight people. I hope the information is useful to you!