How Your Term Date Is Calculated
Once a woman finds out she is pregnant, one of the most common questions will be when she is due. There are a few ways in which your due date is calculated. It is using simple mathematical formulas and medical tables calculated by specialists.
Regardless of the method, it is crucial for women to know when her last menstrual period was.
Women’s fertility cycles can help pinpoint the moment when fertilization is likely to occur. You can calculate it with your first date after your last menstrual cycle.
After 14 days, the egg is most fertile. This is at the time when it is believed that it could be fertilized. The period of maximum fertility lasts between two to three days.
How is your due date calculated and with what formulas?
The two methods by which your due date is calculated are Naegele´s Rule and the medical calendar.
The first consists of a mathematical formula from the date of the last menstruation. From there, you deduct three months, and stay seven more days.
If we e.g. says that the menstrual cycle was 11 May, then your due date will be calculated to be 18 February.
In the case of the medical calendar, it can be displayed as a wheel or a table that can normally be found at the doctor.
If we take the method with the tables, then it shows in the last column the last month and in the top row the days. Between the month and the day, there is a line indicating the possible due date.
You can find other methods to see how your due date is calculated on the internet. There are many digital calculators that work very well. In all of them, the common requirement is that you must indicate your last menstrual period.
However, only 10% give birth on the date given by those machines.
Benefits of knowing your due date
A pregnancy is considered complete when the baby is born between weeks 38 and 42. Knowing this, specialists can give the mother a time when she may be able to give birth.
The main purpose of this information is that the mother has the opportunity to prepare both physically and mentally. In addition, she can prepare everything necessary for the baby to be born.
In truth, the due date may vary between two weeks before or after the stated date.
Depending on the type of pregnancy and the mother’s environment , some specialists reserve the right to give the exact date of birth. Although they usually talk to the mother the month of birth, they do not specify the date. This decision is often also used for mothers who are anxious or have problems with blood pressure.
How to know if the baby is ready to be born
Many specialists await results from the ultrasound test during week 12. In this test, they need to pay attention to the baby’s measurements and development.
Along with the mother’s age, they can figure out a more accurate due date.
The ultrasound scan in week 12 allows the specialists to see if there is anything that is not normal in the fetus. Between 60 and 70% of genetic malformations or congenital anomalies can be seen by this check. Eg. Down syndrome is one of them, as are heart or blood vessel problems.
Another benefit of having an ultrasound scan in week 12 is that doctors can see if there are more pregnancies.
They can also find out the mother’s pelvic capacity when they give birth. On the other hand, the results of this ultrasound may even reveal certain possibilities that may be for medical complications at birth.
The possible due date allows future parents to adjust their homes and routines for the birth of their child.
The important thing is to recognize that the due date is flexible. No matter how many analyzes are performed by specialists, it will not be possible to know exactly when the baby will be out.
