How Do I Date My Pregnancy?

Accurate dating of pregnancy is one of the most important steps in your prenatal care. Every decision you make and many tests that are run are directly related to or interpreted from where you are in your pregnancy. Using the first day of your last menstrual period as the starting point is the standard convention for dating pregnancies ¯ that's because it's a date most women can recall, whereas the actual date of conception is a little harder to pinpoint.

It can be confusing, though. For example, an embryo that is twenty-six days from conception would be about forty days from the first day of the last menstrual period for a woman with twenty-eight-day cycles. Therefore, she could be called "almost six weeks," even though she is only almost four. A "due date" is typically calculated based on 280 days from the first day of your last menstrual period. Actually, the normal gestation of a human fetus is 266 days from conception.

Confused yet? The relevance of menstrual dates is that most books use them to discuss the progress of your pregnancy and further divide it into three trimesters. If you get a book on fetal development, however, it will be using actual dates that start with conception.

Grab the full collection of The Pregnancy Secrets and hundreds of tips at The Pregnancy Secrets.

Worldcopyright Marc Hofkens and Cosblad Publications NV. You can use and publish this article on the condition that you don't change anything and you add this resource box at any time.

http://www.the-pregnancy-secrets.com

---

Fetal Development Month by Month

Month 1: Your first month of pregnancy your baby will... Read More

So You Think You?re Pregnant? A Brief Discussion Of Common Pregnancy Symptoms

A baby begins life even before he is born ?... Read More

Weight Gain During Pregnancy, and Weight Loss After Pregnancy

How much weight gain is normal during pregnancy, and will... Read More

Kegal Exercises During Pregnancy

You probably became familiar with Kegel exercises during your pregnancy.... Read More

Doulas Are Laboring Angels

Have you considered hiring a doula for added support during... Read More

Eating Healthfully When A New Baby Arrives

A new baby can be overwhelming for the whole family.... Read More

The Truth About Labor and Childbirth

Labor and childbirth was an amazing, positive experience for me,... Read More

Start Growing Healthy Children Before Getting Pregnant

When I was in my early 20's, I read Adele... Read More

Expressing Breast Milk: Pumping for Your Preemie

The shock and stress of having a baby born prematurely... Read More

Fighting the Pregnancy Blahs

Every pregnant woman has experienced the pregnancy blahs. I can... Read More

Pregnant Women Dont Just Stay at Home; Go Shopping!

Most women like to go shopping. However, sometimes pregnant women... Read More

Successful Weight Loss After Pregnancy

How fast you lose weight will depend on a number... Read More

Very Early Symptoms of Pregnancy - Do You Know These Very Early Pregnancy Signs?

Very early symptoms of pregnancy -- what are they? If... Read More

Alcohol And Pregnancy

If you have been drinking up until the point when... Read More

Life After Birth

LIFE AFTER BIRTH: THE FIRST 6 WEEKSLife after birth can... Read More

Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy

Many women have questions about the types of food that... Read More

Stress And Pregnancy

Stress Relief During Pregnancy If you truly want to ensure... Read More

Blimpy: Pregnancy Weight Gain

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women... Read More

Problems Associated With Teen Pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the pivotal moments of a woman's... Read More

Pregnancy Symptoms, Signs and Symptoms of Being Pregnant

EARLY PREGNANCY SYMPTOMSAlthough a lot of women experience pregnancy symptoms,... Read More

Just How Soon After Having A Baby Is It Realistic To Try And Fit Into Those Pre-Pregnancy Jeans?

That depends, say the experts, on a number of things... Read More

Labor and Delivery

This is it - the finish line. You and your... Read More

Early Signs of Pregnancy

Think you may need to do a home pregnancy test?... Read More

How to Lose Weight After Pregnancy

Weight control is a prevalent concern for many women after... Read More

Mommy Is Having A Baby!

Preparing for a new arrival from the beginning of your... Read More

Folic Acid - An Overview of Its Importanace Before and During Pregnancy

FOLIC ACID ? AN OVERVIEWFolic Acid, also know as Vitamin... Read More

Baby Shower Gift Ideas

Selecting a present for a new mom or dad can... Read More

Chill Out, Mama! Four Tips on Managing Stress in Pregnancy

One of the best gifts you can give your baby... Read More

Exclusively Pumping Breast Milk

It is commonly recognized that breast milk is the best... Read More

Myth or Reality? Dads Have Pregnancy Pains

Ah hah. So you thought that it was just your... Read More

Planning a Healthy Pregnancy

Looking for healthy lifestyle pregnancy information? Here are some steps... Read More

Pregnancy Weight Gain - The Mystery Solved

It is important that you remember that weight gain is... Read More

Weight Gain During Pregnancy: Choosing The Right Foods

So you need to gain weight but don't want to... Read More