Pregnancy Due Date Calculator

What does due date mean in pregnancy?

A woman's condition throughout the approximately nine-month period during which she creates one or more children inside of her is referred to as being pregnant. About 40 weeks after the previous menstrual cycle, or 38 weeks after conception, childbirth typically occurs. According to the World Health Organization, a typical pregnancy lasts between 37 and 42 weeks.

When you first reveal that you are pregnant, people will probably ask you when you are due. The truth is that there is a very slim chance that you will deliver on your due date. To be more accurate, it is frequently referred to as EDD, or estimated delivery date.

Keep in mind that the first day of your most recent period is used to determine your due date. Your supplier has to be aware of this date in order to provide you an appropriate due date. You should speak with your doctor early to find out if an ultrasound is required to determine your due date if you are unsure of when your last period occurred or if your cycles are erratic.

How due date calculated?

Your due date can be calculated in a number of different ways. You can calculate your due date by counting back 38 weeks from the day you became pregnant, if you happen to know it. (The average human pregnancy lasts 38 weeks.)

But very few expecting mothers are aware of their specific conception date. Even if you just had intercourse once throughout your fertile period, unless you were ovulating, you wouldn't become pregnant on that day. Within your fallopian tubes, sperm can survive for up to five days. Therefore, it may take up to five days after having sex for you to release an egg (ovulate), at which point a sperm will be waiting to fertilise it. That is when you get pregnant.

First day of last period

In general, the most accurate way to determine your due date is to calculate 40 weeks, or 280 days, from the first day of your last menstrual period because most pregnancies last around 40 weeks (or 38 weeks from conception) (LMP). You might also add seven days and three months to the start of your most recent cycle.

The majority of medical professionals determine a baby's due date as the first day of your LMP. But keep in mind that it's merely an anticipated due date; your kid doesn't have to be born by that date. Only 4% of births occur on the anticipated due date.

Determining the Date of Conception

The day of ovulation may be regarded as the date of conception because the human egg can only be fertilised for 12 to 24 hours following ovulation. However, a specific date of conception cannot typically be determined, unlike with in vitro fertilisation, because ultrasonography estimation of the gestational age and the day of ovulation are both imprecise. Additionally, even when a woman has intercourse on the day of ovulation, conception can still take place from live sperm that are still in her reproductive system on the day of ovulation if she had sex up to five days earlier.

Can your due date change?

If your baby is measured during a first trimester ultrasound scan and determined to be significantly bigger or smaller than expected for gestational age, your doctor may change your due date. This is more likely to occur if the length of your menstrual cycle is variable, making it difficult to determine the conception date. Your doctor will measure your infant during the ultrasound procedure to determine how far along she is, and she will then give you a new due date.

Can due date calculated with ultrasound scan?

Typically, the due date is determined using the day when your most recent period began. But to be sure the date based on the previous menstrual period is accurate, an ultrasound scan is performed in the first trimester. This is particularly crucial if your period doesn't come on the same day every month. Since some women's cycles are irregular [and some can't recall when their previous period occurred], their LMP may not be as accurate as it may be, the LMP is compared to an ultrasound in these cases.

Can I plan my due date?

There is nothing wrong with some people preferring order and organisation. However, determining a due date can be challenging because there are so many aspects of conception that are out of your (and your partner's) control. Nobody is ever able to predict when they will become pregnant. You won't be able to predict with certainty whether or not that month will be the one you get pregnant, even if you identify your fertile window and engage in plenty of unprotected intercourse throughout that time. That is so because so much of it is random. For background, 65% of young couples (under 35) conceive after six cycles, compared to 45% of young couples who conceive after three. So, even if you would want to schedule a pregnancy for a particular month, all you can truly do is try. Additionally, keep in mind that your expected due date (EDD) is only an estimate even if you are successful in getting pregnant at the right time. Infants arrive on their own timetable. It's recommended to avoid focusing too much on a certain due date because while though the "average" pregnancy lasts 40 weeks from the day of the last menstrual period, newborns can typically arrive anywhere between 37 and 42 weeks.

How to use this due date calculator

Enter the starting day of your most recent period and choose "display your due date" to get your due date. In most cases, a pregnancy lasts between 37 and 42 weeks from the first day of your last menstruation. To use this calculator, you must be aware of the first day of your most recent period. Speak to a midwife or GP if you are unsure or don't know it.

Announcing your pregnancy

The fear of miscarriage is a significant issue in the first trimester. According to studies, between 8 and 20 percent of women who are aware of their pregnancy experience a miscarriage before 20 weeks. In the first 12 weeks, almost 80% of these occur. When sharing your wonderful pregnancy news, it's crucial to keep this in mind. After their initial OB appointment at 7 weeks, some women decide to announce their pregnancy at 12 weeks.