Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms, Week by Week Pregnancy Guide

A woman is termed as pregnant from the moment of conception but this may not be medically correct. There has been a lot of concern and varying opinions among women and medical professionals on pregnancy length.

According to research done by medical organizations, the length of pregnancy has been reducing from the past few years to just less than forty weeks which is the normal pregnancy duration.

Calculating actual pregnancy length

Pregnancy brings along a lot of excitement to mothers who go to great lengths of wanting to know each and every detail concerning pregnancy. Though most are never concerned, there are a rising number of pregnant women who want to know the exact length of their pregnancies.

However, doing this requires proper understanding of how to calculate pregnancy length. Other than the usual facts that a normal pregnancy takes about forty weeks, knowing how to calculate your duration of pregnancy is also exciting.

The best way to calculate your length of pregnancy is using the exact date of your last menstrual period. The usual assumption of using the date of conception may provide incorrect figures because many women can rarely remember the day they got pregnant.

Therefore, in medical circles, knowing the last day of your menstrual period is the key to making the right calculations. A human pregnancy lasts 280 days which is roughly 40 weeks, and the duration should be calculated by adding on the 40 weeks from the last day of your menstrual period.

The date of delivery is also a very common issue among many pregnant women. Knowing the approximate time you are going to give birth is also good. Birth takes place between 37 and 42 weeks unless there are some complications or premature births. You can use the Naegele’s Rule to estimate your date of delivery. Other than these, women should also be informed on the various stages of the entire pregnancy length.

The three stages of pregnancy duration

The duration of pregnancy is usually divided into three trimesters: first trimester, second trimester and third trimester. The first trimester is known as conception when basic body parts like the eyes, mouth, fingers, toes and tongue start forming.

The second trimester is characterized by full development of most crucial organs. By the end of the third trimester, the baby is now ready to be born. Knowing the length of your pregnancy is very important as it is used to calculate the various prenatal tests needed before delivery. Sometimes the baby may be overdue and proper measures have to be done to induce labor.

Pregnancy length may vary from woman to woman largely depending on the condition of the pregnancy especially during the third trimester. For women having multiple pregnancies or more, the length of pregnancy may be different and very unpredictable. Though many women prefer calculating their pregnancy duration based on the date of conception or ovulation, there are more reliable ways to do so. There are some online calculators to help you do so long as you have the right information needed.