Pregnancy Length 
  

Pregnancy Length


Months? Lunar months? Weeks? Days? Trimesters?
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Months? Lunar months? Weeks? Days? Trimesters?

 
The chart below shows how the weeks, months and trimesters break down into each other.

If you are confused, you're not alone. While some people talk about pregnancy being 9 months long (divided into three trimesters), most health care providers refer to pregnancy as being 40 weeks long, starting with your last known menstrual period (LMP).   Weeks - Months - Calculator - Convertor

A normal pregnancy lasts 280 days from your LMP which is about 266 days from conception to birth. The first two weeks of your pregnancy includes the time of your period, ovulation and fertilization. Conception occurs approximately 14 - 16 days after the first day of your period.

The date of conception is not always known and can vary between women. The date of LMP is known by most women so doctors use this date as a starting point for pregnancy. From your LMP they will add 280 days and this will give your Estimated Due Date or EDD. In general, all doctors agree that pregnancies, when using the LMP dating technique, average approximately 280 days or 40 weeks.


Trimester Calculator - The three methods of calculating trimesters are explained.
Calculate and print out a personal Time line for your Pregnancy - keep a copy in your purse!


The chart below shows how the weeks, months and trimesters break down into each other.
Have you seen the twin of this chart ?
Last seen near Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
4:37 PM Saturday (Apr 28, 2007)
with pregnant female (5 months)  A.K.A. km0804
  ¶:o)

*This is just a guideline and the exact weekly breakdown may differ from source to source.
Weeks 1 - 4 5 - 8 9 - 13 14 - 17 18 - 21 22 - 26 27 - 30 31 - 35 36 - 40
Which
Month
are you in?
You are
in your
first
month
You are
in your
second
month
You are
in your
third
month
You are
in your
fourth
month
You are
in your
fifth
month
You are
in your
sixth
month
You are
in your
seventh
month
You are
in your
eighth
month
You are
in your
ninth
month
.
This is
Month
one two three four five six seven eight nine
Trimester first second third

Example:
  in Week 14  =  you are in your 4th Month    and    Month 4 is in your Second Trimester
[ So - You have completed three months  and  are now into your forth month ]

First Trimester ends 13 weeks + 3 days   ~   Second Trimester ends 26 weeks + 6 days

Trimester Calculator - The three basic methods of calculating trimesters are explained.
 

  

Weeks - Months - Calculator - Convertor

 

If your due date is: 
You have completed
Display as:    Weeks   Months

*This months calculator is just a guideline.
[ Calculator Convertion Rate: 40 weeks = 9 months  ~  1 month = 31.11 days ]

Trimester Calculator - How the trimesters are calculated is explained.
 convert pregnancy weeks into months

  

Confusion starts here.

There is often confusion when some try to convert weeks into months and count a month as 4 weeks. February is the only month with just 4 weeks. The average month is 30.4 days, a little over 4 weeks and 2 days long. A normal pregnancy is 40 weeks, or, little longer than nine average months.
 
  • Days - 280 days from your LMP (Gestational) or 266 days from conception to birth (Fetal age).

  • Weeks - 40 weeks from the start of your LMP (Gestational).
                 38 weeks from conception to birth (Fetal age).

    Most doctors count pregnancy weeks from LMP (Gestational), a few others may count from conception to birth (Fetal age); and the week numbers may vary.
    Example: Week 28 (Gestational) = Week 26 (Fetal age)

  • Months - Measured as nine months on the calendar -- starting one week after your LMP.

  • Lunar Months - A lunar month is the time between two successive new moons or full moons. Lunar months approximate the mean length of approximately 29.53059 days (29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 3 seconds).
    280 days is approximately nine and half lunar months, since a lunar month is approximately 29.53 days long. When people claim that a pregnancy is exactly 10 lunar months, they are making the mistake of calculating a lunar month to be 28 days long.

  • Trimesters - The word trimester means 'three months'. Three periods of three months each. Months 1, 2 and 3 are the first trimester, months 4, 5 and 6 are the second trimester, and months 7, 8 and 9 are the third trimester.

    Most commonly, the first trimester is defined as from LMP through to end week 13.
    The second trimester is from week 14 through to end week 26.
    And the third trimester is from week 27 through to labor/delivery, which varies considerably but averages at week 40.
    13weeks + 13weeks + 13weeks = 39weeks   + 1week = 40weeks
Most health care providers will actually talk about your pregnancy in weeks, rather than months or trimesters. Nevertheless, some health care providers and pregnant women talk about the three trimesters to help give pregnancy a beginning, middle, and end.

Trimester Calculator - The three basic methods of calculating trimesters are explained.
No matter what method is used; the date you will be given for when your baby will arrive is officially called your estimated date of confinement (EDC), your estimated date of birth (EDB) or estimated due date (EDD). This is more popularly called your 'due date'.

Even an estimated due date is nothing more than a estimate. Only 10% of women deliver on the estimated due date. Half of women hit the due date within one week, but 90% deliver within two weeks of the predicted due date. This is why some obstetricians have started predicting 'due weeks' instead of 'due dates'.

Your 'date' may be revised by health care providers during your pregnancy. Your baby's development is on a strict schedule during the first trimester. The fetus CRL (Crown to Rump Length) and the EHR (Embryonic Heart Rate) are accurate estimators of fetus age in the first trimester. CRL and EHR are measured at your ultrasound scans, the fetus age should be within + or - 1 week of your LMP.

No matter how you measure your pregnancy, even the best estimated due date can be inaccurate. So, although the waiting and uncertainty of not knowing exactly when your baby is to arrive can be unnerving, the best plan is to stay flexible and to always be prepared for the unexpected.

Your baby will be born when he or she is ready.
 

  
 
Fetal Development guides -- Week by Week -- Month by Month -- Trimesters

Due Date and Fetal Development Weeks Calculator for your pregnancy weeks.

Calculate and print out a personal Time line for your Pregnancy.

Conception Calculator estimates probable conception dates from Birth, LMP and Due dates.

Trimester Calculator - The methods of calculating trimesters are explained.
 

  

How long is pregnancy?

 
The average pregnancy lasts 266 days, or 38 weeks, or 9 months. But, according to the calendar used by medical professionals, you will be pregnant for 280 days, or 40 weeks, or 9½ months. When your pregnancy is dated using a 40 week calendar your baby's age is called 'Gestational age', but your baby to be will actually be about two weeks younger than that. Conception to birth is about 38 weeks and 'Fetal age' is what his or her actual age is called.

Q: This all sounds fine, but if you calculate the due date from LMP, are you counting weeks before conception?
A: Yes a Pregnancy lasts 40 weeks from the start of your LMP. Gestation is 38 weeks from conception to birth. Although it may be confusing at first, health care providers begin counting the pregnancy from day one of the LMP. Yes, that is about 2 weeks before you even conceived.

Physicians and midwives start the pregnancy clock on the first day of a woman's last menstrual period (LMP). Some women may be unable to recall their LMP or have very irregular or infrequent cycles. When you visit your care provider, try to give as close an estimate as possible. The closer the estimate, the less likely you will worry or experience stress if your baby does not come on the EDD. Only about ten percent of expecting moms deliver on their EDD anyway.

An experienced practitioner will also rely on physical clues to determine the baby's due date. These clues are most evident within the first two months of pregnancy and include:
  • Examination of uterine size
  • Identification of audible fetal heart tones
  • Ultrasound examination prior to 26 weeks from LMP
Recent studies have shown that mothers carrying their first child have pregnancies averaging 41 weeks and one day. For subsequent pregnancies, the average duration is 40 weeks and three days.  In general, doctors agree that all pregnancies, when using the LMP dating technique, average approximately 280 days or 40 weeks.

 

  

So when is my due date?

 
The traditional way to calculate a due date is to add 9 months from the first day of your LMP (last normal menstrual period) and then add seven days.

For example:
  1. Your LMP was March 1.
  2. Add nine months, bringing you to December 1.
  3. Add seven days, bringing you to your due date of December 8.
  4. Thus, your due date becomes December 8.
Some people prefer to do it this way:
  1. Your LMP was Feb 1
  2. Add 1 day
  3. On your calendar, count forward 40 weeks to determine your due date.
Making matters even worse, many women do not have typical 28-day cycles. Practitioners may adjust the EDD to reflect the shorter or longer cycle length.

Remember, calculation of your due date is certainly not precise (after all, women get pregnant in all the months of the calendar, some of which have 28, 29, 30 and 31 days!). Also, all women do not have a 'typical' 28 day cycle! This is why your due date is usually referred to as your Estimated Due Date or EDD.

Use: the Due Date Calculator to estimate your due date.

Calculate and print out a personal Time line for your Pregnancy - keep a copy in your purse!

or   Due Date and Fetal Development Weeks Calculator for your pregnancy weeks.

Conception Calculator estimates probable conceive dates from Birth, LMP and Due dates.
 




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