You had a suspicion something was up with your body – could you be pregnant?
You buy yourself a pregnancy test, before waiting for a quiet moment, to find out if it could be true.
As you place the test in your urine and wait for the result, your heart races.
This is it. The moment you find out.
Either you were going crazy, or that intuition of yours was working all along.
Then you see it – two lines!
You can distinctly see more than one line.
You’re pregnant! As a multitude of emotions erupt inside of you, your mind quickly shifts to, how far along am I?
How Far Along Am I?
When calculating an estimated due date, calculators and tools often base the date on the first day of your last menstrual period. Do you know the first day of your last period? That was day one of week one. So by the time you find out you’re pregnant, you’re usually already four weeks pregnant, which is when your next period would have been due.
Pregnancy lasts for an average of 40 weeks, however 37 to 42 weeks of pregnancy is considered as full term. After 42 weeks of pregnancy, usually a doctor or midwife will want labour to get going.
When you’ve worked out your estimated due date, remember it’s exactly that – an estimated date. Around 40% of babies are born before the estimated due date, and around another 40% are born in the two weeks after. Only 3-5% of babies are born on the actual estimated due date.
What If I Don’t Know The Date Of My Last Period?
If you don’t know the date of your last period, your doctor will likely offer you an ultrasound, to see how far along you are. An internal ultrasound is used for very early pregnancy, because the baby is usually too small to be clearly seen via your abdomen. A gestational sac can usually be seen, and from around six weeks of pregnancy, you may be able to see the first flutters of your baby’s heartbeat.
If you know the date of your last period, BellyBelly has due date calculator tool, so you can work out your baby’s estimated due date. It’s the same calculation method your doctor will use, with an additional extra option to include your ovulation date (if known), which may help make the date more accurate. However, babies do come whenever they are ready!
To calculate your estimated due date, see BellyBelly’s due date calculator.
All the best for a fantastic pregnancy and journey to parenthood.
