If you found your way to this article, you may have just found out that you’re pregnant. First of all, congrats! After the initial excitement cools down a little, the next thing you’re probably wondering is, “When is my baby due?” You might think that calculating your due date is as easy as adding on nine months. Meanwhile, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Actually, pregnancy lasts around 40 weeks, which is longer than 9 months.
Once you visit your doctor for your first prenatal visit, you’ll get your official due date. But we understand that you may not want to wait that long. And knowing what week of your pregnancy you’re in will help you keep track of the many milestones you’ll reach along the way. If you want to get an idea of what your baby’s birthday will be, keep reading. The Breastfeeding Shop has put together some tips to help you figure out – when is my baby due?
How can I Calculate – When is My Baby Due?
Even though pregnancies are usually highly monitored, we’re not always able to tell exactly when the baby will arrive. Many women don’t give birth right on their due date. At subsequent doctor’s visits, some women are given a second due date from another ultrasound. Due dates are a bit more unpredictable than many people think. The fact is that every woman’s pregnancy is unique. Plus, babies will develop at their own rate. So, it can be a challenge if you’re trying to figure out exactly when your baby will arrive. You can also check out our other blog on 10 Things to Do When You Find Out You’re Expecting.
Start with the First Day of Your Last Period
If you’re thinking, “When is my baby due?” you can count out 40 weeks from the first day of your last period. Many healthcare providers use this method.
The average menstrual cycle length is about 28 days. If your cycle falls along these lines, your menstrual cycle probably started around two weeks before your conception. This is why pregnancies usually last 40 weeks and not 38 weeks.
It’s completely normal for your menstrual cycle to last somewhere between 21 and 40 days. So, this method for calculating your due date doesn’t account for the actual length of your cycle or when you think you may have conceived your baby. Usually, women ovulate around two weeks after their menstrual cycle has begun. And most women are more likely to know the day on which their last period started compared to the day when they ovulated.
Some women subtract three months from the first day of their last menstrual cycle and then add on seven days. If the first day of your last period was May 3rd, three months back would be February 3rd. Add seven days, and you have your due date of February 10th! You can also use a pregnancy calculator to figure out your due date.
Calculating Your Due Date from Your Conception Date
Let’s say that you were using an ovulation kit to try and increase your chances of becoming pregnant. If you were doing this and know the day of your conception, you can figure out what your due date is based on that. You just have to add 266 days to get your due date estimation.
Calculating Your Due Date for an IVF Pregnancy
You can use your IVF transfer date to figure out your due date, if you did conceive through IVF. With a Day 5 embryo transfer, you add 261 days to your transfer date. And with a Day 3 embryo transfer, you add 263 days.
Is It Possible for a Due Date Change?
It is possible that your due date gets changed along the way. Usually, the baby is measured during your first-trimester ultrasound scan. This is the most reliable way to figure out when your due date is. But if the baby is found to be smaller or bigger than what’s expected for their gestational age, your healthcare provider may revise the due date. If your menstrual cycle is irregular, this is more likely to occur. It makes it more difficult to figure out the precise day of conception. But try not to stress out about it. Your healthcare provider will give you another ultrasound, figure out how far along the baby is, and calculate a new due date for you.
Will I Give Birth on My Due Date?
According to Parents Magazine, about 5% of women give birth on their due date. And it’s important to remember that the length of pregnancies can differ up to five weeks. If you want to avoid getting too stressed out about, “When is my baby due?” you can start using the term “due month,” or say that your baby is due sometime in this month. This will remind you that the due date is just an approximation. Instead of focusing in on one day, you can give yourself a larger time frame to get prepared for your baby. To figure out your due month, you take your original due date and then subtract and add two weeks from it. And now that you know what month your baby will be born in, you can also check out when to order a free breast pump from The Breastfeeding Shop through your insurance! We offer a great selection of breast pumps for you to choose from. Feel free to reach out to us for more information.
