Due Date Calculator
From LoveToKnow Pregnancy
When you find out you are pregnant, you may be wondering how a due date calculator can help you find your due date. You may be wondering how long you have to prepare and when to ask for time off work to give birth to your baby. Unfortunately, babies do not follow an exact calendar, so you may not want to book your hospital room just yet; however, you can calculate an estimated date of birth with a due date calculator.
Locating a Due Date Calculator
Due date calculators can be found online, or your OB provider will calculate the estimated due date for you when your pregnancy status is confirmed during your office visit.
Information Needed for a Due Date Calculation
Many online due date calculators, such as the one at BabyCenter.com only require the date your last period started and the number of days in your normal menstrual cycle. A due date calculator of this type works on the assumption that you will ovulate approximately halfway through your menstrual cycle, and you will have conceived within 72 hours of your ovulation date. In other words, it can narrow down your due date to the approximate week that you will give birth deliver, on the normal forty week gestation period.
Other online due date calculators, such as the one at Parenthood.com give you the option of calculating your due date based on:
- First date of your last menstrual period
- Likely date of conception
- Estimated due date
You will still be asked for the normal number of days in your menstrual cycle.
Irregular Menstrual Cycle
Online due date calculators work best when you do have a regular period. It is advisable to discuss your due date with your health care profession, in the event your cycle is irregular. Your OB care provider will suggest the use of ultrasound/sonograms to make clarify your possible conception and due date.
Calculating Your Due Date Manually
Take the date of the first day of your last normal menstrual period and add 7 days to it. Now, add nine months to get your due date.
Information Learned From an Online Due Date Calculator
With the results to your online due date calculation, the website may also offer you a Pregnancy Calendar Overview, links to other pregnancy related information, and resources for receiving online support during your pregnancy.
In Conclusion
While due date calculators can give you a general idea of when to expect to birth your baby, there are many factors that may lead to your having your baby before or after that date. Less than ten percent of all pregnancies result in a deliver on estimated due date, so many of us call it a guess date.
Babies who are born at full term will be born, in general, somewhere between 37 and 40 weeks from the first date of your last period, but not all babies are born at full term. Health concerns, accidents, and Multiple Births can all play into when your baby will actually be born. The best you can do is look at anytime during your last trimester as a likely date for having your baby, and prepare well ahead of time.
Comments
Steph, with your last period on May 15, you likely conceived around May 31, making it probably that your boyfriend is the father. If you conceived that day, you probably wouldn't test positive until at least June 14, so that may indicate that you conceived earlier.
But check out our Who's the Daddy? article for more information about why this can be hard to determine.
-- Contributed by: HollySwansonOn June 10th i found out that i was pregnant. My last period is May 15th and prior to that its been consistent. I had intercourse with someone on May 24th (we used a condom, I spoke with him and he stated that the condom did not break or anything, but you never know) and then i had sex with my man on May 27th and May 31st (we did not used a condom) The fertility calculator states that i am most fertile dates ranging from May 29 - June 3rd. My menstrual cycle length is about 31 days. I am just trying to make sure that my boyfriend is the potential father to my child. He knows im pregnant and he is very delighted.
Also, if my boyfriend was to be the father of the baby how come the pregnancy test was positive at such an early stage, giving it basically a 2week notice. Can this be correct?
Thank you so much!
-- Contributed by: stephMelissa,
was the period you experienced on March 19 lighter? It could have been implantation bleeding or you may have gotten pregnant after that period. If it was your period on March 19, you would have ovulated on April 2 so you could have conceived around then.
-- Contributed by: HollySwansonThis page has been accessed 11,937 times. This page was last modified 12:14, 20 June 2008.
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