Pregnancy

Are you pregnant? Congratulations Or you simply decided beforehand to know what to expect during pregnancy? In any case, read this article. You will learn what changes occur in this period, and that means some medical terms, as well as get answers to other questions you may have.

How long is a normal pregnancy?

It all depends on what is considered a reference point. Physically, pregnancy occurs at the moment of conception. However, health professionals consider it expedient to conduct the countdown period, starting from the first day of the last menstrual period (approximately 2 weeks earlier). The last is a cycle that begins after a delay of menses.

On average, a normal pregnancy lasts 266 days (38 weeks) from the date of conception and 280 days (40 weeks) from the first day of the last menstrual cycle.

Stop! That's the whole 10 months! How can that be?

If you divide 38 weeks by 4, you get 9.5 months. 40 weeks - it is generally for 10 months. However, dividing the period by 4, you count the lunar months are shorter than the calendar.

The duration of the lunar month - 28 days, ie, four 7-day week. Calendar month lasts 30-31 days. Therefore, gestational age, calculated in lunar months, it seems larger than it actually is. Term of 40 weeks includes the 2 weeks before conception.

Thus, depending on the method of calculation, pregnancy lasts 38-40 weeks, or 9 calendar months.

Why do doctors think the pregnancy in weeks?

The doctors asked the expectant mother, what she went week of pregnancy. All others interested in the topics on which she month. Why such confusion?

In fact, to weekly countdown allows medical personnel to monitor the dynamics of development of the fetus and the right to describe it. Using the same terminology, the doctors know exactly what is at stake, and can evaluate the condition of the patient, which had previously been observed elsewhere.

Knowing the first day of the last menstrual cycle, you can set the gestational (prenatal) age of the child. The doctors agreed among themselves that will count as a term, and not otherwise. However, given the fact that conception occurred approximately 2 weeks later, the actual gestational age of your baby less.

Week 1, Week 2, Week 3
Table

In the table above marked "X" marked the first day of the last menstrual period (Day 1) and the approximate date of conception (Day 14).

What is a trimester?

The word "term" in Latin means "three months". This division of pregnancy can break the 40 weeks for shorter periods. At each of them a woman's body are changing.

The first trimester lasts from approximately the 1st to the 12th week of the first day of the last menstrual cycle. At this time the fetus is developing rapidly, formed his main organs and systems. The size of the fruit growing, but still insignificant.

The second trimester lasts from approximately the 13th to 26th week of pregnancy.

Third semester begins with the 27th week. By this time next child is mature enough to survive outside the womb. The fruit is considerably increased in size. By the end of the 3rd trimester, he is ready to be born chubby, healthy baby.

Weeks? Months? The first day of last menstrual period? As in all of this to understand?

If you get tired of counting weeks on the regular calendar, to translate weeks into months and vice versa, if you forget, when did your last menstrual period, pregnancy, simply use the calendar, which can be found on our portal.
Rx Arizona