A pregnant woman is often concerned about her birth day. She wants certainty in anticipation of her baby. Usually when a woman only finds out that she is pregnant, one of the main and frequently arising questions is the day the baby is born. Namely, how to determine the date of birth.
Some future mothers are trying to calculate the approximate day of birth based on the estimated date of conception of the baby. Such a calculation will be true if used correctly.
The duration of pregnancy is not nine months, but 280 tons, this is 10 lunar months. There are several common ways in which you can determine the approximate date of birth of the baby.
But it’s just approximate, since it’s almost impossible to determine the exact one. The day of birth is determined with an accuracy of one or several weeks. Since spermatozoa can remain alive in the female body, while retaining the ability to fertilize for several days, knowing the exact number and month of conception, the exact day of birth can still not be determined.
How to determine the date of birth of the child by the day of ovulation and the date of conception
By the number of conceptions, the day of the birth of the baby is not difficult to determine. As a rule, a woman’s body is capable of conception only during ovulation. The duration of the menstrual cycle is approximately 28-35 days. And in the middle of the menstrual cycle, ovulation occurs. If you know the calendar number of your ovulation, the birth day is pretty easy to calculate. Many women feel their ovulation.
During her period, aching and stitching sensations appear in the lower abdomen. Sex drive becomes stronger, and the amount of vaginal discharge increases. Sometimes the discharge can be spotting spotting, but not strong. Only during this period can conception occur. Ovulation with accuracy can be determined by ultrasound. Not knowing the calendar number of your ovulation, you need to calculate the middle of the menstrual cycle.
For example, if the duration of the menstrual cycle is 28 days, then ovulation occurs approximately on the 12-14th day of the cycle. 280 days must be added to this day. Thus, the approximate date is calculated on the day of conception. This method will be most accurate in cases where there was only one sexual intercourse during the menstrual cycle.
How to determine the date of birth by ultrasound
In the early stages of pregnancy (up to 12 weeks), this significant day can be determined using ultrasound. Gynecologists consider this method the most accurate of all (but only for a short time). According to the results of ultrasound, a calendar number is set for the onset of labor and at a later date. Pregnancy is determined by the size of the limbs and head of the fetus. But if we take the conclusion of such an ultrasound examination as a basis to determine when the birth will begin, then the date will turn out to be completely inaccurate. Since each child in the womb develops differently.
It is considered normal when a baby is born weighing 3 kg. But if a child was born weighing 5 kg – this is also normal. Only in this case, the fetus develops faster, and his birthday, according to the conclusion of an ultrasound of the second and third trimester of pregnancy, is set 2-3 weeks earlier than this date. And with a slower development of the fetus, on the contrary, they set a deadline a few weeks later. That is why it is possible to believe ultrasound about determining the day when the birth begins, only for periods of up to 12 weeks.
How to determine the date of birth of the child on the day of the last menstruation
In order for the doctor to determine the gestational age, he needs to be informed of the date and month when the first day of the last menstruation began. From this day, the countdown begins and the duration of the menstrual cycle is calculated. Gynecologists use the Negele formula to determine the baby’s birthday.
According to this formula, it is calculated according to this principle: subtract 3 months from the calendar day of the first day of the last menstrual period, then add 7 days to the resulting number. For example, the first day of the last menstruation was April 3. Having taken away 3 months – we receive on January 3. And adding 7 days to January 3 – we get January 10. This will be the estimated date. This method is designed for a standard menstrual cycle – 28 days.
Therefore, if the menstrual cycle is longer, then the date of birth will be later, since ovulation, with a long menstrual cycle, occurs later. When the menstrual cycle is irregular, the calculated day according to this formula will not be correct.
Gynecological examination date of delivery
Carrying out a gynecological examination of a woman, the doctor “by touch” can determine the most accurate day of birth, starting from 3-4 weeks, and up to 12. But at a later date, it is almost impossible to determine the approximate exact date and calculate the day. The reason for this is the different development of each fetus (the same as with ultrasound).
The first thing a gynecologist draws attention to when examining is the shape and size of the uterus. During pregnancy, the uterus changes shape, becomes spherical, and its size increases. Before it occurs in healthy women, the uterus is pear-shaped. Experienced gynecologists, based on the size of the uterus, set the most accurate gestational age and the approximate calendar number of the onset of labor.
The doctor can determine the number of birth of a child by feeling the stomach of a pregnant woman for a period of 14-16 weeks. The height of the uterus is determined by touch, and by its height the lope of pregnancy is determined and the date of birth of the baby is calculated. Also, this long-awaited day can be determined by measuring the circumference of the abdomen. But the data obtained in this way will not be accurate, since the waist circumference of each woman is different.
Is it possible to determine the date of birth in later pregnancy
In some cases, it is difficult to determine the day on which a child is born by the number of conceptions. For such cases, there is a proven methodology for determining the day of birth by the date when the baby moved for the first time. The child begins to make the first movements in the womb at about 12 weeks. But since the child is still very small, the expectant mother does not notice them.
If a woman gives birth for the first time, she will feel fetal movements at 20 weeks of gestation. If the child is not the first, then the movements are palpable already at 18 weeks. Based on this, the date of birth is calculated in this way: during the first pregnancy, 20 weeks are added to the first day of the baby’s stirring, and after the second – 22. Thus, you can get an almost exact number of the baby’s birth. Some women may feel fetal movements ahead of schedule, at weeks 14 or 16. Read more about when the first fetal movements begin →
Gynecologists do not take such statements seriously, referring to the fact that these are ordinary bowel contractions. When determining the day of birth according to such early sensations of fetal movement, the received date will be incorrect.
Why you can not determine the exact date of birth
It is impossible to determine the exact number of birth of a child even by the day of conception. A very small number of women give birth at the exact time prescribed by the gynecologist. Despite the fact that the pregnancy should last 280 days, childbirth can occur at 38 weeks, which will not be a pathology. Almost always, they occur earlier than the period established by the gynecologist, if the pregnancy is multiple.
During the onset of the day the baby is born, the course of pregnancy can affect the presence of factors such as increased pressure in the pregnant woman, polyhydramnios, and some diseases.
To determine the day of birth there is an online pregnancy calendar. You can determine the approximate date of birth using the online calendar on the day of conception. You must enter the date of your ovulation in the window, and the calendar will automatically determine the estimated day of birth. The calendar will also allow you to calculate and control the approximate terms of development of the fetus.
Do not forget that the calendar is interactive, and regular visits to the gynecologist are required.
