How to calculate the gestational age? This question excites many expectant mothers. Determining the gestational age by the date of conception is very simple. However, this date is not always known to a woman. Experts calculate the gestational age for several basic parameters. This is the level of hCG, the results of ultrasound, the date of conception and ovulation, the size of the uterus of a pregnant woman, the first movements of the fetus.
Calculation of gestational age is a responsible occupation. During any pregnancy, specialists several times establish its term. At the very beginning, at the first appointment of a woman with his gynecologist, the doctor calculates the period, counting it from the first day of the last menstrual flow. In addition, he determines the length of the uterus of the future mother. At the same time, attention is not paid to the number of days during which menstruation went. This is absolutely not important in this case. This formula for determining the gestational age is called the Hegel method. It is the following equation. The specialist adds seven days to the first day of the last menstrual flow. Then he subtracts three months from the resulting value. The result is the estimated date of birth of the woman. However, it is worth noting that this formula will only work if the pregnant woman’s menstrual cycle is regular and lasts about twenty-eight days. If this value is less than or greater by one to four days, the date of birth of the child may also be slightly delayed.
As mentioned above, calculating the gestational age includes determining the length of the woman’s uterus. What is it for? In general, the length of the uterus most often corresponds to the gestational age. For example, if the length of the uterus is ten centimeters, then the gestational age of a woman is ten weeks. In order to determine this very length of the uterus, the doctor uses an ordinary centimeter tape. Using this method, the doctor can monitor pregnancy and monitor the development of the fetus. In addition, it is in this way that doctors quite often manage to recognize the developmental delay of the baby in time.
Calculation of gestational age by the level of hCG is a determination of the level of chorionic gonadotropin in the blood of a pregnant woman. The level of hCG depends on the duration of pregnancy. For example, if the period is less than two weeks, then the level of this hormone is approximately 150 mU per milliliter. The longer the pregnancy of the expectant mother, the higher the content of this hormone in her blood. However, if the doctor determines that the hCG level to some extent does not correspond to the actual gestational age, this may indicate any pathology or serious violation. Most often, this phenomenon is characteristic of an ectopic pregnancy or delayed development of the baby.
The most accurate way to determine the gestational age to date is an ultrasound scan. With it, you can pretty accurately determine the period, consider the fetus, identify deviations in development. By twelve weeks, every baby begins to develop completely individually. An ultrasound doctor can determine the size of the fetus, its gender, and much more. Calculation of gestational age in this way gives the most accurate information about the fetus.
The topic "Calculation of gestational age" is relevant at all times. This is quite natural, because almost every expectant mother wants to know everything about her still unborn baby. You can calculate the gestational age yourself if you know the date of ovulation in advance. It is worth noting that many modern women have been interested in this issue since adolescence. In the pharmacy network, you can purchase a special ovulation test that will help you accurately calculate the date of a possible conception of a child. For families who devote a lot of time to family planning, this is no longer news.