Many women, having learned that they are in an interesting position, begin to dream about the day when the baby is already born. An accurate determination of the duration of pregnancy and childbirth is possible only if conception occurred in vitro, that is, in the laboratory. Nevertheless, in all other cases, doctors still know how to determine the expected date of birth of the child and they have their own methods.
Is it possible to calculate everything exactly?
Determination of gestational age occurs most often on the basis of ultrasound results or on the basis of the exact date of the last critical days. Despite the fact that modern medicine has stepped far forward - only 4% of babies are born on a predicted date, while 96% of babies appear a couple of weeks earlier or even a little after the established day. Why does everything happen this way? Methods for determining the duration of pregnancy and the day of birth allow you to calculate the approximate date, while the gestation period can vary from thirty-seven to forty-two weeks, and all children who appear during this time period are considered to be born in due time.
Keep in mind that after determining the gestational age and the date of future birth, it will be considered correct that the birth of the baby can occur in a period that is counted two weeks before the deadline and a week after it. Always remember this and don’t worry.
How is determining the gestational age by the last monthly?
How is everything going? At the initial visit to the obstetrician-gynecologist, he will be interested in when it was the first day of your last menstruation. Then the doctor uses the Negele formula to determine the gestational age according to the last monthly period. What is this formula? For the calculation, the first day of the past critical days is taken, three months are taken from it and seven days are added to the received date. If the menstrual cycle is less than twenty-eight days, then the difference will need to be subtracted from the date received (for example, three days if the cycle lasts twenty-five days). If the cycle is longer by a couple of days, then the difference is added to the estimated date of birth.
Is this method accurate for determining the period of pregnancy by menstruation? The technique is used if a woman regularly maintains a calendar of her menstrual cycle and accurately remembers the date of the beginning and end of menstruation. However, there are still problems, because in the normal state, pregnancy can last from thirty-eight to forty-two weeks, so there will be an inaccuracy. It is also worth noting that the method only works when the future mother does not have problems with the cycle. It should be stable, uniform and last exactly 28 days. In such situations, the pregnancy is most likely to last 280 days or, to use the medical language, ten obstetric months, starting from the first day of the past menstruation.
We determine pregnancy by ovulation
Determining the gestational age before the delay in ovulation is quite simple. With a cycle of 28 days, ovulation occurs on approximately the 14th day. To this day we add 38 weeks and all. This will be the day of the alleged birth. Is this method accurate? The fact is that in many women the cycle is unstable and has deviations to a greater or lesser extent. The interval between menstruation can be 25 days, and can be 32-33 days. How to determine the day of ovulation? It occurs 14 days before the start of the next menstruation, however, these calculations are not always accurate. This is due to the fact that a mature egg lives for a couple of days, and spermatozoa are able to live inside the female body up to five days after intercourse. This method of determining the duration of pregnancy works best if the time interval between sexual intercourse was at least 6 weeks.
Ultrasound as a way to establish pregnancy
How is everything calculated? On the basis of many years of research and observation, special tables have been compiled in which the gestational age is compared with the fetal parameters (the distance from the coccyx to the crown is taken). The circumference of the head, chest and even the length of the thigh are also taken into account. Is it possible to determine pregnancy in the early stages? Of course, but in such cases, the size of the fetal egg is taken.
Is this method accurate? At the moment, this technique is considered the most accurate. The question arises: "At what period of pregnancy is it allowed to use it to determine the date of birth?" Ultrasound is best used for a period of 4 to 13 weeks. During this period of time, the size of the fetus in women is practically no different, therefore, you can set the gestational age even up to a day. True, do not forget that the later the measurements are taken, the greater the error. Take into account immediately that in the second and third trimester, many factors influence the fetus: heredity, genetics, mother's nutrition, and so on. Therefore, the size of the children may vary, and the term of delivery may not be set exactly.
Pregnancy screening results
As soon as you appear at the doctor's examination, the specialist will try to assess the size of the pregnant uterus, and especially the height of its bottom, in order to determine the duration of pregnancy. Is this method accurate? Experienced doctors are not magicians at all. The size of the uterus and the height of the bottom in most cases depends on the size of the child, the volume of amniotic fluid, the presence of pathologies, and so on. The shorter the gestation period, the easier it will be to take measurements and determine the date of the baby's birth.
How to establish the gestational age by the height of the bottom of the uterus?
Determination of the gestational age is also carried out during the examination of the uterus. The height of the uterine fundus, or abbreviated as VDM, is the distance between the upper area of the pubic joint and the upper part of the uterine wall, which protrudes from the pelvic cavity. When the fetus begins to grow, the uterus will increase accordingly and, starting from the end of the 4th obstetric month or the 16th week, the bottom of the uterus can already be measured through the anterior abdominal wall. Before this period, the specialist determines the uterine growth rate only during vaginal examination.
The height of the uterine fundus will be measured at each visit to the doctor, starting from the 16th week. Prior to this, an approximate determination of the gestational age by a monthly or any other method is possible.
How is the measurement process? A woman lies on a couch, straightens her legs, it is desirable that the bladder is empty. The doctor, as soon as the patient has laid down, measures the height of the uterine fundus using a centimeter tape. The study will take no more than a minute, but it will allow you to judge the nature of the baby’s growth, his position and the volume of amniotic fluid.
Of course, there are generally accepted values of VDM that correspond to each gestational age, but always take into account many factors and the fact that this is an individual indicator that can vary within three centimeters.
Always, carrying out such a peculiar analysis to determine the gestational age, pay attention to how exactly the VDM increases in comparison with the previous indicator. Already from the 24th week of pregnancy, VDM will coincide with the gestational age.
If the VDM is below normal, then this may indicate the following factors:
- an error occurred in determining early pregnancy;
- the presence of a wide pelvis in large women;
- delay in fetal development;
- reduced volumes of amniotic fluid.
If the VDM is greater than normal, then this indicates the following:
- the fruit is very large;
- multiple pregnancy;
- the mother’s pelvis is narrow;
- the fetus is not positioned correctly;
- amniotic fluid volumes increased.
Also, to monitor the condition of the fetus, its growth and amniotic fluid volume, abdominal circumference is measured at the navel level. The presented indicator directly depends on the personal characteristics of the expectant mother, the thickness of subcutaneous fat, therefore, the dynamics of increasing the circumference is taken into account. These parameters allow you to determine the possible weight of the child. To do this, you need to multiply the number of VDM by the coolant. For example, VDM is 36 centimeters, and coolant is 95 centimeters, then it turns out that the possible weight of the child will be approximately 3420 grams. If the VDM indicators do not correspond for a period of three centimeters or more, then the doctor prescribes additional examinations. Ultrasound, dopplerometry and cardiotocography are performed, and then, based on the results obtained, treatment is prescribed and the tactics of the upcoming birth are established.
Dependence of VDM on the duration of pregnancy.
Duration in weeks | Signs |
Four | Uterus the size of a chicken egg |
Eight | Uterus by volume with a goose egg |
Twelve | The uterus will already be the size of a fist, and its bottom will be at the upper edge of the womb |
Sixteen | The bottom of the uterus is located in the middle of the distance between the navel and the womb, which is about six centimeters above the womb |
Twenty | The uterus stretches the stomach, the bottom is at a distance of twelve centimeters, fetal movements appear, the heartbeat is heard |
Twenty four | The bottom of the uterus is located at the level of the navel, this is about twenty-four centimeters above the womb. |
Twenty eight | The uterine fundus is four centimeters higher than the navel; above the bosom, the distance has increased to twenty-eight centimeters |
Thirty two | The bottom of the uterus is already in the middle position between the navel and the xiphoid process, the approximate distance to the womb is already thirty centimeters, the circumference of the abdomen at the level of the navel is eighty centimeters, the navel is flattened |
Thirty six | The bottom of the uterus is placed in one position with the xiphoid process, the volume of the abdomen has already grown to ninety centimeters, the navel is flattened |
Forty | The bottom of the uterus descends in the middle between the xiphoid process and the navel, already the distance to the bosom is thirty-two centimeters, the abdominal circumference is ninety-six centimeters, the navel is protruded |
We set the gestational age according to the date of the first movement
How is this method of determining the gestational age? It is believed that the first time a baby is born, a woman is able to feel the fetal movement around the twentieth week. If a woman has a second pregnancy, then the date of the first movements may come earlier - at about the eighteenth week. Remember this day and just add twenty or twenty two weeks to it. This will be the approximate date of birth.
How accurate is this method for determining pregnancy, gender, and delivery? Some mothers claim that they were able to feel their child at the seventeenth or even fifteenth week. This may well be erroneous sensations (movements can easily be confused in this state with intestinal motility), but this may also be true. It should also be borne in mind that thin women with high sensitivity recognize the movement of the child before full ladies. The place of attachment of the placenta also affects a lot, if it is located on the front wall, then it will prevent the mother from feeling the baby’s movement, while the fetus can be very active or vice versa inactive. An error of a couple of weeks when setting the date of birth is not uncommon.
Are all methods accurate?
If you put into practice all the methods of determining pregnancy in early pregnancy to set the date of birth, then still prepare for surprises. About 40% (if not less) of children are born on time (at the fortieth week), the rest of the babies are not so “punctual”. The child can hurry to appear in the world, but on the contrary can linger in the mother’s stomach. Therefore, when the thirty-eighth week arrives, the expectant mother should be ready to go to the hospital at any moment.
Are there any folk methods for establishing pregnancy?
Alternative methods for determining pregnancy in the early stages also allow women to find out about their situation. In this case, of course, it makes no difference whether you thought about having a child or whether you already lowered your hands and did not hope that a miracle would happen.
Many years ago, the fair sex also tried to determine pregnancy in the early stages, and each nation had its own methods. Jewish women walked barefoot on tall grass, and the remaining traces “told” about whether the girl was in an interesting position or not. The Egyptians gave women a special drink, if they vomited, then the pregnancy was confirmed.
Now women are not much different from the beautiful ladies of antiquity, but technology has gone far ahead, and now it’s easier and easier to establish a pregnancy. However, even now, many girls want to know the result faster, which is why they resort to folk methods. Our great-grandmothers used these methods, but today no one will be responsible for their authenticity.
- Vintage pregnancy test. The test did not always look like it is now, but they tried to do something similar on ordinary test strips. Urine remained the main component, and iodine was used to determine the interesting position. You can also use any capacity or paper. If iodine is added to a container with urine and a drop remains on the surface, then pregnancy is confirmed. If you wet a paper strip in urine and put iodine on it, then when the color changes to blue, the result is negative, lilac or purple - positive.
- The color of urine plays a big role. In the early stages, urine is said to be dark yellow in color and very concentrated. Rumor has it that such urine has a good effect on the growth of flowers and if you water it in the garden and wait, you will see the result. They will become more magnificent and more beautiful - this is a sign of pregnancy, nothing will change - the result is negative.
- Sorry for the plants? You can cook urine in a metal bowl and, after boiling, place the product in a glass container. During pregnancy, you will see flakes precipitating. The technique is very popular, many women tried to determine their pregnancy in such a non-standard way.
Is it worth trusting folk methods?
The methods are very interesting, but they will never give 100% of the result, unlike the modern pregnancy test. If you wish, of course, you can try on yourself one of the ways to establish pregnancy, to test its effectiveness or just for fun. This is an exciting experience, but still use proven modern techniques to guarantee. If the pregnancy is confirmed, then consult a doctor without fail.
Why should women understand that the term of labor will be approximate?
The thing is that a woman will be psychologically attuned to a certain date of birth, and if there are no contractions at a specified time, then she can develop severe stress. This will lead to panic, there will be fear for the baby, anxiety due to a postponed or premature pregnancy. Some women even made attempts to provoke childbirth, of course, without the participation of a doctor. This can never be done. Early hospitalization will not bring positive emotions to anyone, and especially to the expectant mother.
Therefore, all women who are going to give birth to children should immediately remember - the date that is determined by the doctor during the examination or according to ultrasound is approximate (estimated). Deviations are possible in any direction for a period of up to a couple of weeks.
Believe me, it’s better for a child to “know” when he needs to be born, therefore, during normal pregnancy, just trust your body and don’t worry about it, go with the flow and everything will be fine.
When determining the probable week during which labor will begin, you will be able to mentally and financially prepare for the trip to the hospital. After all, when the battle begins, you will be completely not up to it. The estimated date will allow you to collect all the necessary things for yourself and your unborn child, mentally prepare for childbirth, because this is a difficult and painful process for every woman.
The main thing is not to worry, childbirth that started earlier or was late for a few days is likely to be childbirth at the right time.
Drop the excitement
When you are preparing for childbirth, then excitement will be virtually impossible to avoid. Therefore, you should not worry at least for the expected date of birth, trust your baby and let everything go as it should. There will be so much stress in the last stages of pregnancy, you should not add yourself something else and worry just like that. It is better to spend time with benefit, study materials on parenting, prepare a room for the baby, prepare bags for departure to the hospital. , - , , , .