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When Is Your Baby Due?

Congratulations! You've just found out that you're expecting, and you're counting the days till baby arrives.

While most people speak of a "nine month" pregnancy, gestation is considered to be full term at forty weeks. Your due date is therefore estimated at forty weeks from the day conception occurred. Remember, though, that "estimation" is the key word. This system of calculation is generalized and can be somewhat inaccurate.

Many women have irregular menstrual cycles, which can often lead to an incorrect due date estimation. Generally, a baby's due date is calculated with a 28-day menstrual cycle, and it's assumed that ovulation has occurred midway through the cycle. This formula just doesn't work for all women. In fact, the estimated due date can be off by as much as a month, so don't rely too heavily on this initial date. Your pregnancy may be longer or shorter than forty weeks, and it's not uncommon for some mothers to have a true due date up to two weeks longer than the initial estimate.

With an estimated due date in mind, most expectant mothers are able to make plans for the events ahead, such as when to take maternity leave. Even a general date is a good indication of when you can expect to leave work. You'll be able to estimate a truer date with blood tests and ultrasound scans as your pregnancy progresses.

A blood test can be used to determine the amount of hCG a woman has in her blood, which can indicate how far along the pregnancy is and a due date. This test should result in a much more accurate pregnancy due date than the one using a calculation based simply on the date of the woman's last menstrual cycle. This date is often the first due date that a woman can actually trust with regards to planning for the new arrival. Of course, this blood test cannot be done in the initial stages of a pregnancy as there is not enough hCG present.

An ultrasound scan is the most reliable way of determining a pregnancy due date. This is because babies develop at a relatively uniform rate in the second trimester. The ultrasound technician will take pictures of the unborn baby and take a number of measurements needed to estimate the due date. The pregnancy due date is calculated by the length of the fetus and the circumference of its head, as well as other points of reference.

Once you receive a due date based on your ultrasound scan or blood tests, you can expect future estimations to vary by just a day or two. Every mother and baby is different, of course, so your child may arrive a day or two before or after this estimated date. Your baby's birth will probably not take place on the due date, so don't make any hard and fast plans that require a specific date.

There is no way to guarantee the exact date of your baby's arrival. After all, life's most precious moments are often left to chance.

Article Source: http://www.articlebankonline.com

Author Rosamond Gaven is an author for a variety of well-known web sites, on womans health and personal health care issues.

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