How to calculate the period of pregnancy. Explanation of gynecologists

A correctly determined pregnancy period will help parents to understand when to wait for the appearance of a child, and medical workers to perform screenings and take the necessary tests from the mother in time.

When fertilization occurs and why ovulation is not the beginning of pregnancy explains gynecologist Olesya Maryschuk and docent Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Max Mongelli University of Sydney.

Often beginning of pregnancy they start counting from the day of conception during ovulation, but, according to gynecologists, this is a mistake. In contrast, doctors determine obstetric period of pregnancy – the period from the first day of the last menstruation until the moment of delivery.

How long does it take to inseminate?

The menstrual cycle in women lasts from 24 to 38 days, and ovulation occurs in the middle of the cycle – on about the 14th day. The time of ovulation can shift, so it is difficult to determine exactly when it occurred.

During ovulation, the egg only leaves the ovary and enters the fallopian tube, and later the sperm must reach it and dissolve the lining of the walls. It can happen within 5-6 days, that’s how much time sperm can live in the human genital tract.

Already after that, germ cells merge and a fertile egg is formed, which moves into the uterine cavity. It is further settles in the endometrium, the mucous membrane that covers the uterine cavity, and is implanted. From the moment the sperm merges with the egg until implantation it may take another 5-7 days.

When does pregnancy occur?

After being fixed in the uterus, the fertilized egg begins to produce the pregnancy hormone hCG — human chorionic gonadotropin. It is during this period that you can get a positive result in pregnancy tests. Also start feeling it early symptoms.

In addition, it is necessary to wait until the concentration of the corresponding hormone increased so much so that it becomes noticeable in the urine. At the time of the first day of delay, a woman may already be in the 4th week of obstetric pregnancy.

Average duration of pregnancy in a woman — 280 days after the start of the last menstruation or 266 days after the probable ovulation. Yes, yes by the results studies, only 4% of all babies are born exactly on their expected due date.

If menstruation is irregular and it is difficult to trace its beginning, doctors can determine the date of pregnancy based on the results of the first ultrasound. And before screening, it can be determined by the results of a blood test.

Bohdana Torba, “UP. Life”