Fetal movement and online calculator
The first signs of the baby's viability appear at 18-20 weeks. Earlier, movement is observed in women with children, later - during the first pregnancy. When the first tremors appear, it is enough to count twenty weeks and get the exact time of birth. For multiparous women, 22 weeks is considered.
The only problem with the method is that the movements vary in strength. Not all pregnant women immediately notice the initial tremors, and for some they occur earlier. The average statistical error is 7 days.
There is a page on the Internet with a special online calculator designed to calculate the timing of pregnancy. It is based on the method of calculating the time of the last menstruation. To get the right results, a woman should know:
- date of menstruation;
- average duration of the menstrual cycle;
- duration of the luteal phase.
The system automatically provides a response when you enter the specified information. The pregnancy calculator helps you get answers to many questions:
- find out the approximate time of conception;
- calculate the time of the expected birth of the baby;
- clarify the gestation period and how many days are left before the birth;
- determine changes in the body that are relevant specifically for this date;
- study the size of the fetus and the skills it has acquired.
The free service, available online, helps reduce the risk of arithmetic errors and saves time. The program has a friendly interface and the application is easy to use.
None of the above methods can claim to be an ideal way to calculate the pregnancy calendar. If there is information about the last monthly cycle and ovulation, a woman can quite accurately find out the date of her future birth. If you have any doubts, you can get answers to your questions from the obstetrician-gynecologist leading the pregnancy.
Date of birth according to ultrasound
The most accurate way to determine the time of birth of a child is ultrasound diagnostics (ultrasound examination), but it can only be used in the early stages of pregnancy (up to 12 weeks). Thanks to ultrasound, it is possible to determine the gestational age with high accuracy, and thereby calculate the due date. In the second trimester, the gestational age is determined according to the size of the head and limbs of the fetus, but since each child develops individually, the error in calculations can be up to 7 days. In the third trimester, it is generally impossible to calculate the due date using ultrasound.
What is premature birth
In 5 - 12% of cases, babies are born prematurely - at 22 - 37 weeks and weigh 1 - 2.5 kg. Previously, birth was considered premature from the 28th week, and everything that happened before it was considered a miscarriage. It was impossible to go out and save such babies.
But medicine does not stand still; new methods of caring for premature babies are being introduced in obstetrics. Therefore, the World Health Organization has expanded the scope: now babies born from the 22nd week have a chance to live. In modern perinatal centers, babies are cared for with extremely low body weight - only 0.5 kg.
Signs of post-term pregnancy
It is diagnosed based on an assessment of the condition of the mother and fetus.
From my mother's side. The woman’s body is not ready for labor, the abdominal circumference has become smaller, the height of the uterus has increased, aging of the placenta and fetoplacental insufficiency are noted, the amniotic fluid has become cloudy, mixed with meconium.
From the side of the fetus. The bones of the skull have become denser, the fontanels, sutures and subcutaneous fat layer have decreased, there is no vellus hair or cheese-like lubricant. The weight of the fetus exceeds 4 kg, it grows by 2 - 3 cm. Such a baby may experience heart rhythm disturbances: arrhythmia, extrasystole.
Another criterion is labor activity. It may start, continue for 24 hours, and then stop and not return for a week.
If the duration of pregnancy exceeds 42 weeks, the woman is examined in the maternity hospital. If, when assessing the condition of the fetus, it is revealed that it is suffering in utero, then labor is induced or a caesarean section is performed.
Specialists
Egorova Elena Borisovna
Obstetrician-gynecologist of the highest qualification category.
Specializes in peritoneal factor of infertility in women and management of problematic pregnancies.
It will provide effective help if, before conception, you were diagnosed with adhesions, endometriosis, erosion or other pathologies of the cervix.
Akinshina Svetlana Vladimirovna
Obstetrician-gynecologist, hemostasiologist with an academic degree.
Pregnancy management S.V. Akinshina will help avoid severe complications: gestosis, placental insufficiency, fetal loss syndrome.
The doctor's expertise includes hemostasis disorders and immunological infertility.
Petreykov Evgeniy Rafailovich
If you are planning a pregnancy, IVF, or have a history of fetal failure in the first trimester, contact Dr. Petreikov.
A gynecologist of the highest category, Candidate of Sciences, will help determine the risk and cause of obstetric complications, and also prescribe supportive treatment for a genetic predisposition to thrombosis.
Akhmedova Larisa Maratovna
Obstetrician-gynecologist with experience in a famous Israeli clinic, expert in monitoring pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Performs surgical operations: intimate plastic surgery, removal of polyps, treatment of erosion with Surgitron radioknife. Provides consultations and examinations to couples with suspected infertility.
Calculation by date of conception
It has been established that conception is possible only during ovulation, when a mature egg leaves the follicle to meet a sperm. Ovulation usually occurs on day 14 of the menstrual cycle (the period starting on the first day of your period and ending with the first day of your next period). The duration of the menstrual cycle is different for each woman. It can be 28-35 days. On average it lasts 28-29 days.
A woman planning a pregnancy or monitoring her cycle can accurately determine the day of ovulation. In addition, during this period, characteristic signs appear.
It is worth noting that the day of sexual intercourse may not coincide with the day of conception, since the viability of individual sperm in a woman’s body reaches up to 3 days.
So, knowing the day of ovulation, you can quite accurately calculate the date of birth. You just need to add 280 days to this day (the average length of pregnancy). Please note that in this way, only a woman with a regular menstrual cycle can calculate the period of birth of a baby.
We offer an online calculator that will help determine the period of birth of a child:
(calculation will take a few seconds)
Why is the baby born later?
Doctors name several reasons why waiting for a baby may take longer.
Firstly, the age of the woman in labor. Mothers over 30 tend to carry their pregnancies to term.
Secondly, disruptions of the menstrual cycle. For example, if a woman incorrectly named the date of her last menstrual period or does not remember it at all, then an error in calculating the PDR is quite possible.
Thirdly, diseases. Inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system can both cause premature birth and delay the birth of the baby. Therefore, pregnant women with chronic illnesses need to be doubly careful to avoid exacerbation.
Fourthly, the characteristics of the mother’s body. Infantilism of the genital organs, absence of a generic dominant, endocrine system disorders, hormonal insufficiency of the placenta. Another reason is the characteristics of the central nervous system. The same mothers often carry their pregnancies to term.
Fifthly, the condition of the fetus. Children with disorders of the pituitary-adrenal system or defects are born later.
Predictions for the baby
The birth of post-term babies is fraught with injury, since their skull bones are denser and compress less well during the passage of the birth canal. Therefore, such newborns are at risk for traumatic brain injury.
Another complication is hypoxia. During birth, babies experience oxygen starvation. But those born at 40 weeks tolerate it more easily than those born at 42 and later. The latter have a more complex nervous system, so it is more difficult for them to adapt to oxygen deficiency.
Post-term infants are at risk for perinatal diseases and mortality.
Types of early birth
A distinction is made between impending and incipient labor.
Threatened labor can be brought under control and true labor can be prevented. With proper therapy, a woman can carry to term and give birth on time. They can be suspected if they have the following symptoms: nagging pain in the lower back and lower abdomen, traces of blood on the pad, the fetus may be more active than usual. In such a situation, you need to urgently call an ambulance.
The onset of labor cannot be controlled - in this case there is no turning back. The cervix dilates by 4 cm or more, regular contractions appear - starting with an interval of 10 minutes, which are reduced, the fetus moves along the birth canal. In this case, the obstetrician’s task is to competently conduct the birth and deliver the child.
Reasons for preterm birth
Factors that influence the duration of pregnancy and the birth of a baby early can be divided into 2 groups.
The first is socio-biological factors. These include:
- bad habits during pregnancy - alcohol, nicotine, drugs, as well as taking medications that harm the fetus;
- unhealthy lifestyle - poor or unhealthy diet, passive lifestyle, weight problems (excess or deficiency);
- difficult working conditions - for example, night shifts, physical labor, hazardous work conditions (vibrations, noise, toxic substances);
- emotional state - stress, anxiety, excitability or depression, dysfunctional social environment or family atmosphere affect the duration of pregnancy.
Women who lead an unhealthy lifestyle or do not take care of themselves during pregnancy often give birth to premature babies.
The second group is medical factors. These include chronic diseases, previous abortions and miscarriages.
Another reason is pregnancy complications. For example, gestosis in the third trimester, Rh conflict between mother and fetus, or disruptions in a woman’s immune system when her body perceives the fetus as foreign and tries to expel it.
Other medical factors also affect the length of pregnancy. Let's talk about them in more detail next.
Infectious diseases in women
Some infections can cross the placental barrier and affect the fetus. Infection of the fetus leads to developmental disorders, health problems after birth and premature birth.
Such ailments include sexually transmitted infections, as well as inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system, kidneys or lungs. At risk are women diagnosed with chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis.
Isthmic-cervical insufficiency
If the cervix ripens faster, it opens earlier and therefore cannot hold the fetus. This shortens the duration of pregnancy.
Early outpouring of water
When your water breaks, prostaglandins are released. These hormones trigger the labor mechanism.
Anatomical features of a pregnant woman
Some women have a different uterine structure than most. In such cases, the duration of pregnancy may be less than normal.
Pathologies of pregnancy
These include placenta previa or placental abruption, for example. In the first case, the woman is usually kept in a maternity hospital, since she may experience massive bleeding at any moment. When placental abruption occurs, the same thing happens, so the woman needs emergency medical care.
Placental abruption itself is not a sign of labor. It’s just that if it occurs in the later stages, then doctors save not only the life of the woman in labor, but also the child.
Predictions for children
If a baby was born from the 22nd to the 28th week, he has a chance to survive, but the prognosis is not the most favorable: health complications cannot be avoided. Babies born from the 28th to the 33rd week have a slightly more positive outlook: their lungs mature faster and better thanks to drug therapy. Well, the best chances are for babies born from the 34th to the 37th week.
