This is how to calculate the age of pregnancy

There are still many women who do not know how to calculate gestational age. Although it is difficult to ascertain accurately because we cannot know exactly when fertilization occurs, gestational age can be estimated in several ways. To calculate the gestational age, the method that is widely used today is based on the date of the last menstruation. The first day of last menstruation (LMP) is considered as the first day of pregnancy. Usually a woman will undergo pregnancy around 280 days or 40 weeks since LMP. The assumption that HPHT as the first day of pregnancy is still considered quite accurate, even though fertilization usually begins around 11-21 days after that date.

This is how to calculate the age of pregnancy

Knowing the gestational age is very important to estimate the time of birth. When the estimated birth day (HPL) has been determined, the date of birth of the baby is in the time span between two weeks before and two weeks after HPL. To find out how to calculate the gestational age, the following steps can be done:

Based on the first day of the last menstrual period (HPHT)

A popular way to calculate gestational age is to determine the date of the last menstruation before pregnancy. This method is known as the Naegele formula. This method is considered best for women who have regular menstrual cycles of 28 days. First, determine the date of LMP and then add 40 weeks from that date to determine the estimated delivery day. This is based on the assumption that pregnancy is usually lived for 9 months, aka 40 weeks or 280 days. By knowing the estimated day of the baby's birth, the gestational age can be determined. The following simulation calculations:
  • Determine the first day of the last menstrual period (HPHT)
  • Add one year
  • Add seven days
  • Set back three months
So if the HPHT dated July 22, 2018, the calculation becomes:
  • July 22, 2018 + 1 year = July 22, 2019
  • July 22, 2019 + 7 days = July 29, 2019
  • 29 July 2019 - 3 months = 29 April 2019
Based on this formula, the interpretation of baby's birthday is April 29, 2019. Although easy and quite accurate, this method cannot be applied to women who do not remember when their HPHT or who have irregular menstrual cycles.

Based on ultrasound

In circumstances where the above method is considered not to provide accurate results, for example if menstruation is irregular, you can visit a doctor to determine the age of the womb. The obstetrician will conduct a physical examination and transvaginal ultrasound to determine the gestational age more accurately. Ultrasound results in calculating gestational age are more accurate if done in the early stages of pregnancy. This is because in the first few weeks, the fetus tends to develop at the same rate. However, with increasing gestational age, the rate of fetal growth can vary. Growth can be fast in certain months, but can slow down in the following months. Therefore, an ultrasound examination performed in the last trimester of pregnancy is not intended to determine the age of the fetus, but rather to monitor whether the fetus is growing properly. Calculating gestational age is important to estimate the time of birth of a baby. The most commonly used methods are HPHT calculation and ultrasound examination. However, the results of the two may not be the same, because each has different conditions to get accurate results. But don't worry, your obstetrician will continue to monitor your pregnancy and let you know when your baby is about to be born. That is why, routine pregnancy checks to the obstetrician need to be done.

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