Author - Dr. Preethika Shetty MBBS, DNB, M.S (OBGY), Fellowship in Reproductive Medicine (ICOG)

Consultant - Obstetrician & Gynaecologist at Motherhood Hospital, Kharadi, Pune

Are you expecting a baby? And you are excited to know the precise coming of your newborn? Pregnancy calculators can help you here where you can be prepared beforehand, along with tracking the growth of your baby. Pregnancy calculator is a tool that can lend you a helping date in determining your due date of pregnancy.

Quick fact:

It has been researched that only 1 in 20 women delivers on the estimated due date. This means only 5% of deliveries take place on their exact calculated date as per the pregnancy due date calculator.

Pregnancy calculator- A useful tool

It can be useful in the estimation of date of delivery in correspondence to due date, last period date, ultrasound date or conception date, when taken into consideration. The due date or estimated date of delivery refers to the date when labor is expected to begin. When it comes to accuracy, pregnancy calculators can be variable. The precise estimation of pregnancy calculator results can go beyond or before the actual delivery in most of the cases.

Calculating due date of pregnancy

There are some ways that can help you to calculate the due date of your pregnancy as:

First day of the last period: In most of the cases, a pregnancy could last around 38-40 weeks from conception, where keeping track of these weeks from the last day of your menstrual cycle can help you in the estimation of your due date. Usually, health care professionals estimate a baby’s due date using the first day of your last menstrual period.

IVF transfer date: If a woman is going for in vitro fertilization (IVF), she can estimate her due date using the IVF transfer date. Embryos are mostly transferred after 3 or 5 days of fertilization.

Ultrasound scan: An early ultrasound can help you to accurately date the delivery, though most of the women never go for an early ultrasound. Other clues pertaining to the growth of the baby inside the womb of the mother can also determine whether the due date is accurate or not, such as the baby's heartbeat is heard around week 9-10 for the first time or first fetal movement is usually between week 18-22. Another initial internal pregnancy exam can also help in pointing to the estimated due date of delivery where the size of the uterus can be noted.

Early signs of pregnancy

It is better to track your pregnancy from the day you come to know that you are pregnant. Knowing about your pregnancy symptoms can help you to come across this process early. Some of the early signs of pregnancy are:

Missing periods: When there is delay in your menstrual cycle, it can be one of the symptoms of pregnancy. However, in the case of irregular menstrual cycles this can be a misleading factor as well.

Swollen breasts: Pregnancy is accompanied with changing hormonal levels which can make your breasts sensitive and swollen.

Nausea and vomiting: During pregnancy, morning sickness is common after a few weeks, where some women may have nausea earlier in their pregnancy.

Fatigue: The first trimester of pregnancy corresponds to the fatigue where a person feels sleepiness as well.

While there are many signs that may point to your pregnancy, they can be pointing to other problems as well. It is better to have a pregnancy test whenever you experience the symptoms mentioned above. After you have confirmed that you are expecting, the doctor will make an assessment in which he will provide you the due date of labor. You can also do it yourself with the help of pregnancy week calculator or due date calculator.

Due date calculator

When it comes to due date calculation, it is an estimation which gives us an idea that the labor may start sometime in two weeks before or after the due date.

At Motherhood Hospitals, we have a team of experienced super specialists backed by the latest in infrastructure and facilities. We have the best Gynaecologist in Kharadi, Pune. We are experts in handling complex deliveries, gynaecological, and other surgeries including a range of laparoscopic surgeries.

Do take an appointment with the best Gynaecology hospital in Kharadi, Pune at a centre closest to you. Meet with our doctors who will carry out the required investigations, diagnose the issue and recommend the most appropriate treatment, enabling you to lead an active life.

If you wish to get in touch with Dr. Preethika Shetty, please book your appointment here.