There are two main reasons women need to know how far along they are: if they need to estimate their due date or if they are considering abortion.
Whether or not your pregnancy is planned, we can provide education and resources for a healthy pregnancy, parenting support, and limited pregnancy medical services. If you have questions about the abortion pill or abortion types by trimester and your options in Florida, we can provide the answers you need to help you make an informed choice.
How Far Along Am I?
If your period is regular (which can range between 21-35 days) before becoming pregnant, your estimated due date will be based on the date of your last menstrual period. Why? Because your body releases an egg in the middle of your cycle, and sperm fertilizes it for you to get pregnant.
However, early pregnancy symptoms, such as mood swings, hormonal imbalances, etc., can often be somild that many women overlook them, causing them to go unreported. The gestational period begins on the first dayof your last menstruation, so by the time most women miss their period and realize they are pregnant, the pregnancy has been developing for two weeks, but the woman is considered four weeks pregnant.
When an egg is fertilized, the expecting mother could exhibit a light pink discharge or light bleeding. Most women mistake this discharge for their period. This kind of discharge typically appears a few minutes or up to three days after fertilization.
Due dates can be calculated via ultrasound (sonogram) or an online due date calculator.
Online Due Date Calculator/Conception Calculator
Online calculators provide two options for women. The first choice is to calculate the due date using the first day of your most recent menstrual cycle. The second choice is to use the conception date as the basis for the estimation.
Although it might be fun, it doesn’t produce reliable outcomes. Most women don’t know their actual conception date, making it challenging to determine an accurate due date. Furthermore, since there may be spotting in early pregnancies, many women mistake it for their period and are unaware of when their last period was.
Ultrasound
An ultrasound is needed to determine how far along you are. If you experience irregular periods before becoming pregnant, a due date calculator can be off by several weeks. No matter when you thought your last period was, if your ultrasound measures eight weeks and two days, that is how far along you are.
Additionally, even if you have regular cycles and your due date differs from the day of your last period, you should be aware that ovulation is not a precise science and might occur earlier or later than usual. It may cause a slight movement in your due date.
What’s My Next Step?
Pregnancy dates must be accurate to help you determine your next steps and which options are available to you. The only way to know how far along you are, whether the pregnancy is intrauterine, and confirm viability is through an obstetric ultrasound.
If you choose to continue your pregnancy, knowing how far along you are in your pregnancy may calculate when you are most likely to give birth and make the necessary preparations.
If you choose to terminate your pregnancy, the information from an ultrasound can determine how much an abortion could cost and the abortion method. The abortion pill, for example, is only FDA-approved through 10 weeks.
Make an appointment today for a free in-clinic pregnancy test. If the test is positive, we may be able to schedule a free ultrasound appointment so you can know for sure.
References:
- Saling, J. (2023, August 17). Early pregnancy symptoms. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/pregnancy-am-i-pregnant
- How are Due Dates Calculated. (2023, November 17). https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/topics/intermountain-moms/2015/12/how-are-due-dates-calculated/
- Davis, S. (2024b, January 24). Due Date calculator: When is your baby due? Forbes Health. https://www.forbes.com/health/family/due-date-calculator/
- https://www.verywellfamily.com/are-ultrasounds-accurate-for-predicting-due-dates-2371403
