If you are pregnant, you may be happy and even nervous. You may have many questions related to the growth of baby and child birth. The mother-to-be should be aware of the need for extra nutrition and care, during the whole term of pregnancy. Avoid alcohol, smoking and drugs, which can cause complications and pose health hazards to the mother and the child. Pregnant women need to be safe and prevent any kind of physical or emotional damage.
Pregnant women's body structure changes as per the need of the coming baby. The breast structure change to enable a mother to breast feed the baby and there may be some changes in the gums and teeth during pregnancy. The gums are more at a risk of getting infected and the mouth produces more fluid during the initial few weeks of pregnancy. The women have hormonal changes as she prepares to give birth to the baby.
The time period in which, a baby starts growing in mother's womb is the gestation period. The fertilization of eggs takes place in the ten days before the start of next period and the gestation period or the due date can be calculated only, when the women has a regular monthly period.
The exact date of conception can only be found in vitro fertilization conditions or artificial insemination. The exact date of fertilization cannot be found in other cases and the mother is asked about the first date of her last period, to calculate the gestation period.
1. First day of last menstrual: The first day of the last menstrual cycle of the mother is asked to find out the gestation period.
2. Measurement of the baby: Ultrasound can be used to measure the baby but in the later stages of pregnancy the date calculated from ultrasound can get less accurate. To calculate the gestation age of the baby, the medical practitioner may match the results of the first day of menstrual cycle to the ultrasound results. A baby can be measured after five to six weeks, of the first date of last menstrual.
3. Conception date: It is very difficult to calculate conception date, but it can be between the eleventh to the twenty-first day – calculated from the 1st day of last menstrual.
4. Due Date Calculator: The exact estimated date can be calculated from the last menstrual and the estimated due date is after 40 weeks after the first date of last menstrual. Only five percent babies take birth on the estimated due date.
Many women who have irregular menstrual may not remember their first day of last menstrual and for the women, who do not remember the first day of their menstrual may have to see the ultrasound results to find out about the conception date.
The gestation period also depends on the growth of the baby and sometimes, if the baby grows abnormally, it may be difficult to calculate the due date. The fetus may grow to the size of the uterus or it can grow to the height of the uterus.
