Pregnancy Week by Week

Pregnancy Calendar

In every woman's life comes the time when she is expecting a baby. This moment of joy comes with a lot of new situations. To be well-prepared, women learn that is better to keep a calendar so that they know in advance what will happen and how many days are left until the first birthday of their child. The most famous calendar for the gestational period is the Naegele's one.

How are pregnancies counted?

After the pregnancy test shows a positive result, all questions that come up are about due dates and biological changes that occur in the body. The normal and classic due date is claimed to be 40 weeks. This number was first used by the German obstetrician, Naegele in the 19th century, the rule being called "Naegele's rule". In his opinion, the human pregnancy should take 280 days, 10 lunar months or 9 calendaristic months. In Naegele's technique, the conception is said to occur on the 1st day of the last menstrual period of a certain woman, but the truth is that conception can appear after 2 weeks. Even today, obstetricians use this rule regarding the fact that a pregnancy period lasts 38 weeks, 266 days or 8 and a half calendaristic months.

If I don't have a regular menstrual cycle, can I still use a calendar?

If you don't have a regular 28 days menstrual cycle, Naegele's rule is still almost right. The menstrual cycle is not linked to the pregnancy period.

Why to use a pregnancy calendar?

This sort of calendar makes it easier to expect symptoms and know when you have to prepare for labor. Keeping track of the days will highlight even complications. A calendar has the purpose for you to compare your happenings with the normal preset ones.

How does a pregnancy calendar look like?

If you make or buy one, calendars usually look like a normal annual calendar or as a wheel. In every section of a certain day you will have details about the development of the baby and about the symptoms that will occur.
In the case of a wheel, the indicator arrow will be positioned in the day of the pregnancy you are in, while the second indicator arrow will be pointing your delivery date.

Can a calendar substitute medical visits?

No! Medical care is very important all along the gestational period. A calendar is a helpful way to predict what is going to happen and in which stage your baby is. Doctors can investigate whether you and your child are healthy and if there are any complications that might occur. Because every body is different, you don't really have to fully trust a calendar, but the doctor can spot these differences.

As a conclusion, it is very important that you are in touch with your body and that you keep track of everything that happens. In case of an emergency, this piece of information can save your life or your baby's life. You can buy these calendars from a pharmacy or from specialized web-sites. If you don't have the money for a standard one, you can find instructions on the internet or build one yourself.