| ..Calculating
Your Due Date
Your
due date, an estimated date of when the baby will be born, is
based on the length of an average pregnancy — 280 days, or
40 weeks from the first day of your last period.
Using
this method of calculation, and assuming that you conceived on
the 14th day of 280 days, you weren't officially pregnant
during the first two weeks of your pregnancy. You may also be
surprised to learn that you're very unlikely to give birth on
your exact due date. In fact, the chances of this happening
are only 5 percent! You are, however, extremely likely to have
your baby within two weeks on either side of this date,
because a normal pregnancy can last between 37 and 42 weeks.
A
Handy Due Date Formula:
Start
with the first day of your last period and count backward
three months to get the month in which you will deliver. Add
seven to the day of the month in which your last period began
to get the due date. For example, if your last period began on
August 20, you would count backwards three months to May, then
add seven to 20 to get a due date of May 27.
Click
here for an interactive calendar from "What to
Expect"
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