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The date of delivery is calculated top-down by the gynecologist based on the information we provide and on the basis of tests. Often, however, under stress, we can provide incomplete information, or information that we are not sure of ourselves. The exact date of delivery, of course, is unknown, it will depend on the state of pregnancy and the woman herself. Sometimes we also forget what date the gynecologist has set, or we want to calculate the date of delivery more precisely for other reasons. Either way, of course, you can do it at home, and we present how to “go about it”. This is certainly very important for pregnant women.
hukmê Naegele
This is one of the oldest methods of calculating the due date, it does not always give good results, but it is also used by most gynecologists. Why is this rule slightly outdated? Because it was developed by the doctor Franz Naegele, who lived at the turn of 1778-1851. What is it about? The premise is simple: an ideal pregnancy lasts around 280 days, assuming that every woman has perfect 28-day monthly cycles and that ovulation always occurs mid-cycle. For moms-to-be, however, this may not work.
The formula of Naegele’s rule:
- Estimated due date = first day of last menstrual period before conception + 7 days – 3 months + 1 year
Modifications of Naegele’s rule
If the cycle is longer than 28 days, instead of adding +7 days in the formula, we add a number equal to how many days our cycle is different from the ideal 28-day cycle. For example, for a 29-day cycle, we will add 7 + 1 days in the formula, and for a 30-day cycle, we will add 7 + 2 days. We act in the same way, if the cycle is shorter, then instead of adding days, we simply subtract them.
Other methods of calculating the day of delivery
- You can also calculate your due date more accurately if you have done a very thorough analysis of your cycles beforehand. Then the woman can know the exact day of conception, and this greatly facilitates the methods of calculating the due date
- The proven and probably the best way to calculate the date of delivery is to perform an ultrasound examination. Unfortunately, this cannot be done at home, but this method does not give an abstract, mathematical result, but is more accurate and related to strictly biological assumptions and observations. The computer program accurately calculates all parameters related to the fetus, and also takes into account the woman’s cycles. The margin of error when calculating the due date using ultrasound is +/- 7 days, as long as the examination is performed early, i.e. in the first trimester of pregnancy. Unfortunately, the further the test is performed, the less precise the result will be
It is true that, as you can see, the due date with the accuracy of the day is practically impossible to calculate, using various types of methods, both old-fashioned and modern, we are able to approximately determine a certain period of time when childbirth should occur. This gives the expectant mother a lot, because she can prepare for childbirth early enough.