Pregnancy

A pregnancy usually can last anywhere between 38-42 weeks. This is the normal pregnancy period (gestation) for humans. Once you are tested positive for pregnancy the first question which hits your mind is, when you are due.

Everybody around you is interested in knowing the due date. There are so many websites which provide due date calculation methods or they ask you to confirm few details and they give you an estimated due date (EDD).

How pregnancy due date is calculated

Many obstetricians will use what is called "Naegele's rule" to determine the approximate due date. It is named after a German obstetrician "Franz Karl Naegele" who devised this rule.

This due date calculation is based on a gestational period of 40 weeks from the first day of a woman's last menstrual period (LMP). However a normal pregnancy is completed in 38-42 weeks.

The more accurate you are about your monthly periods, the more accurate the pregnancy due date will be. It has been observed only 5% of babies are delivered exactly on the due date calculated by Naegele's rule.

Therefore there is always a margin of 14 days on either side of pregnancy due date. In case a woman is not very sure about the first day of last period then and early pelvic exam to measure the size of the uterus can be very helpful.

"Post-term pregnancy", "Prolonged pregnancy" and "post-date pregnancy" are the terms used for a pregnancy which not only crosses the pregnancy due date but also crosses the gestation period of 42 weeks. Stats reveal, 1 out of every 20 pregnancies, is a case of post term pregnancy.

Pregnancies going 1 or 2 weeks past the due date

Once your gestation lasts 1 week more than the expected due date doctors usually like to check the expecting mother. They check the baby closely to track the baby's heartbeat and amniotic fluid around the baby.

Doctor checks the cervix to see if it is dilated and thinned. If required, doctors recommend inducing labor.

Most of the doctors recommend inducing labor only when a woman passes 2 weeks of her pregnancy due date. It is usually done to reduce the chances of fetal disorder or to minimize the complication of baby getting too large for a normal delivery. Labor can be induced by use of drug called Oxytocin which triggers the labor within 1-2 hrs.

So, even if you have got an estimated pregnancy due date it always advisable to remain in constant touch with your gyno or doctor to avoid any unseen complication related with pregnancy due date and delivery.