Due  Date                  

 

One of the ways that people use to determine your due date is a                                                                    result of Dr. Naegele, in 1850. His way to tell your due date is based                                                              on a cycle of 28 days. If you use this way, you will do the following:                                                            To the first day of your last Menstrual Period (LMP) add seven (7) days                                                          to that date. Now subtract three months (3 months) and this will                                                                      give you a due date.

 

EXAMPLE : If my last period started on November 2, I would add the                                                               7 days, giving me a date of November 9th. Then I subtract 3 months,                                                      giving me a date of August 9th. This would be my due date, August                                                           9th. Remember that this way does not take into account other factors                                                      such as: longer or shorter cycles, first time mothers, the fact that we                                                        have better health care today, and better nutrition, and that some                                                            women, African American and Asian women tend to have shorter gestation.

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We will also use other ways to be sure of your due date.

• fundal height. You measure one (1) centimeter above the pubic bone, for each week you are pregnant, this can also vary from two (2) centimeters above this to below this measurement and still be normal. EXAMPLE: if you are 32 weeks, you can measure from 30 to 34 centimeters and still be with in the normal range.

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• Quickening: The first time you feel the baby move. You should write this date down.

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• Fetal heart tones heard with a doppler or stethoscope.

• Ultra sound

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CALENDAR MONTHS VS LUNAR MONTHS (10 months of pregnancy)

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You carry a baby about 40 weeks or 9 calendar months. But you will notice that if you go by every 4 weeks, it comes out to be 10 lunar months. (moon phases) This is important to understand. If you are reading from some books that talk about 10 months of pregnancy, you will understand that they are not referring to ‘going over due’. They are talking about moon phases.

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