Pregnancy is one of the most important and beautiful periods in a woman's life. A baby is a direct expression of the true feelings of two people, and parents-to-be look forward to the day they get to see their little one for the first time. For nine months, the fetus is in the womb, and it is almost impossible to guess the exact day when it will be born. But today there are several methods that allow you to calculate the date of birth. To do this, it is necessary, first of all, to know the gestational age of a woman, since in most cases it is quite difficult to determine the exact day of conception.

Why is it important to determine a woman's gestational age

Calculation of the gestational age is one of the first questions that an obstetrician-gynecologist must solve when a pregnant woman contacts him. Depending on the gestational age, a woman should periodically attend a antenatal clinic, monitor the state of her own body and the development of the unborn baby. To date, several main methods for calculating the gestational age are used: calendar, determination of the height of standing on the uterus, as well as ultrasound. Only knowing the correct gestational age can presumably calculate the date of birth.

Age of pregnancy:

  • calendar method for determining the gestational age;
  • how to calculate the gestational age by the height of the uterine fundus;
  • The role of ultrasound in calculating a woman's gestational age.

Calendar method for determining the gestational age

There are two main calendar methods for calculating gestational age: by the last menstrual period and by the date of the first fetal movement. In the first case, it is necessary to determine the day of ovulation, which often coincides with the day of fertilization. To do this, you need to find out from the pregnant woman the day of menstruation, which was expected, but did not come. From the first day of the expected menstruation, it is necessary to count 14-16 days. This day will be presumably the first day of pregnancy. Information about the first day of fetal movement must also be obtained from the pregnant woman. Often, primiparas feel the first movement at the 20th week of pregnancy, and multiparous - at 18. But it should be remembered that this is a subjective sensation and a woman can confuse the first movement of the fetus with intestinal motility.

How to calculate the gestational age by the height of the uterine fundus

The second important point in determining the gestational age is the measurement of the height of the uterine fundus. As the fetus grows, the size of the uterus increases and, accordingly, the height of its bottom:

  • 1 month pregnant - uterus about the size of a chicken egg;
  • 2 months pregnant - uterus about the size of a goose egg;
  • 3 months of pregnancy - the fundus of the uterus is at the level of the pubic bone;
  • 4 month of pregnancy - the bottom of the uterus is higher than the pubic bone by 4 transverse fingers of the doctor;
  • 5th month of pregnancy - the bottom of the uterus below the navel by 2 transverse fingers of the doctor;
  • 6th month of pregnancy - the fundus of the uterus at the level of the navel of a pregnant woman;
  • 7th month of pregnancy - the bottom of the uterus is 2 transverse fingers above the navel;
  • 8 month of pregnancy - the fundus of the uterus is located in the middle of the distance between the navel and the xiphoid process;
  • 9th month of pregnancy - the fundus of the uterus is at the level of the xiphoid process;
  • end of pregnancy - the fundus of the uterus again descends to the level between the xiphoid process and the navel.

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The role of ultrasound in calculating a woman's pregnancy

Ultrasound is the most accurate method of determining the gestational age of all existing today. With the help of ultrasound, you can not only determine the size of a woman's uterus, but also clarify the size and condition of the embryo and fetus. In the first month of pregnancy, the visualization of the embryo is rather fuzzy, so the gestational age is determined by measuring the average internal diameter of the fetal egg. From 3-4 weeks of pregnancy, the embryo is quite clearly visible on ultrasound, and its coccygeal-parietal size is measured. In the second and third trimesters, the gestational age is determined by measuring various fetal parameters: head circumference, biparietal size, chest and abdomen diameter, abdominal circumference, fetal femur length.

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