Tips Guides Resources

You have just found out you are expecting, congratulations! How do you find out how lone have you been pregnant? Is there any way to measure it? It actually depends on how you kept track of your menstruation cycle. Usually obstetrician-gynecologist count pregnancy from the first day of your last menstrual period. Technically, that would make you about 4 to 5 weeks pregnant by the time your next period is late, around the time you took your home pregnancy test.

But, you may not have been pregnant that long! You’re most likely 2 weeks pregnant, if measured by the actual date of ovulation and conception. The pregnancy began when your egg was fertilized about 10-14 days ago.

When a woman conceives, it is within a 24-48 hour window either before or after ovulation occurs. This is usually around day 14-18 of a woman’s cycle. But let’s go back to the beginning of this cycle. You’re 2 weeks pregnant, so when did your cycle start?

The first cycle day is the first day of the menstrual period. It may last 5-7 days. Then, in another week, the ovaries prepare to release an egg. Ovulation typically occurs between day 14 and 18 of that cycle. If there is sperm at the top of the fallopian tube waiting for the release of the egg, (sperm can survive for up to 5 days), the egg could be fertilized. It takes another 6-8 days for a fertilized egg to implant in the uterus. Then, the hormones are released that will cause the body’s temperature to be higher than usual and create a warm, protective environment for the fertilized egg. These hormones can be detected about 10-14 days after ovulation and fertilization. So, do the math, you are 2 weeks pregnant counting from the date of conception.

However, because most women don’t keep track of when they have ovulated, obstetrician-gynecologist count from the first day of the last menstrual period, assuming that a woman’s cycle is normally about 4 weeks. That, however, is a broad generalization because women’s cycles vary greatly from that average. So, if you know the approximate average length of your cycles, you can better adjust the time frame for your pregnancy. If you have a 5-week cycle typically, then you would say that you are 4 weeks pregnant, even though it has been 5 weeks since your period began, in order to be more accurate with the way your obstetrician-gynecologist will measure your pregnancy.

Pregnancy is approximately 40 weeks in length, counting 4 weeks since your last period started, but not taking into account a woman who has longer cycles than 4 weeks. So, if your period was just late, consider yourself 4 weeks pregnant rather than 5, and add time to account for how long you waited to test after your period was due. Congratulations! You are 2 weeks pregnant! But your doctor will tell you that you are 4 weeks pregnant or more! That does not matter most, what is important is to enjoy your pregnancy now!

Joshua Poyoh provides independent opinions on motherhood and babies athttp://www.motherbabytips.com/.
More information on pregnancy.