The day that your baby is due is usually called your "due date," or more accurately your "estimated due date," or EDD. Your baby is likely to be born within two weeks in of your due date. Not very many babies are born on their actual due dates, so try not to get your hopes up that you will be holding your new little one on the day that you expect him. If you know the day that you ovulated and conceived your baby, your due date estimation might be more accurate than basing your EDD on your last period.
Step 1
Write down the date that you ovulated, if possible. If you do not know when you ovulated, write down the first day of your last period and add two weeks to determine approximately when you ovulated. If your menstrual cycles are usually longer than 28 days, add on the difference. For example, if your menstrual cycle is usually about 33 days, add 19 days to the date of your last menstrual period.
Step 2
Subtract seven days from your ovulation date, then add nine calendar months, suggests "What to Expect When You Are Expecting." For instance, if you ovulated on January 19, subtract seven days, which brings you to January 12. Add nine months, which would set your baby's EDD at October 12.
Step 3
Double-check your baby's estimated due date by using a calendar to count 38 weeks from your date of ovulation. While pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, the first two weeks are counted as the time period between your last menstrual cycle and the day that you ovulated.
Step 4
Adjust your due date calculation after you have seen your obstetrician. She might recommend an ultrasound to date the pregnancy, says Parenting.com.
Tips and Warnings
- Use an online due date calculator, such as the one offered at ClevelandClinic.org, to figure out your estimated due date based on your menstrual cycle length.
References
- Parenting: How the Due Date Calculator Works
- "What to Expect When You're Expecting"; Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, Sandee Hathaway BSN; 2002.
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