How do weeks work in pregnancy

In other words, on your first birthday you were in day one of your second year. But no one said you were 2 years old until you'd finished that second year and had begun your third.

So try to remember the first day of your LMP and add 40 weeks to that. Why start the clock on pregnancy before sperm even meets egg and, actually, before your ovary even dropped the fated egg that made your baby? The LMP is simply a more reliable day to date a pregnancy from. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations.

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You can hardly wait until your due date — but when is it again? Tips for making your pregnancy better The most important thing you can do right now is to act in the way you would if you already knew you were pregnant.

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Go to you and your baby at 4 weeks pregnant. Page last reviewed: 12 October Next review due: 12 October Home Pregnancy Pregnancy week-by-week 1 to 12 weeks pregnant Back to 1 to 12 weeks pregnant.

Remember, conception most likely occurred about 14 days into your last cycle, whereas pregnancy is calculated from the beginning of that cycle, so there's a two-week difference. For example, when you're six weeks pregnant, your baby's gestational age is only four weeks.

During your prenatal checkups, your healthcare provider will monitor how far along you are. Don't be surprised, though, if your provider gives you a slightly different due date than the one you calculated. Also, most babies don't arrive exactly on their due date.

Every pregnancy is unique, and only a small percentage of babies are born right on time. Babies are typically born between weeks 38 and 42, and it's totally normal for your baby to arrive any time during this window. If your baby is born pre-term , your doctor will be able to advise you on any extra care your baby might need. On the other hand, if your baby isn't born by the end of week 42, your doctor may suggest inducing the labor to bring on a vaginal birth , or he may discuss the option of a cesarean section with you.

Now that you know how far along you are, it might be helpful to know that pregnancies are often referred to in weeks and trimesters. Take a look at this pregnancy timeline for a breakdown of the weeks, months, and trimesters of pregnancy :. Here are some of the things you can expect in each trimester of pregnancy :.