In that case, if the EDD is later than it should be that could mean that the birth is delayed unnecessarily. Sometimes there are medical reasons such a pre-eclampsia which mean it may be better for a baby to be born as soon as they reach “term” (37 weeks of pregnancy). Induction of labour is routinely offered at 42 weeks of pregnancy (or in some circumstances even earlier) but if the EDD is too early, the baby might be born before s/he is fully prepared for life outside the womb. There is a tendency for midwives and doctors to talk as though the EDD written in your maternity notes is something definite, rather than an estimate which may or may not be accurate. The EDD will be used to decide things like whether your baby seems to be growing too fast or slow, or when you will be offered induction to prevent a long pregnancy, so it’s important to understand how firm a prediction it is. Why does the accuracy of the 'due date' matter? estimating your baby's size from various measurements made during an ultrasound scan.Ĭharting temperature, monitoring mucus, using ovulation test kits and knowing times when you could have conceived, or having conceived by IVF may mean you have your own information about when you became pregnant.counting 280 days from the first day of your last monthly period. ![]() There are two methods doctors and midwives use to estimate a EDD: For more information you might like to have a look at the "AIMS Guide to Induction of Labour" which is available from the shop. For some women this will be the right decision, but it is important to know that this is your decision to make. Many women with longer pregnancies find that everyone is asking whether they have had their baby yet, and that health care workers start to suggest inducing labour. It may be more helpful to be prepared for you baby arrive some time after 37 weeks, and to focus on 42 weeks as the time by which you have a good chance of having given birth. Only about 5% of babies will arrive on their due date and focusing on this single date can make the end of pregnancy quite stressful. It is common to be given a single 'estimated due date' (EDD) which corresponds the point at which it is estimated that your pregnancy will have lasted 40 weeks. 50% of births occur within a week of the due date, and almost 90% occur within two weeks of the due date.Please note that this page is awaiting updateĪbout 90% of pregnancies will naturally last between 37 and 42 weeks, and this period is referred to as "term pregnancy".Fewer than 10% of births occur on the due date.The first pregnancy tends to last longer than subsequent pregnancies.The actual length of pregnancy depends on various factors, for example: Please Note : The calculation method above does not always result in a 280 days because not all calendar months are the same length, nor does it account for leap years.Ĭhildbirth usually occurs about 38 weeks after conception, or about 40 weeks after the last menstrual period. The result is approximately 280 days (40 weeks). ![]() The expected date of delivery (EDD) is calculated by adding one year, subtracting three months, and adding seven days to the first day of a woman's last menstrual period (LMP).
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