When an obstetrician calculates the due date, he or she bases it on something called gestational age.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, "Gestational age, or the age of the baby, is calculated from the first day of the mother's last menstrual period. Since the exact date of conception is almost never known, the first day of the last menstrual period is used to measure how old the baby is."
1) Gestational age is calculated from the first day of the mother's last menstrual period and not from the date of conception.
2)The baby can be measured as early as 5 or 6 weeks after the mother's last menstrual period. Measuring the baby using ultrasound is most accurate in early pregnancy. It becomes less accurate later in pregnancy. The best time to estimate gestational age using ultrasound is between the 8th and 18th weeks of pregnancy. The most accurate way to determine gestational age is using the first day of the woman's last menstrual period and confirming this gestational age with the measurement from an ultrasound exam.
So, the first day of your last menstrual period was September 24. Your obstetrician uses that date to calculate your due date. If you have not yet had an ultrasound, one will be scheduled soon.
Confirming who is your baby's father can be done with paternity testing. Paternity testing can be done before the baby's birth with DNA testing as part of an amniocentesis or after the baby is born with DNA testing using blood or cheek swab samples.
Please discuss your concerns and particular situation with your obstetrician.
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When an obstetrician calculates the due date, he or she bases it on something called gestational age.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, "Gestational age, or the age of the baby, is calculated from the first day of the mother's last menstrual period. Since the exact date of conception is almost never known, the first day of the last menstrual period is used to measure how old the baby is."
1) Gestational age is calculated from the first day of the mother's last menstrual period and not from the date of conception.
2)The baby can be measured as early as 5 or 6 weeks after the mother's last menstrual period. Measuring the baby using ultrasound is most accurate in early pregnancy. It becomes less accurate later in pregnancy. The best time to estimate gestational age using ultrasound is between the 8th and 18th weeks of pregnancy. The most accurate way to determine gestational age is using the first day of the woman's last menstrual period and confirming this gestational age with the measurement from an ultrasound exam.
So, the first day of your last menstrual period was September 24. Your obstetrician uses that date to calculate your due date. If you have not yet had an ultrasound, one will be scheduled soon.
Confirming who is your baby's father can be done with paternity testing. Paternity testing can be done before the baby's birth with DNA testing as part of an amniocentesis or after the baby is born with DNA testing using blood or cheek swab samples.
Please discuss your concerns and particular situation with your obstetrician.
Maryann
December 23, 2011 - 5:53pmThis Comment
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