Knowing the exact duration of pregnancy is important for every expectant mother; the time of going on maternity leave, preparing for the birth of a child, and much more depends on it. There are several ways to find out the approximate date of conception, as well as factors influencing the duration of gestation. What a threat a premature or post-term pregnancy can pose to the mother and baby, and how to try to avoid this - I suggest you find out from the article.

How many weeks does pregnancy normally last from the day of conception?

We are used to thinking that pregnancy lasts 9 months or 40 weeks, but both of these options are not entirely correct. Most often, about 266 days pass from the moment of conception to the birth of the child, that is, pregnancy lasts 38 weeks in 80% of women. This is why the date of birth is called the estimated date (DA), which in most cases comes as a surprise, because it is difficult to accurately calculate it, even knowing the day of conception. It is impossible to predict how long it will take for the egg to be fertilized and subsequently implanted in the uterus. Many mothers do not know on what day conception occurred, which is generally normal for people who are sexually active.

For women with a regular menstrual cycle of 28 days, the easiest way to calculate the approximate date of birth is to add 280 days to the day of the last period before conception.

Therefore, the PDR is calculated based on the beginning of the last menstruation before pregnancy. Ovulation - the day the egg is released for fertilization - occurs on the 14th day of the monthly cycle. Conception can occur a few days after sexual intercourse, because under favorable conditions, sperm remain suitable for fertilization for about another week. If you count 280 days from the day your period starts, you can get the expected date of birth (14 days before ovulation and 266 after). Forty weeks of pregnancy is the period that obstetricians-gynecologists consider the norm. But in fact, for the first 2 weeks of them, the woman is not pregnant.

Errors in calculations arise due to differences in duration menstrual cycle, for some women it is 24 days, for others - up to 34. Consequently, ovulation occurs earlier or later than in women with a cycle length of 28 days, which is considered to be the average. Sometimes a child is born on the same day as planned, but this is nothing more than a mere coincidence. A normal full-term pregnancy is considered to be one in which childbirth occurs after 37, but before 41 weeks of gestation.

Video: obstetrician about how long a normal pregnancy lasts

My close friend Olya had a funny episode 13 years ago. Well, how funny, now I remember it with a smile, but then Lelya had no time to laugh. She just got married and, 2 months later, she found out that she would soon be a mother. The husband's joy knew no bounds until he saw a week longer than theirs. family life. The wife’s arguments that she got married as a girl did not convince Zhenya much. I had to take him with me to the doctor, who explained to the future father why there was a difference in the time and date of the wedding. If Mishka had not been born fiery red and with hemp, like dad, Evgeniy still doubted, according to him. This is how determining pregnancy by the menstrual cycle almost destroyed a newly-made family.

Factors influencing the length of pregnancy

We have found that more than 2/3 of pregnancies last 266 days from conception to birth; it is time to learn about the factors that cause deviations from the norm in one direction or another. Reasons that the gestation period of a child is more or less than 38 weeks:

• hereditary factor. If relatives in the direct ascending line - mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers - have experienced cases of premature or delayed birth, the woman’s chances of giving birth earlier or too late increase;
• age of the pregnant woman. Women giving birth under 20 and after 30 years of age most often have premature or post-term babies, especially during the first pregnancy;
• the health status of the expectant mother. If a pregnant woman feels unwell due to chronic diseases or the development of their acute forms, the baby will most likely be born ahead of schedule.
• pregnant woman's lifestyle. Premature birth is caused by the presence bad habits, prolonged exposure to stress and unsatisfactory living conditions for women. But inactivity expectant mother if there are no special indications for rest, it can lead to post-term pregnancy;
• psychological mood of a woman. Sometimes fatigue from long months of pregnancy causes a desire to give birth as quickly as possible, and the body of some mothers responds by giving birth to a child before 40 weeks. And if a pregnant woman is afraid of the upcoming birth and is not mentally prepared for it, delivery can be postponed by the body, but for no more than 2 weeks. Doctors will not allow you to carry the baby longer;
• multiple pregnancy. At once 2 or more little people in the womb, developing, put more and more pressure on the uterus. Therefore, mothers rarely manage to carry twins to 38 weeks, although there are exceptions;
• menstrual cycle. Expectant mothers with a short cycle are more likely to give birth to children prematurely, and those who go more than 35 days between periods may give birth later than PPD. As with heredity, these are variants of the norm;
• gender of the child. Although scientists have found that girls develop faster than boys, no one can guarantee the birth of a daughter at an earlier stage than her brother. The probability is high, but not 100%;
• order of pregnancies. There is an opinion that repeated pregnancies last less than previous ones, but this is also not a fact. Although, it is better to be prepared in advance.

Repeated pregnancy increases the chance of giving birth up to 40 weeks, because the birth canal already has experience in preparing for the passage of a child

My sister’s friend was sure that she would give birth before the New Year, although the PDA was set for mid-January, and Katya was very afraid of giving birth. But when the twentieth of January appeared on the calendar, her baby still had no intention of leaving his mother; in the last 2 weeks before the birth, the boy had gained a lot of weight and was clearly counting on the continuation of the banquet. And the ultrasound showed that it was time to stimulate labor. So the hero, weighing 3900 grams, was born. Now at 5 months he looks 8 or 9, and Katya jokes that if it weren’t for the doctors, her calm little one would still be sitting in her mother’s belly. Katya’s fear of childbirth and the baby’s weight managed to prolong the pregnancy to 41 weeks, but I don’t advise you to try again.

Table: pathologies and diseases that provoke premature or late birth

What rules must be followed to give birth at the right time?

If, for any reason, you are in the risk group of women with a risk of premature birth or post-term pregnancy, your doctor should definitely draw up an individual prevention plan for you. It depends on the reasons that provoke possible deviations from the normal duration of pregnancy. TO general recommendations for pregnant women to ensure delivery on time, include the following:

• answer all questions truthfully when registering so that the deadline is set as accurately as possible;
• do not miss visits to the doctor, undergo the necessary examinations and tests on time;
• carry out all doctor’s prescriptions for the treatment of identified pathologies, it is advisable to do this at the planning stage;
• if the doctor insists on hospitalization, agree;
• report the slightest ailments and short-term symptoms;
• get rid of bad habits;
• Avoid crowded places, especially during epidemics of infectious diseases.

After 38 weeks of pregnancy, the baby’s intrauterine development can be considered complete, the baby is ready to be born

The threat of premature birth requires therapy that will prolong pregnancy as long as possible. Especially if the baby risks being born before the 28th week, because his organs and systems are not yet ready for independent life outside the mother's womb. If the pregnancy is postterm, labor can be stimulated as early as 41 weeks. The decision is made by the obstetrician based on the results of intrauterine examinations (ultrasound, analysis of amniotic fluid), showing the pathological condition of the fetus.

Video: is it possible to know exactly when a baby is born?

How to calculate the duration of pregnancy

Naegele obstetric formula

The easiest way to find out the gestational age is to use the Naegele formula, as obstetricians do.

PDR=PDPM - 3 months + 7 days. That is, to get the expected date of birth (ED), you need to subtract 3 months from the first day of the last menstruation (LDM) and add another week to the result. For example, your PDPM fell on June 22, then PDP = June 22 - 3 months + 7 days = March 29.

All calculators that are easy to find on the Internet are based on this formula. Write in the search bar “calculate gestational age online calculator” if you don’t want to bother with calculations using the calendar. All you have to do is select the first day of your last menstrual period and, possibly, the length of your menstrual cycle, then click “calculate”.

Some pregnancy calculators don’t just give you dry numbers, but introduce you to the possible sizes of your baby and even your expected zodiac sign

The result is quite accurate, but incorrect calculations occur in the following cases:

• A woman's menstrual cycle is different from average duration at 28 days. If it lasts less (22–24 days), then ovulation occurs earlier than after 14 days. And with a cycle lasting more than 30 days, ovulation and, accordingly, conception occurs later, 2 weeks after PDPM;
• threat of early pregnancy loss. A woman, not knowing about her pregnancy, may mistake bleeding with a threat of miscarriage at 4–5 weeks for menstruation. The actual period after conception in this case is longer than the calculation using the obstetric formula can show;
• Irregular use of birth control pills. Failure to follow the dosage schedule can cause unscheduled ovulation and conception of a baby. And you will only have to guess about the date of this event.

HCG level

Most doctors agree that measuring the level of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is only suitable for establishing the fact of pregnancy. Traces of this hormone are detected already on the tenth day after conception, and are present in the urine and blood until childbirth; at first the levels increase rapidly, and in the third trimester the level of hCG begins to decrease.

According to doctors, pregnancy tests showing the period in weeks based on hCG levels are nothing more than an advertising gimmick

Each week of pregnancy has its own lower and upper limits for hCG levels, but since they often overlap, making diagnosis difficult. This method of determining gestational age is used extremely rarely due to its low efficiency. Only a gynecologist has the right to interpret the tests. To accurately measure the level of the hCG hormone, a blood test is taken, not a urine test.

Table: hCG level by week of pregnancy in international units per liter

By date of first fetal movement

It is generally accepted that during the first pregnancy the mother feels fetal movements at 20 weeks - exactly in the middle of the gestation period, and in subsequent ones this happens 2-3 weeks earlier. But you shouldn’t rely on this method either, because errors are inevitable in this case:

• Women have different thicknesses of abdominal fat; thin mothers may feel tremors from the inside earlier;
• slight movements of the child begin already from the 13th week, and if the mother really wants to feel them, then purely psychologically she will be able to convince herself that the fetus has begun to move;
• often the bubbling of gases in one's own intestines is mistaken for the baby's movements, this is especially typical for inexperienced first-time mothers.

The doctor warns that the child’s first movements must be reported immediately during a routine visit. This helps to indirectly confirm the expected period.

Popular in women's communities, images of children's hands or feet supposedly protruding from the mother's belly are a real fake. Therefore, you should not expect this from your baby; it is reliably separated from the skin on your abdomen by the subcutaneous fat layer and the placenta.

Examination by a doctor to determine the size of the uterus

When registering, a gynecologist must examine expectant mother on the gynecological chair. This allows you to determine the size of the uterus and the height of its upper part, called the uterine fundus, to find out the gestational age. In a non-pregnant state, the uterus is approximately 3*4*5 cm, and the attached embryo increases its size, makes it rounder and softer. For example, a uterus the size of a newborn’s head occurs at 12–13 weeks of pregnancy.

The determination method is not 100% accurate, but quite accurate. The result can be distorted by a non-standard position of the uterus, a neoplasm in it such as fibroids, or even a full bladder. Therefore, before visiting the office, you need to visit the restroom.

Measuring the height of the fundus of the uterus can be carried out in a vertical position, and if the room is cool, they will be allowed to cover themselves with a thin cloth

At subsequent visits, as the period increases, the medical examination consists of externally measuring the abdomen with a centimeter ruler. The woman is placed on the couch, the abdomen is exposed and palpated to determine the location of the uterine fundus, then a measurement is taken with a flexible tape with a scale applied. This is how the fundus height of the uterus (UF) is determined after it emerges from the womb at 14–16 weeks. One week of pregnancy corresponds to approximately 1 centimeter, therefore, a UMR of 22 cm indicates an estimated 22 weeks of pregnancy, but a difference of 1–3 cm is allowed, up or down.

Ultrasound diagnostics

Ultrasound screening examination, if carried out early, gives the most accurate results, up to one day. The ideal time for an ultrasound is considered to be 11–12 weeks, that is, the first trimester. By this time, the fetus reaches 3–4 cm and it becomes possible to measure its coccygeal-parietal size (CPR), which allows one to determine the exact gestational age. At 12 weeks they will definitely say about a multiple pregnancy if a woman is expecting twins.

There are 2 ultrasound options:

• transvaginal, which is carried out through the vagina and allows you to determine the presence ovum in the uterus within a week after conception. However, doctors prescribe this method of ultrasound examination only if an ectopic pregnancy is suspected, because the safety of the method has not been fully studied;
• abdominal, carried out through the abdomen, along the outer surface of which an ultrasound sensor is moved. The pregnant woman is placed on the couch, her stomach is exposed and a special lubricant is applied, and the sensor transmits to the monitor what is happening inside the expectant mother’s uterus. Ultrasound makes it possible to obtain data on the size of the fetus. In conclusion, the doctor must indicate what period he has in mind - obstetric (from PDPM) or embryonic (from the day of conception).

A high-precision ultrasound sensor sends signals to a computer, and an image of the baby in the womb is displayed on the monitor, which can then be saved as a memory

From 22–24 weeks, it becomes more difficult to determine the correct gestational age. Women who missed an ultrasound in the first trimester are often given a conclusion about delays or malformations of the fetus, focusing on the obstetric gestational age and the actual indicators of the baby. This happens most often due to heredity - short stature or the child’s large head, but if the first ultrasound was done, there is a high probability that the problem is real. That’s why it’s so important to get into an ultrasound specialist’s office as early as possible. In the third trimester, it makes no sense to find out the due date using an ultrasound examination; it only helps to check whether everything is okay with the baby.

During a transvaginal ultrasound examination, to prevent infection in the vagina, a special gynecological condom is placed on the ultrasound machine sensor.

Overall the most effective way To find out the gestational age today, it is ultrasound that is considered, and an auxiliary examination is a doctor’s examination and the Naegele formula. Why do doctors need to know the gestational age:

• to assess the rate of fetal development;
• find out when to prepare for childbirth;
• do not miss an important study for possible gene mutations (Down syndrome and others);
• assess the viability of the baby in case of premature birth.

Causes and consequences of deviations from the norm in pregnancy duration

Although deviations from the obstetric term up or down by no more than 1–2 weeks are a variant of the norm, a large difference threatens complications during childbirth and postpartum period. Premature birth is considered to occur between 22 and 37 weeks of pregnancy, and if the baby weighs more than 500 grams. Late birth is one that occurs at 41–42 weeks of gestation.

Table: causes and consequences of premature or post-term pregnancy

When 2 years ago my son and I were referred to a neurologist with suspected attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the doctor immediately assumed that the little one was born prematurely. Having heard an affirmative answer, he said that ADHD is more common in premature babies, and sometimes without making itself felt for many years. The trigger could be stressful situation, as in our case. Living in a war zone, a six-year-old son witnessed a Smerch missile hit the ground near them kindergarten. Fortunately, we noticed the alarming symptoms in time and sought treatment. medical care. It was possible to avoid strong medications, which are often prescribed to children with ADHD. If in the first grade there were frequent complaints about his behavior, then in the second the number of comments noticeably decreased. So, if your children were born prematurely, be more attentive to them not only in the first 3 years, but also after this age.

Every woman who has given birth at least once remembers pregnancy and childbirth throughout her life. And how interested she was to know when the pregnancy began, how many days and weeks a person’s pregnancy lasts, and, of course, the date of birth. And you, as an expectant mother, are also interested in learning about the timing of pregnancy. We will try to talk about this in our article.

There are certain methods of counting. Let's look at the most commonly used of them.

Obstetric method. With the obstetric calculation method, which is considered the most universal and used by all gynecologists, during the initial appointment the doctor examines the woman manually, determines the size of the uterus, and determines the gestational age based on the measurements obtained.

According to gynecologists, the beginning of pregnancy is the first day of the last menstruation, from which the uterine lining prepares for pregnancy and the egg begins to mature.

In obstetrics, the duration of pregnancy is calculated at 280 days, that is, 40 weeks or 10 lunar months. It fits into 9 months if you use calendar months.

Using this method The expected date of birth (DAD) and the period of maternity leave are determined.

In the language of official medicine, PDR is the day, month and year of the birth of your baby. It should be remembered that the PDR is an approximate date. If we look at statistics, only 4 children out of 100 are born exactly on time.

In addition to the doctor, the woman herself can easily count the PDR. To do this, subtract 3 months from the first day of menstruation and add 7 days. For example, the beginning of the last menstruation is July 10, subtract three months and we get April 10. Add 7 days and we get April 17. This is the probable due date.

To obtain the PDR, you can refer to the table compiled by the date of the last menstruation. To do this, we will find in it the first day of the last menstruation, for example, January 11 (gray line), then in the white line we will see October 18 - the expected date of birth.

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Table for determining the maximum allowance:

The duration of pregnancy can be calculated using other methods.

Gestation period from conception. So, in the embryonic (true) period - from conception, the beginning of pregnancy is considered to be the first day of the last menstruation plus 2 weeks.

The basis for this calculation of the period is the possibility of ovulation (the release of an egg by the ovary) between 8 and 16 days of the menstrual cycle, and accordingly, the period when fertilization of the egg is possible can vary from 8 to 18 days.

Therefore, the duration of pregnancy using this method is calculated at 266 days or 38 weeks.

The considered timing values ​​are typical for a normal pregnancy.

Norm or pathology

Normal pregnancy are called physiological adaptive changes in the body of a healthy woman during pregnancy without any complications.

Duration normal full-term pregnancy from fertilization to birth is from 38 to 42 weeks.

The duration of pregnancy may be different.

Premature birth

In some cases, the onset of labor occurs earlier than determined by nature. A completely healthy mother should not have a preterm birth (between 22 and 37 weeks). This usually happens for some reason.

So the reasons for the onset of premature birth can be:

• ARVI suffered during pregnancy; kidney diseases, diabetes, hypertension, heart defects and others;
• abortions and miscarriages;
• sexually transmitted infections;
• work involving heavy physical activity;
• emotional stress;
• alcohol, drug use and smoking;
• drug abuse.

Post-term pregnancy

The so-called due date is a very arbitrary concept. No doctor can say with certainty: “You will give birth on April 12.” He may answer that labor is most likely to begin between April 6 and April 16. However, there are often cases when April 16 is behind, and the woman is still awaiting birth. Since the rate of maturation is different for each child, fully mature children can be born on the 302nd day. Such a pregnancy is called prolonged (extended).

But there are often cases when the child is already ready for childbirth, but the uterus is not yet ready.

Such a pregnancy is called post-term and requires medical intervention.

In any case, if the pregnancy continues for more than 42 weeks, doctors assume a post-term pregnancy, the woman is asked to undergo examination and is prescribed medications to promote the development of labor.

Post-term pregnancy occurs in women due to:

• with irregular periods;
• diseases of the liver, stomach and intestinal tract;
• low mobility during pregnancy;
• with strong psychological stress (for example, studying at the institute).

Both conditions, premature birth and post-term pregnancy, can lead to an unfavorable outcome during childbirth, therefore, medical staff should monitor the condition of the mother and the unborn baby.

Trimesters of pregnancy

In obstetrics there is a concept “ trimesters of pregnancy” – these are periods lasting three months.

First trimester(from conception to 13 weeks) is the most difficult. At this stage, the body of the mother and the embryo gets used to each other and most of the difficulties and problems arise, for example, nausea, fatigue.

Second trimester(from 14 to 27 weeks) – a time of active growth and maturation of all systems of the unborn child. The mother feels this through weight gain and an enlarged abdomen. Your health improves significantly. In the middle of the trimester, the baby's first movements appear.

Third trimester(from 28 weeks to birth) – the finish line. This trimester is often the hardest physically. The woman's abdominal size increased significantly and she began to feel clumsy: difficulty walking, sleeping and sitting. But this is still the most joyful period. You have already walked most of the way. The birth of a new life is ahead.

You are now prepared. And you can confidently move forward to a wonderful event - the birth of your baby.

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It is not clear why people say that pregnancy lasts 9 months, but in fact it lasts 40 weeks. If it lasted a little less, it should be considered premature. Of course, it is impossible to determine with certainty the exact date childbirth Of course, it is possible to calculate the preliminary date of birth quite accurately, but it is not a fact that it will be true. Almost no one, not even doctors, can say with certainty how many days the pregnancy lasts for your particular body, and what date the birth will take place. There is no single answer to the question of how many weeks pregnant women go, since this period depends on a huge number of factors. Even if you know exactly when conception occurred, you will not be able to find out how fast the sperm turned out to be, how long it took to implant into the egg, how long it took to move through the egg. fallopian tubes how long the fetus will develop in the womb. It all depends on individual characteristics body. However, there is still a slight pattern in how long pregnancies most often last and when the baby is ready to be born. You can only rely on these calculations, but not 100% hope. Certain calculations have shown that pregnancy ends at 37-42 weeks. If it is 43 weeks, labor is induced artificially to avoid problems with the placenta and the baby’s breathing.

So, how long does pregnancy last according to obstetricians? In most cases, women take 38 weeks from the moment of fertilization to the onset of labor, which in terms of days is 266. However, most often women do not know the exact moment of fertilization. But, most likely, they perfectly remember the date of their last menstruation. It is this that is taken as the basis for the calculation. Gynecologists say that on average 280 days pass from the first day of menstruation to childbirth. Most likely, the actual gestational age is two weeks less than the so-called menstrual period.

If you count the number of days, you can see that the period is exactly nine months, as people are used to saying. The average cycle lasts about 28 days, which is standard for most women. That is why a period of 40 weeks is calculated mainly for a cycle of 28 days.

How long the pregnancy lasts will be influenced by many other factors: first of all, the health status of the expectant mother will have an important influence. Depending on the kind of life a woman led, the speed of her condition and psychological background will depend. It also happened when a woman gave birth on a day set for herself, for example, on a holiday, or on the occasion of her husband’s return from a long business trip. However, the psychological attitude is not always decisive. A factor such as heredity has a huge impact on how long pregnancy lasts. If your mom gave birth to you before your due date, there's a good chance you'll have the same experience. Almost all calculations are conditional, and trying to conceive a child in order to give birth under New Year, are impossible. If at the end of the term you have some doubts about whether you carried the baby, you should pay attention to your well-being and the baby’s behavior.

In any case, doctors carefully monitor the pregnancy and all recommendations must be followed. It’s hard not to agree that no matter how long or difficult this period is truly magical! There is no need to worry about trifles, you just have to enjoy your condition, because it will end pretty soon. All that remains is to wish you an easy birth and health for the baby!

Pregnancy is an incomprehensible mystery of nature, when the fusion of two microscopic cells is born and develops. new life. Almost every woman remembers this time to the smallest detail, including how many weeks the pregnancy lasts, and considers it the most happy days own life! Any mother will never forget that amazing feeling of joyful and anxious anticipation and those indescribable sensations when deep inside her child was growing and pushing. Despite frequent ailments, poor health, and increased irritability, any woman blossoms during pregnancy, acquires a proud gait, and comes to feel the greatness of the mission of continuing life.

But everything comes to an end someday, and pregnancy naturally ends with childbirth. Over millions of years, nature has honed a mechanism that starts when a child is ready to be born. And yet, be that as it may, any expectant mother thinks and calculates when this long-awaited day will come.

So, how long does a woman’s pregnancy last?

It is impossible to determine with certainty the exact day of birth. The length of pregnancy is influenced by many factors, from heredity to conditions environment. Physical health and the psychological state of the expectant mother, the intrauterine development of the fetus - all this matters for the moment of birth.

Fetal growth during pregnancy

Each organism is individual and the processes of fertilization and conception occur with at different speeds. Even if a woman knows the exact day of conception, which rarely happens, it is impossible to calculate the speed of sperm, how long a fertilized egg will take to descend through the tubes, how long it will take to implant. Therefore, we can only talk about the expected date of birth.

Typically, the gestational age is calculated from the day of the last menstruation, which is easier to remember, and it is 280 days (40 weeks) - the same “9 months” that we talk about in everyday life. This period is called menstrual or gestational.

It is clear that in the first days after menstruation there is no pregnancy yet. For the majority (80%) of women, ovulation occurs 13-15 days after the start of menstruation, so in reality pregnancy lasts 280 - 14 = 266 days, which is 38 weeks. This period is called ovulation or fertilization.

Sometimes you can hear from obstetricians and gynecologists that pregnancy lasts 10 months! There is no contradiction here - doctors believe that lunar months, which have 28 days.

But all these calculations are approximate and are suitable only for those women whose cycle is regular and lasts 28 days. And even in them, due to the characteristics of the body, ovulation may occur a little earlier or a little later, therefore a normal full-term pregnancy is considered to be one that lasts from 266 to 294 days or from 38 to 42 weeks.

Premature pregnancy

Pregnancy ending in childbirth before the end of 38 weeks (in Lately this period is reduced to 37 weeks) is called premature. Prematurity can be caused by many reasons: past illnesses, stress, previous abortions, neuroendocrine disorders, smoking of the mother or others.

Giving birth to a premature baby can be detrimental to the baby

Premature birth is a serious factor that threatens both the health of the woman in labor and the life of the baby, whose life-support systems and organs have not yet been fully formed. However, in the arsenal modern medicine There are many methods to reduce risk and ensure a successful completion of the process.

Post-term pregnancy

The opposite situation also exists. Pregnancy that lasts beyond 42 weeks is called post-term, and women who were treated for a threatened miscarriage or became pregnant for the first time at a later age are most often prone to this. Postmaturity can also sometimes be caused by psychological factors, for example, an unconscious fear of childbirth or fear of losing a child.

Post-term pregnancy is no less dangerous than premature pregnancy

It is generally believed that “to carry is better than not to carry.” This is far from true. Post-term pregnancy poses a significant risk to mother and baby. When labor is delayed, the fetus gains excess weight, which complicates the process of childbirth and increases the incidence of birth injuries; dysfunction of the placenta is also often observed, which disrupts the supply of the child nutrients and oxygen, the skin changes. Women in labor after late labor have a high risk of damage to the uterus and birth canal, and internal bleeding.

As you can see, the calculation of the due date is very approximate and a “fork” of 4 weeks is allowed, and recently it has even been extended to six weeks, getting a range of 37-43 weeks. In any case, if you suspect post-term pregnancy, you should immediately consult a doctor and do an ultrasound to determine the condition of the baby, placenta and amniotic fluid.

Conclusion

Childbirth is a complex process, both physically and psychologically. This is literally a shake-up for the mother’s body and an even greater shock for the newborn child, because he is leaving the familiar environment in which he spent such a long and such a short 9 months of his life!

The main thing for the expectant mother is an optimistic attitude towards a successful outcome and calm anticipation of a joyful meeting with the most precious creature on the planet.