Calculating Gestational Age
Typically, if you were to see a doctor or go to a clinic, they would give you an ultrasound and tell you how far along you are in your pregnancy. You can also calculate the gestational age even before you go to your first appointment. Here’s how:
How to calculate gestational age
Gestational age is counted from the first day of your last period. It may seem confusing, because this includes about three to four weeks before you actually became pregnant. However, this is because your last period started a new cycle, where you released a new egg – the egg that was fertilized.
Although ovulation (when the egg is released) typically happens two weeks after your period, everyone is different, and ovulation can happen even sooner, or later, even if your cycle is regular. So, since you can’t know for sure when you ovulated, the count starts from the first day of your last period. Gestational age is an estimate.
Here’s an example for practice: If today is April 21st, and the first day of your last period was March 6th, then we count the days between those two dates, which would be 44 days. This means you are about six weeks and two days pregnant. You can do this math by hand, but there are also gestational age calculators online that make things even easier.
What if you don’t know the first day of your last period? That is nothing to worry about. Many people don’t know the exact date of their last period, which is normal. Staff at the pregnancy center can help answer your questions and even help you schedule an ultrasound with a nurse to determine gestational age.
What happens at your first Chequamegon Pregnancy Center appointment?
The Chequamegon Pregnancy Center is here for you. At the Chequamegon pregnancy center, you can get pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and help talking through any of your pregnancy questions, concerns, or fears. At your first appointment you will meet with a compassionate coach who wants to hear your story, answer your questions, and connect you with resources. All appointments are free and confidential.
