How Many Weeks Pregnant Am I?

Somehow, being pregnant is always a little shock, if this is your first time or you've been here before. After you get through the initial surprise, the next thing you have to do is to plan for yours and the baby's health. And you first start by figuring out how far along you are and asking the question, how many weeks pregnant am I?

There is one simple way to figure out about how far you are:

1. Think back to when you last period was. What was the first day? Say for instance it was August 20.
2. Go out 7 days from that date. OK, now you have August 27.
3. Then go back 3 months from the month you have. Don't include the month of your last period. That gives us May 27 of next year.

Now that you have an idea of your due date, but moreso, when your pregnancy started, just count the number of weeks from the first day of your last period until now to get the number of weeks that you are pregnant now.

Now, of course you weren't pregnant during your last period. So why is the due date calculated this way? Well, a women does not always know the exact date of conception, especially if there is a regular partner. But we usually know the date of our last period. So, for some time, doctors have used this date as a starting point for pregnancy. And using this calculation, doctors generally agree that pregnancies average approximately 280 days or 40 weeks.

Don't know when your last period was? Have an irregular period? It makes it harder to use this formula, but a doctor or midwife can still get a pretty good idea from an ultrasound. The earlier you have it, the more accurate it will be in helping you determine your due date.

There is no way anyone can determine exactly the day your baby is due. Despite the latest scientic advances, babies still wait until they are ready before they come. Once you determine your baby's due date, add 2 weeks before and after that date to give yourself a realistic range.

Did you figure out how many weeks pregnant you are?

Each week of your pregnancy is actually different. The changes are gradual, but things are changing and amazing things are going on in your body and with your baby. In fact, many Websites and books break down your pregnancy week-by-week. Since you probably won't see your doctor every week, a reliable "pregnancy week-by-week" reference can give you the right information a bit at a time.

The one weekly pregnancy guide that I really like is Your Pregnancy Week by Week by Leslie Regan. Your Pregnancy gives detailed information for everything you need to know about your pregnancy--written in plain language. And because it is a DK Publishing book, the pictures are absolutely amazing and the drawings are accurate and useful. I'm telling you--you'll be inspired for motherhood just looking at some of the amazing photos.

Each stage is pregnancy is special. But, no matter how many weeks pregnant you are, relish your pregnancy and enjoy it!