Calculate Due Date

Pregnancy Calculator Tool

The calculation tool gives an indication of the due date based on the first day of your last period. This is a provisional due date: a more reliable due date is determined on the basis of the term ultrasound at about 11 weeks of pregnancy. Both the due date calculated by the calculator and that determined from the term ultrasound say nothing about the exact day you will give birth. Less than 5% of women give birth exactly on the due date. Most pregnant women give birth at a gestational age between 37 and 42 weeks. That is, between 3 weeks before and 2 weeks after the due date.

When am I due?

You are pregnant. Naturally, you want very much to know when you can welcome your baby. In nine months you will prepare for the arrival of your baby. The due date gives you an indication of when to expect your baby. As the due date approaches, the chance that you will give birth on this day increases. In most cases, you give birth between three weeks before and two weeks after the due date.

How is the due date calculated?

The due date is usually calculated based on the first day of your last period and the average length of a menstrual cycle. The calculation tool uses gynecologist Naegele’s method to determine the due date. This adds seven days to the first day of your last menstruation and nine months on top of that. This method is most reliable if you have a regular cycle of 28 days.

Calculate due date irregular cycle

If you have an irregular menstrual cycle, following Naegele’ s method is less reliable. This is also true if your cycle is much longer (more than 45 days) or much shorter (less than 22 days) than the average cycle of 28 days. If your menstrual cycle is regular but different from 28 days, you can use the pregnancy calculation tool. Add the number of days your cycle is longer than 28 days, or subtract the number of days your cycle is shorter than 28 days. With a very irregular cycle, it is more difficult to determine the exact date of your ovulation or fertilization. In this case, the most reliable way to determine your due date is to do a term ultrasound.

How long have you been pregnant?

Officially, you are only really pregnant from conception, the moment of conception. This is usually about 2 weeks after the first day of your last menstrual period. Often the moment of conception is not known exactly, so counting the gestational age begins on the first day of the last menstruation, the date of which is usually known. So the first two weeks you are actually not pregnant, you get them as a gift.

When is the fertilization?

The exact timing of fertilization can vary. Fertilization (or ovulation) can occur when a mature egg is released from the ovaries and fertilized by a sperm cell. Ovulation usually occurs about halfway through the menstrual cycle. On a 28-day cycle, this is about 14 days before the start of the next expected menstrual period. An egg cell lives for about 24 hours and fertilization can occur within that time frame. A sperm can survive in the female reproductive system for several days after intercourse, so if intercourse occurs just before ovulation, sperm may already be present when the egg is released. This means that fertilization can occur several days after intercourse.

Why is the due date important?

The due date is and always will be an indication because most women do not give birth exactly on the due date. You may then wonder why calculating the expected delivery date is important. Besides being nice to have a date to live towards, it is also nice in a practical sense to know how far along you are in the pregnancy. For example, based on the gestational age, your midwife can keep a close eye on your baby’s development and judge when labor will start too early or too late. The maternity care team will know when they should be ready for you. Your due date also forms the basis for determining the start of your maternity leave at work and receipt of maternity benefits. And airlines often ask for your due date if you want to fly.

Services of Dana Center

Pregnancy Counseling

(Fun) Echoes

Midwives Help

Our Integral Pelvic Therapy

Our Integral Pelvic Therapy, a holistic approach to pelvic treatment, is an essential part of our pregnancy counseling. We aim to restore pelvic balance using gentle external and, if necessary, internal massage techniques. Our experience shows that by paying specific attention to the pelvic area during pregnancy, the number of interventions during childbirth can be significantly reduced. This often results in a smoother delivery with fewer complications, as we have observed in our practice.

Holistic Midwives

Our central belief is that pregnancy and childbirth are natural processes that are best accomplished with as little intervention as possible. We strive to encourage confidence in each woman’s own body and inner strength, something we heartily wish for everyone. You are always welcome to come to us with ideas, doubts and questions. In this way we want to support you, with confidence on your way to a strong start as a family!

To make this care possible, we charge a co-payment. View our elective packages.