The average pregnancy lasts forty weeks from the first day of the last normal menstrual
period.
Most physicians and midwives use the gestation calculation of weeks rather than months because
it is more specific.
How Many Months Are There in Pregnancy?
We talk a good game about having nine months of pregnancy.
But if you look at it mathematically, there are an average of forty weeks in a normal
pregnancy.
If you calculate a month as being four weeks, that makes 10 months of pregnancy in every
forty weeks.
The problem with this calculation is that it has 28-day months, which is not the norm
in our calendar months.
This is why some people say that there are really 10 months of pregnancy.
It is also why it is more important for your practitioner to count the number of weeks
pregnant you are to be assured that everyone is on the same sheet of music when it comes
to how far along you are in pregnancy.
There is also the issue of when you actually are pregnant.
Now, this honestly doesn't really matter much to most people, since that's just how pregnancy
is calculated.
And, by the time you have a positive pregnancy test, you are four weeks pregnant.
How a Reverse Due Date Calculator Works Here are some common breakdowns of the months
of pregnancy and their explanations:
Heavy on the First Trimester
Month One: Week 1-6 Month Two: Week 7-11
Month Three: Week 12-16 Month Four: Week 17-20
Month Five: Week 21-24 Month Six: Week 25-28
Month Seven: Week 29-32 Month Eight: Week 33-36
Month Nine: Week 37+ This set of weeks assumes that early pregnancy
is very important but that you aren't really pregnant those first two weeks.
Heavy on the Third Trimester
Month One: Week 1-4 Month Two: Week 5-8
Month Three: Week 9-12 Month Four: Week 13-16
Month Five: Week 17-20 Month Six: Week 21-24
Month Seven: Week 25-28 Month Eight: Week 29-32
Month Nine: Week 33+ This set of weeks counts every moment from
the last normal menstrual cycle and considers the fact that some women have their babies
earlier than forty weeks.
So, as you can see, there are not a lot of solid answers as to the right way to count
months of pregnancy.
So the next time you are asked: How many months pregnant are you?
You will know that you can safely answer, just about any month you feel is appropriate
for your gestational age.
Your Pregnancy Week by Week How Your Doctor or Midwife Counts Your Pregnancy
Since your doctor or midwife don't count in months, there is very little ramification
for your answer, nor need for justification for the answer.
Counting by weeks is what your practitioners will use.
This helps them more accurately figure out how far along you are and therefore, what
they should be seeing in terms of the health of you and your baby.
So the next time you are in for a prenatal visit be sure to ask for your practitioner's
take on the weeks versus months debate.
At one of your first prenatal visits, you can ask for your estimated due date and mark
that in your calendar and note the day of the week.
You will also be told how many weeks you are then and can also mark it going forward, changing
the weeks on the day of the week that you are due.
So, if for example, your due date is on a Monday, every Monday you would gain a week
of pregnancy.
How Many Weeks Pregnant Are You?
What to Do When Someone Asks You How Many Months?
None of this data will keep someone from asking you "How many months is 24 weeks?" when you
share how many weeks you are with them.
But, you can be prepared to explain why the months do not matter and the weeks do.
So, whether you answer five months or six months on the chart above, you are still 24
weeks pregnant.
This means that you can choose the answer that best suits you.
Sometimes you might feel very pregnant and six months makes you feel better than five
months.
Or, perhaps you are not anxious for the pregnancy to be over and you would prefer to be five
months pregnant.
This mental game is one that can help you stay sane through a potentially discombobulating
time.
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