What is Pregnancy due date?
Based on a woman’s last menstrual period, the estimated due date is 40 weeks from the first day of the last period. This is just an estimate since only about 5% of babies are born on their estimated due date. When the egg is available for fertilization and 350 million sperm are released inside or near the woman’s vaginal area, about 200 sperm will reach the egg. Of those 200 sperm, only one will actually penetrate the egg, thus causing conception. Once a woman is pregnant, regular checkups by a doctor, certified nurse-midwife or other health care professional during the course of pregnancy are recommended. The goal of prenatal care is to monitor the progress of a pregnancy and to identify potential problems before they become serious for either the mother or the baby. Gestational age, or how far along the fetus is, can be approximated by the beginning of the mother’s last period. Babies are usually born at 40 weeks, but are considered full-term from weeks 37 to 42. The birth of an infa
