How to Determine How Many Weeks Pregnant You Are

Finding out that you're pregnant is an exciting moment. Your next nine months will be filled with many different changes. It is good to know what to expect. Knowing how many weeks pregnant you are will help you discover what's coming next. While you may not be able to pinpoint the exact day that you conceived, you should be able to determine how many weeks along you are.

Instructions

    • 1

      Calculate the number of weeks you are pregnant. This is easy to do if you know when your last menstrual period was. From the first day of your last menstrual period, subtract three months.

    • 2

      Add seven days to the calculation you got in Step 1. That is your due date. Subtract 40 weeks from your due date. Then add the weeks from that time up until the week it currently is. You will then have the amount of weeks pregnant you are.

    • 3

      Meet with your doctor to help you determine how many weeks pregnant you are when you do not know when your last menstrual period was. It is important to know how many weeks pregnant you are so you and your doctor can have an idea when the baby may come. Your doctor may order lab work to measure your hormones, which can indicate how pregnant you are.

    • 4

      Check the size of your uterus with help from a physician. Your doctor will measure from the pelvic bone up to the top of the uterus (just under the belly button). The amount of centimeters represents the amount of weeks pregnant you are. For example, if your uterus measures 12 cm long, then you are 12 weeks pregnant.

    • 5

      Get an early ultrasound done. Not all physicians will order one, but in some cases they do. Not knowing when your last menstrual period was is one reason they order one. The ultrasound technician will measure different parts of the baby's body. The results give you and your doctor a good idea of how many weeks pregnant you are.

    • 6

      Listen to the fetal heartbeat. The first sound of a fetal heartbeat through a Doppler occurs around the ninth to 12th week of pregnancy. If you hear it, you are within this time frame.

    • 7

      Pay attention to the movement of your baby. Usually around the 16- to 22-week mark, you will be able feel the baby move.

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