Gestation Period

The average gestation period or term of a normal pregnancy (from conception to delivery) is 40 weeks (about 280 days) from your last menstrual period. Obviously there is significant variation in the gestation period from individual to individual. It is even common for women having multiple children over time to experience variations in gestational period from birth to birth.

Other related Articles from : Pregnancy

Braxton Hicks Contractions

Starting about 6 weeks into your pregnancy, it’s highly possible that you will have what are called Braxton Hicks contractions. These are sporadic uterine contractions that begin early but can’t actually be felt until around the middle of your pregnancy. Some women feel them, and so ... more

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The Price of Bringing a Baby into the World

No one ever thinks about how much it costs to bring a baby into the world today. When someone is experiencing the joy and excitement of a baby coming into the world, they often don’t stop to think that there is a huge investment needed to bring this child back through the hospital doors, not ... more

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Discomforts during Pregnancy

Every woman knows that a pregnancy is a difficult and rewarding journey, but there is general consensus that late stage pregnancy can come with some significant discomfort. Some of the bigger bumps in the road are known ahead of time, and some are wonderful surprises….that make you wonder w ... more

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Normal and Recommended Weight Gain during Pregnancy

There are a lot of opinions and conflicting views these days about weight gain during pregnancy. With so much media attention on the expanding and deflating bellies of women in the media, it leaves people to wonder how much weight is normal to gain during pregnancy, and how much is perhaps too muc ... more

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Dilation and Effacement During Pregnancy

After about 37 weeks of pregnancy, your doctor or midwife will probably begin to consistently check for what’s called dilation and effacement of your cervix. Often the measurements of these things can be quite confusing, and you get frustrated when your nurse gives you a bunch of numbers and ... more

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Fertility Treatment

We hear a lot of horror stories today about women undergoing fertility treatment and having a whole litter of children—upwards of 8! Even though this is happening, that shouldn’t dissuade you from undergoing treatment if you’re healthy, willing, and unable to get pregnant by nat ... more

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Caregiver Options for your Pregnancy

Choosing your caregiver during your pregnancy is perhaps the single most important decision you’ll make, affecting your labor and the very first moments of your child’s life on earth. That’s not to scare you, but to empower you to ask yourself what is meaningful, and what&rs ... more

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Preparing for Labor and Childbirth

With all the biggest events in life that we face, the key is always preparation. Nothing could be truer when it comes to pregnancy and preparing yourself for labor and childbirth. Giving birth to a child is considered one of the most difficult, life-affirming, and natural things that a human bein ... more

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Miscarriage – Symptoms and Causes

Hundreds of thousands of women miscarry each year. It’s officially termed a miscarriage when the pregnancy ends before the 24 week period. The majority of the miscarriages happen due to natural causes, and there’s nothing that could have been done to prevent them. Many women hav ... more

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Determining Your Due Date

Pregnancy usually lasts 40 weeks (280 days) from your last menstrual period. Only 5% of babies are born on their due date. 50% of babies are born within 1 week of their due date. 90% of babies are born within 2 weeks of their due date. Remember that the baby could come up to 2 or more weeks on eith ... more

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