February 12, 2003

Pregnancy Math

You can tell those been pregnant or spent a lot of time around a pregnant person from those who haven't in a single question -- by a single word, really. If you know pregnancy, you ask me "How many weeks along are you?" and if you don't, you ask "How many months?" Docs measure by weeks, with 40 weeks counting as full term. Although you're really only physically pregnant for 38 of those 40 weeks, as it is much easier for all to measure from the date of a women's last menstrual period and assume she ovulated 14 days later than to actually know when exactly she ovulated.

Pregnant women quickly learn to be obsessed about how many weeks along they are. As of today, I am 23 weeks, five days along (or 23 weeks and four days, if I am in the doctors' office -- he and I disagree by a day as to my due date). If you divide by 4, that's one week shy of six months, right? Maybe, but I am really closer to five months. If you count back from my due date -- June 6 -- I finished my fifth month on February 6, which would make me five months and a few days pregnant. If you count months forward from my date of conception, you would come up with just a little less than five months. The week-to-month translation gets most difficult to do in the three-to-four month range -- depending on how you calculate, you could end up telling people you are four months along in two different months!

The problem is that months aren't 4 weeks (28 days) long, they are 30-31 most of the time. That's why docs use weeks. Some feminista pregnancy books will say 9 months is a myth, 40 weeks is a 10 month gestation and darn it you deserve recognition of that, girlfriend, but that's not really accurate either. Certainly, September to June is 9 months.

I am 23 weeks, five days along. That's five months. More than half way there. No matter how you calculate it, there's a baby in me, and it's coming sooner rather than later.

Posted by Dineen at February 12, 2003 12:25 PM
Comments

I thought I knew what you meant and then you said what you did and now I am more confused then I was! ROTFLMAO You certainly have a way with words! That is probably the best explaination of a thoroughly confusing subject that I have ever seen. I especially love the last line! June 6 or 7 or don't forget that the lovely child might decide to come 2 weeks early or 2 weeks late. They do tend to have a sense of humor even in utero!!! Momma

Posted by: Momma on February 12, 2003 12:36 AM

Say what? :) Oh, four weeks isn't a month.
Well,I have the weeks, not months, marked on my calendars, but one thing is sure: there is a baby in you! And yes, it is coming....as your Momma says, whenever it wants to come! That's how kids are, you know? Also ROTFLMAO! Love, Mom

Posted by: Mom on February 12, 2003 11:09 AM
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