Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Gestational age calculator

Usually, when women are suspecting that they may be pregnant, the first thing they want to know is how far along they are in their pregnancy. Actually, there are many ways to find out your expected due date, but the first thing you need to do before trying to calculate the date is to confirm the pregnancy using a home pregnancy test. In fact, you may miss your menstrual periods for many reasons, so it can’t be a proof for being pregnant.

The most common way of calculating the expected due date is to use the 1st day of your last menstrual period. This can be used only if your menstrual cycle is regular and your home test confirmed pregnancy. Normally, an average pregnancy lasts for 280 days (or 40 weeks) from the start of the last menstrual period. That’s what you can use to count ahead and calculate the due date, as well as figure out how far along you are now.

Another way to determine your due date is the one based on ovulation and conception. The estimation may be made by counting ahead 266 days (or 38 weeks). Actually, the pregnancies are usually dated based on last menstrual period, but in fact the conception doesn’t occur in the first 14 days. In case you are sure with the date of ovulation, you may use it to find out how far along you are in pregnancy.

Besides, you may visit your doctor so that he could carry fundal height measurement and a pelvic examination. After your doctor records the position and size of your uterus, he will be able to provide you with an estimation of how far along you are in pregnancy. To know your fundal height, he will measure from the top of your pubic bone to the top of palpable uterus. The result of a distance in centimeters will correspond with age of your baby, within a couple of centimeters.

The next method is to have your blood drawn in order to estimate your levels of hCG hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin). Its level in the body will increase as your pregnancy will progress. Actually, in around 85% of normal pregnancies this hormone levels double every 2 to 3 days, while later in pregnancy they will increase more slowly, doubling once every 4 days.

Finally, you may undergo an ultrasound, which will allow to more accurately calculate gestational age. Although it’s only accurate until 20 weeks of pregnancy, it remains the most accurate way to calculate a due date until 12 weeks gestation.

When doing your best to determine your expected due date, don’t forget that only as much as 10% of women really give birth on their calculated due date. In fact, a woman is considered full-term at 37-42 weeks gestation, so you may lose or add a month in your estimations!

Speaking in medical terms, which is used in most reference books, ovulation it’s a process when ready to fertilize egg leave the follicle an get into the abdominal cavity with subsequent promotion of fallopian tubes to the uterus itself. The first ovulation occurs slightly later than the beginning of puberty, the last – after the extinction of menstrual function during climax. During pregnancy, ovulation does not occur, but after the birth, it is restored.

Ovulation in women of childbearing age occurs periodically (every 21-35 days).
There are several subjective signs that a woman at this particular time is ovulate. These include short-term and slow abdominal pain, increased mucus, allocated by the cervix, lowering the temperature in the mouth or vagina. In addition, some women during ovulation have a very sharp sexual attraction to the partner, which was caused by the action of hormonal substances. However, all these signs can not be completely accurate.

Objectively, there are two methods for determining of ovulatory period. First, it’s ultrasonic monitoring of the follicle and its rupture (ovulation itself) development. Secondly, the definition of the dynamic nature of hormonal substances in the urine. The latter method can be used at home with the help of special tests recommended by your doctor.

Techniques used to establish ovulation, mostly for those women who want to become pregnant because the possibility of pregnancy exists only a few days – before, during and after the fact of ovulation.

However, not all that simple, if you plan to avoid pregnancy by calculating the “dangerous days”. Nature is much smarter than all mathematics. As a result of severe mental strain or stress there can occur not only the shift of the ovulation day, but even one more ovulation, during one menstrual cycle matures not one but two eggs.

For every women, standing ovulatory rhythm is changing within 3 months after the abortion, within one year after childbirth, and after 40 years, when the body is preparing for pre-menopausal.

The ovulation stops during the pregnancy and after the extinction of the menstrual function. Establishing the period of ovulation is important in selecting the most effective time for fertilization, artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization.

It’s not a secret, that age has a direct impact on fertility. Women’s fertility begins to decline after thirty-five years, as a result of various factors which include the reduction in the quantity and condition of eggs, increasing the likelihood of medical problems, such as: diabetes and reduction of sexual relationships.

Realizing what fertility is, you can increase your chances of impregnation.
There are several methods to determine your fertile days (or time of your ovulation). Find the one that best suits you, and then use it regularly.

- The method of the natural cycle and ovulation calculator.

Both these methods help to determine the period of fertility, using the interval between menstrual cycles (usually 28-30 days). In order to detect the time of fertility, you subtract fourteen days from the length of your cycle (for example, if your cycle is thirty days from the start of one menstruation to the next, taking away fourteen of thirty, you get sixteen). This number is the approximate day of ovulation and the time when it is the highest probability for impregnation. Calculate from the first day of your menstrual period.

- Improvement of sexual relations for impregnation.

There are several ways to increase your chances of impregnation, depending on when and what sexual relations you will have:

1. The frequency. Daily or rare (less than every 10-14 days) sexual relations are likely to be detrimental for sperm count.

2. The situation during sexual intercourse. Some experts recommend that a woman remained in the supine position for about twenty minutes after intercourse to reduce the outflow of sperm from the vagina, however, there is no evidence that it improves impregnation.

3. Sexual pleasure. It turns out that woman who experience orgasm during intercourse, is able to get pregnant faster.

4. Cervical mucus. Composition and color of cervical mucus changes throughout the monthly cycle.

5. Kits for ovulation determining. These tests detect an increase in luteinizing hormone (LH) 2-3 days before ovulation. Each test gives you a positive or negative result on any given day.

6. Changes during the menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle occurs as a result of complex interactions of hormones.

From all this I just make a one conclusion, if you want your baby to be desirable, take a time, think it over with your man and only then start your pleasurable wok.

When you come to the gynecologist, he always asks you what your menstrual cycle is. Many patients believe that the menstrual cycle – these are the days when you have a bloody discharge from the genital tract. In fact it’s just a menses. A menstrual cycle – is a time period from one menstrual period to another and it is from the first day of the last menstrual period before the first day of the next (represents normal 23-35 days)

In addition to the cycle duration is very important it’s regularity. Ideally, from month to month duration of your individual cycle does not change. Fluctuations are allowed within 3 days. If more – this is pathological. There are also important blood amount and your subjective feelings in this period.
If you paid attention to the changing nature of menstruation, there is reason to see a doctor because this may be the first sign of some disease.

First menstruation (menses) is the most striking evidence of the ensuing sexual maturity. Most of the first menstruation (menses) begins at the age of 14-15 years. However, the full development of the girl’s body reaches an average of 18 years.

So, what is it menstrual cycle and how does it work? Consider the standard 28-day cycle, a healthy woman’s menstrual cycle has 2 phases: with 28-days cycle on the first phase 14 days on the second phase.

In the first 14 days, the women are preparing for a possible pregnancy. One part of the brain called the pituitary produces two main hormones that affect the menstrual cycle – follicle-stimulating (FSH) and luteinizing (LH).

Under the influence of FSH in a mature egg from the ovaries, the uterus is thickening of the inner shell in order to accept a fertilized egg. The main hormone secreted in the blood – estrogen. It contributes to the fact that a woman looks good, active, and cheerful. Body temperature – is normal.

Two weeks later there occurs ovulation – exit of mature egg from the ovary. This process occurs due to sharp increases in blood levels of luteinizing hormone, which reaches its peak. If the egg becomes fertilized by a sperm cell, it attaches to the uterine wall and a fetus will begin to develop. The ovulation phase typically occurs in 14 days before the start of the next period.

At this moment, some women experience slight pulling sensation in the abdomen. Very seldom, they may notice bloody discharge from the genital tract.

The fourth and final phase is the premenstrual phase. If the egg is not fertilized, the thickened lining of the uterus is shed and a new menstrual cycle starts all over again.

The body temperature may be somewhat higher (up to 37.0). At this time, on-site release eggs in the ovary under the influence of LH matures corpus luteum, which, in the case of pregnancy, will ensure its preservation.

As a rule, women stop having menses at 50, when they reached menopause (stage when a woman is no able to ovulate or produce eggs, due to this she can no longer become pregnant). Like any other health processes, menopause occurs differently in different woman, this all is rather individual, so, noticing any changes, please turn to doctor!

Read more about menstrual cycles – Menstrual cramps

Ovulation is the process when eggs come out from the ovary. As a rule this process takes place at the 14th day of the cycle, but this is very individual feature that depends on the cycle length, periods’ regularity, etc. If your menstrual cycle is regular and lasts 28 days, most likely you will experience the ovulation on the 14th day.

The symptoms of ovulation can be easily missed. The ovulation is preceded by light and clear secretions from your vagina. They much resemble the raw egg whites. Later, when ovulation finishes, you may see that vaginal secretions became heavier and got whiter mate structure. Also the secretions can disappear at all. After this period the chances to get pregnant become less.

The slight growth of basal temperature is also may be a sign of the ovulation. To define ovulation you should measure the basal body temperature regularly by using special digital thermometer made for this purpose. The best time for measuring basal body temperature is in the morning before getting out from bed. Two – three days before the raise of temperature is the best period of your fertility. Some women experience slight abdominal cramps before the ovulation.

Also there are some ovulation kits that are available on a market. They detect specific hormones in your urine that indicate ovulation.
The doctors advise to have sex once a day during the period before, during and after ovulation. Such sexual activity will increase the chances to get pregnant.