How Far Along am I?
How Far Along am I?
There are two terms you might see when trying to figure out how far along you really are. One is “conceptional age” and the other is “gestational age”. The medical community uses the term “gestational age” to date your pregnancy. This date begins on the first day of your last menstrual period.
The first day of a woman’s period marks the beginning of a new cycle which for most women occurs about every 28 days. During this cycle, an egg matures and is released from the ovary (ovulation) usually around the 14th day. The mature egg (ovum) is capable of fertilization for about a 24-hour period and if sperm (which can live for about 3-5 days) are present during this period, then the egg can become fertilized and conception occurs.
Because of this, your most fertile days for when conception can occur are typically days 10-17 of your cycle. However, not all women have typical 28-day cycles. Some women’s cycles are more or fewer than 28 days and some women have very irregular cycles. All of this can make the exact date of ovulation and conception difficult to determine.
A Limited Abortion Screening Ultrasound can help confirm your pregnancy and help determine gestational age. When considering any abortion procedure or the abortion pill, it is important for your health to have a Limited Abortion Screening Ultrasound first to determine if you have a viable and progressing pregnancy. Also, since about 1 in 4 early pregnancies may end in miscarriage, knowing gestational age and if the pregnancy is viable is important information to know before you schedule a procedure or before taking the abortion pill.
The Women’s Center Illiana’s licensed medical staff is here to help answer your questions regarding early pregnancy and gestational age. Schedule a no cost, confidential Limited Abortion Screening Ultrasound with The Women’s Center Illiana today.
