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Pregnancy Calculator: Find Out What to Expect
There are two different types of pregnancy calculators that you'll encounter during your journey to motherhood. Here's a rundown of the different types.
*Due Date Calculator - This is probably the first type of calculator you'll use. Knowing your due date will help you plan for your baby. It will also help your doctor watch for the baby's proper development. Due date calculators use the first day of your last menstrual period to calculate your due date. If you don't know the exact date of your "lmp," then use the closest date you can. The due date, whether calculated from your last lmp or not, is just a guideline for your pregnancy. Babies can be born two weeks prior and two weeks after the due date.
You can even use due date calculators before you conceive to better plan your family. If you really want a summer baby, you can input dates to pinpoint which month you should get pregnant. This is really helpful if you need to plan around certain events or circumstances.
*Pregnancy Weight Gain Calculator - For some women, gaining weight is a scary prospect. It's important that you gain the proper amount of weight during your pregnancy to support the baby. But it's also important that you don't go "hogwild" and eat for two the entire 9 months. Excess weight can cause problems with your pregnancy including gestational diabetes and hypertension.
To keep yourself on track with your weight gain, use a weight gain calculator. You can find them for free online by doing a simple web search. Basically, you'll input your starting weight, and then the calculator will tell you what weight range you should be in when you are 9 months pregnant.
If you want to do the calculation yourself, here's the basic breakdown: 7 lbs for your baby, 2 lbs for the placenta, 4 lbs for amniotic fluid, 12 lbs for extra fluids, blood and fat stores. Now if you are overweight when you become pregnant you won't need as many fat stores. If you're underweight, you'll have to gain a bit more. But this calculation will give you a general idea of how much weight you'll be gaining.
Both types of pregnancy calculators can help you figure out what to expect during your pregnancy.
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