Due date calculators are invaluable for any expectant mother. But they are not a substitute for high-quality prenatal care from a qualified doctor. Instead, they can help you chart your pregnancy’s progression and get an estimated due date, which complements more accurate methods such as ultrasounds.
A reliable due date calculator will only use established methods that are backed by science. Such as counting the number of days from the last menstrual period or the conception date. These calculations are more likely to arrive at an accurate due date.
However, these calculations are based on the average duration of gestation or pregnancy, which can vary considerably and may be affected by other factors that such calculators do not take into account. Keeping this in mind, here’s what you need to know about using a due date calculator.
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How to Use a Due Date Calculator
Pregnancy due date calculators provided by trusted sources are fairly intuitive and easy to use, but they must be fed accurate data to generate reliable results. Here’s what you can do to get started:
Keep Track of Key Dates
The simplest way to do this is to use a period tracker app well before you even get pregnant, as this will provide crucial info on your average menstrual cycle, as well as your last menstrual period. If you haven’t already been using a tracker, you will need to make a note of the date of your last period and try to calculate the average length of your cycle.
Choose a Trusted Calculator
Due date calculators from reputed sources will provide you with easy access to their tools, while providing additional support and information. They will also give you more options, allowing you to choose different methods of calculation; in addition to the last menstrual period date, some of these calculators take into account ultrasound scans and the date of conception.
Enter Information Accurately
If you don’t have the required data for something, such as your average cycle length, just stick with the typical 28 days, but understand that this will affect the accuracy of the calculation, especially if your cycle is considerably longer or shorter than the average.
That’s all there is to using a pregnancy due date calculator. Along with your results, you’ll also receive advice telling you that only 5 percent or 1 in 20 babies are actually born precisely on the estimated due date. However, the accuracy of results can be improved over time as you get more data from ultrasound scans, especially during the first trimester.
Why You Should Always Trust Your Doctor More
Although helpful, online pregnancy due date calculators should only be used in conjunction with advice and prenatal care from a qualified healthcare provider. As these calculators are standardized tools, they cannot provide personalized and responsive care as your doctor can. But your doctor’s advice takes all of this into account:
Your Health Status
Your medical history has a direct impact on the progression of your pregnancy. Such as past pregnancies, miscarriages, and chronic conditions like diabetes directly influencing the risk of complications. This can also affect early or delayed delivery, which calculators can’t take into account. Doctors will also consider other physiological factors such as your BMI or variations in luteal‐phase length. Especially since this can affect the duration of gestation by a few days or weeks.
Imaging Tests
Ultrasound scans provide the most accurate information possible, down to the size of your baby, fetal growth patterns, and more. This allows doctors to adjust calculations based on the most accurate and current data.
Screening Tests
Routine prenatal tests are critical for a healthy pregnancy as they allow doctors to detect potential complications like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, or growth restriction early in the pregnancy. These are important considerations that doctors take into account, but due date calculators cannot.
Based on all of this additional data, doctors can refine the estimated delivery date and customize labor planning. This is critical for improving pregnancy outcomes for both mother and child.
Their findings will also influence other decisions on pregnancy that are far outside the scope of any due date calculator. This can include pregnancy nutrition, delivery options, risk management, and postpartum care. A strong doctor-patient relationship can make all the difference when you’re already dealing with the immense emotional upheaval and physical challenges of pregnancy.
For more on this topic, check out the full Pregnancy Through Postpartum collection
