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How is the term of pregnancy calculated?
When determining the period of pregnancy, it is easy to get confused by the numbers. There are two starting points:
Obstetric term – starts from the first day of the last menstruation.
Embryonic period – calculated using the date of ovulation, when the probability of conception is the highest. As a rule, this is day 12-16 of a 28-day cycle.
The embryonic period of pregnancy is shorter than the obstetric period by an average of 14 days. And although this method of calculation seems more logical, the obstetric method is used all over the world.
What happens to the future mother’s body?
In the first obstetric week of pregnancy, you are not yet pregnant.
The term of your actual pregnancy will be 2 weeks less than the one declared by the doctor.
During this period, a new menstrual cycle has just begun in the body, in one of the ovaries a follicle begins to grow – a bubble with liquid that contains the main germ cell – an egg. Under the influence of impulses from the brain in the form of hormone synthesis (mainly FSH), one follicle outpaces the growth of other, smaller ones, and acquires the status of “dominant” or “leading”. As the leader follicle grows, the amount of estrogen increases. The mucous membrane of the uterine cavity (endometrium) begins to prepare for pregnancy. Under the influence of sex hormones, in particular estrogens, the endometrium gradually thickens, undergoes a transformation from proliferative to periovulatory state, and a network of small blood vessels forms in it. The endometrium begins to prepare for attachment of the embryo to the uterine cavity.
What are the main tips for a pregnant woman?
The first obstetric week of pregnancy is a period of renewal of the female body, which is preparing for pregnancy.
You need to change your diet: exclude fast food, we advise you to reduce the use of salt, spices, strong tea and coffee. Eat more green salads, spinach, green peas, asparagus, broccoli, avocado, pumpkin, fish.
Forget once and for all about bad habits! A man and a woman should take care of the health of their future children together.
A sufficient drinking regimen can be calculated using the formula: Your weight x 30.0 ml = the recommended amount of liquid per day just for you.
Take folic acid together with your husband. If your doctor has detected folate malabsorption in the body due to genetic mutations of folate metabolism, then it is very important to take split folic acid in the form of metafolin (methylfolate).
Together with the doctor, eliminate detected deficiencies of microelements and other vitamins (for example, vitamin D3 deficiency), put previously detected chronic diseases into a state of compensation, and support the functioning of the thyroid gland.
A healthy 8-hour sleep is very important, as it is necessary for mental and physical activity. Do not forget that all the processes in our body are controlled by the cerebral cortex, so let it rest enough so that this menstrual cycle goes well with a timely programmed ovulation.
Keep a calendar of the menstrual cycle, applications for tracking the day of ovulation, be in a good mood on duty with your obstetrician-gynecologist!