Are you curious to know what day you became pregnant?
It might seem a bit complex, but figuring out your conception date is easy. Even if you’ve had multiple partners or several instances of intercourse, calculating your estimated date of conception is possible with just a little thinking. Here are three ways to calculate your conception date:
Count Back From Your Last Period
If you have pretty regular monthly cycles, you can use the start date of your last period to make an educated guess about conception. Here’s how:
Take the first day of your most recent period and count ahead 11-21 days. That’s your conception window! The average menstrual cycle is 28 days, with ovulation typically happening around day 14. Sperm can survive for 3-5 days, which means you can get pregnant on a day you didn’t have sex, so days 11-21 cover all the conceiving bases.
For example, if your last period began May 1st, your conception likely happened between May 12-22. Easy peasy!
Subtract 40 Weeks from Your Due Date
Don’t remember the exact date of your last menstrual cycle? No worries! If you have an estimated due date from your doctor, you can work backward.
Take your due date and subtract 40 weeks – this gives you the approximate first day of your last period. Then, use the 11-21-day conception window trick above.
Say your due date is January 15th. Subtract 40 weeks, and your last period likely started around April 25th. Add 11-21 days; your conception window is May 6-16. See, you got this!
Do the Time Warp with Your Gestational Age
One more option if you’re unsure of dates – use your current gestational age, a.k.a. how far along you are.
Simply take the number of weeks you are currently pregnant and subtract that amount from today’s date. This gives you the first day of your last menstrual cycle. Then apply the 11-21 day rule.
For example, you’re 18 weeks pregnant on August 1st. Subtract 18 weeks, and your last cycle started around March 25th. So, your conception window was April 5-15.
There you have it! Three fun ways to get the down low on when your little bun first joined the party. Hopefully, these tips will help you feel even more connected to your pregnancy journey.
Looking for help with your conception date? Get an accurate estimated conception date by scheduling an appointment with Hope Clinic today!