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Tips for pregnancy & birth

Gestational duration

Kristina
March 12, 2024
Gestational duration

INTERESTING FACT: AVERAGE DURATION OF HUMAN GESTATION IS 41 WEEKS + 1 DAY

The common algorithm used for Estimated Due Date (EDD) is Naegele’s rule.

However, Mittendorf study showed that for 1st time mothers, the median duration of gestation from assumed ovulation to delivery was 274 days (which in other words looks like 41 weeks + 1 day!), significantly longer than the predicted 266 days. Crazy, right?!

That is one of the reasons why a lot of birth workers emphasize that it is totally normal to expect your baby’s arrival within 42 week frame.

But why is it still not a good enough reason to adapt the way EDD is counted?

Did you already feel in rush to give birth by week 40? Has your EDD been counted according to your individual period & case?

Here’s a link to the study:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2342739/