What is a pregnancy wheel calculator?
The pregnancy wheel calculator is a medically devised calendar which helps non-medical people to calculate the date of their delivery. It has become very popular among pregnant women because of the ease of its use. All you need is to know your first day of the last menstrual period.
However, calculating the due date is not the only benefit you can get from the pregnancy wheel calculator. It helps you identify all the important stages of pregnancy beforehand. So, you have ample time to prepare yourself.
You can get this calculator in the printed form. And you can also install it in the form of an application on your smart mobile.
How can it be used by a pregnant lady?
A pregnancy wheel calculator is a detailed calendar of the pregnancy which is so simple that you can use it without any medical need. It has 7 dimensions represented in different circles, each representing different gradations. The outer dimension displays all the 12 months of the year in order. It helps you in calculating the due date of pregnancy.
You pick the first day of your last menstrual cycle on this calendar and rotate it all the way to add 40 weeks to it. The date that comes at the completion of the 40th week on the pregnancy wheel calculator is the expected date of delivery.
Besides, the date of delivery also points out several significant stages of the pregnancy including; antenatal developmental milestones, screening, and scanning dates, medical testing dates, quickening, etc.
It also provides the trimester wise division of your pregnancy which helps you understand the baby’s development and improves bonding.
How much accurate is the pregnancy wheel calculator?
Pregnancy is a natural phenomenon and you cannot put a timer on it. It is more or less estimation even if you get it calculated by a medical professional at an early stage of your pregnancy. However, knowing the exact first day of the last menstrual period can help you make a pretty accurate estimation of the due date of the delivery.
A normally progressing pregnancy mostly ends a day or two around the due date calculated using this tool making it an accurate tool for pregnant women. It helps you a great deal to make the necessary arrangements for the delivery.
However, if you have a doubt about the first day of your last menstrual period or you need further confirmation you can always consult your doctor. Your doctor through the examination and 7-week ultrasound can help you calculate the accurate date of the delivery. Even after the calculation from your doctor, the pregnancy wheel calculator can help you a great deal with the different stages of the development of the baby.
Different benefits of the pregnancy wheel calculator
If you are thinking that it is merely a tool to calculate the due date then you are wrong. It is a detailed calendar of the pregnancy which highlights all the significant stages of the pregnancy which includes:
- Development of the baby i.e. development of limbs, eyes, face, etc.
- Quickening
- Screening tests
- Scanning dates
It also helps you with the trimester wise division of your pregnancy. Knowing all these facts about your pregnancy and baby helps with your bonding towards the baby and prepares you beforehand. It also makes you a responsible mother.
Some facts about pregnancy wheel calculator
A simple way to calculate pregnancy
There are different ways to calculate the date of delivery and the pregnancy wheel calculator is one of them. It may not be the most accurate one but it gives a good estimation and if definitely the easiest one. Although an ultrasound scan is the most accurate way this can only be performed by a skilled professional. It makes the use of the pregnancy wheel calculator popular among pregnant women. All you need to know is the first day of the last menstrual cycle.
Multiple benefits of pregnancy wheel calculator
Besides, the date of delivery of the pregnancy wheel calculator helps you to understand several landmarks of the pregnancy.
You can use it to easily plan your hospital visits, screening tests, and scans.
Still practiced by health care providers
It is still used by health care providers to calculate the date of delivery where the facility of scans is not available. It shows the simplicity and accuracy of this method. In an uneventful pregnancy, the date of delivery has been found to be the same as calculated by it in most of the cases.
A developmental monitor
The pregnancy wheel can be used by the doctors to monitor the developmental status of the baby and pick any deformity. Your doctor will see the baby during an ultrasound scan and can calculate the age of the baby through different milestones the baby has achieved. Your doctor can then compare the findings on the ultrasound with the pregnancy wheel and monitor the development of the baby.
Week based pregnancy wheel calculator
Among different variations of pregnancy wheel calculator, one is the weekly based pregnancy wheel calculator. You can understand the development of the baby on a weekly basis using it. It includes the dates of limb development, development of face and eyes, the beginning of the fetal movements, age of viability, and many more. It also includes the diagrammatic representation of the baby to satisfy your desire to see your baby.
In a nutshell, this is a simple and accurate way of calculating the date of delivery. And it also gives significant information on the stages of the pregnancy. This, in turn, helps you understand your baby and develop a strong relationship. And transforms you into a responsible mother!
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