3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> Pregnancy Wheel

Pregnancy Wheel


Understanding your own body is very important for every woman, especially for the one who is trying to conceive. The pregnancy wheel is a very useful tool, that can help you know exactly when you are ovulating and what are the main milestones of your pregnancy. Furthermore, if you are not trying to conceive, but on the contrary, are afraid of not getting pregnant, this "calendar" can also help you prevent an unwanted pregnancy.

What is the pregnancy wheel?

Before technology allowed doctors to use ultrasounds to determine the fetal age and the probable due date, they used a pregnancy wheel. When women who suspected they were pregnant went to the doctor's office, he performed a urine analysis to determine whether there is a pregnancy or not and then used this "calendar" to determine the due date. The wheel can "predict" the date you are going to give birth based on your last ovulation/the first day of your last menstrual cycle. However, it is well to remember that this instrument is not 100% accurate as it is based on the assumption that your menstrual cycle lasts for 28 days and this is not true for every woman, since most of them have irregular menstrual cycles. Yet, perhaps even more important than calculating your due date, the pregnancy wheel lets you know and reminds you of the most important milestones of your pregnancy such as: when you should have your first examination, your first ultrasound, and gives you an estimate of the baby's weight and length according to your pregnancy's age. Of course, all of these are just general guidelines and you should talk to your doctor about each step of your pregnancy. This is especially important if you have high-risk pregnancy or if you have a history of medical conditions that can affect your baby or your general state of health during pregnancy.

How to use the pregnancy wheel?

  1. Turn the wheel so that its big arrow, points toward the first day of your last menstrual cycle
  2. Find the word "ovulation" on the inside of the wheel. This will give you an estimate on the days in which you are the most fertile, the days in which you are most likely to get pregnant. In case you are already pregnant, this will show you the date of conception.
  3. Find the word "implantation" on the inside of the wheel. This will show you the day in which the fecundated egg implanted itself in the uterus and began to develop.
  4. Find the words "missed period". This will show you when your period should have appeared. In case you missed your period at the time specified, a pregnancy is very likely to occur.
  5. Find the words "due date". This will show you the probable date of birth based on a pregnancy that lasts for 40 weeks. The wheel will also specify the date in which you can deliver the baby without having to worry about complications (this is usually 37 weeks).