So did you know pregnancy is only 36 weeks?

luckyabby09 · October 2009

One of my friends texted me asking where the baby was. I told her that I was still pregnant, I have started to resort to texting anyone that asks where the baby is to www.haveyouhadthatbabyyet.com she got all pissy and said that I was way over due and that I was almost 10 months! thanks a lot captain obvious. She then informed me that pregnancy is only 36 weeks long! HA!

I just texted her back, saying thanks for the advice, but I am pretty sure my due date is the 28th. Thanks.

Have you heard this before? I would give her the benefit of the doubt if 2 of her cousins hadn't JUST had babies

redhotchili83 · October 2009

Crap! Its 36 weeks these days? I better get my sh*t together!

As far as I know, my baby still thinks its 40 weeks.

aggielauren · October 2009

My mom and grandmother had no idea pregnancy was 40 weeks until I got pregnant and told them.

epphd · October 2009

Well duh, everyone knows pregnancy is 9 months long and that all months are 4 weeks. So 36 weeks. Voila. That's why there's 365 days in a year.

12x4x7 = .... wait a minute.... Hmm

mrs.priss7 · October 2009

Um...I'd tell her to shove it personally. But wouldn't it be grand if it were true? I only have 2 more weeks then and you shouldve been induced long ago!

buttrflychic05 · October 2009

I think a lot of women now adays are getting full term and due date confused- because one of my friends called me a few weeks ago thinking her due date was a 36 weeks only to have the doctor at her first appointment correct her... she called me in hysterics.

(and even still- not sure where she got that 36 weeks is full term either ::shrugs:: but that's a battle I am not even going to fight, at least with my friend)

TCTF · October 2009

DH and I had a bit of a fight about this when he insisted that pregnancy is only supposed to be 9 months, not 9.5-10 months. I told him that it goes by weeks, not months exactly, so at 20 weeks its considered 5 months, even though if you go by the 30 days in a months, its not 5 months. He couldn't get it. He said then no one should say pregnancy lasts 9 months if it really doesn't. I told him that too many people just automatically think of pregnancy as being 9 months to try and change their minds about it!

kimfoley88 · October 2009

As far as I know.. Pregnancy is a 40 week process, but you are considered full term by 37 weeks.. Maybe she is thinking that 4 weeks = 1 month, in that case it would be 36, but not all months are like that.. Hmm

pdxjenn · October 2009

epphd:

Well duh, everyone knows pregnancy is 9 months long and that all months are 4 weeks. So 36 weeks. Voila. That's why there's 365 days in a year.

12x4x7 = .... wait a minute....

Yes

harmonywolf · October 2009

She probably hasn't heard that doctors now go with 40 weeks as the total length of a pregnancy, rather than the old 9 months. I know I was surprised to learn that with my first pregnancy. She's just confused.

wheelenl · October 2009

It's really 38, I think. Because you're 4 weeks pregnant when you miss your first period, and if you ovulate in the middle of that 4 weeks, well....they give you an extra two weeks. Smile

hriesen4 · October 2009

aggielauren:
My mom and grandmother had no idea pregnancy was 40 weeks until I got pregnant and told them.

My grandma, too! She even had 3 boys. But..this is coming from the woman who asked me if I wanted a mixed drink over the summer (I was about 23 weeks). I said no and she asked, "Oh. Is that a new pregancy rule?"

jrlandrigan · October 2009

I am starting to get sick of explaining to people how much longer I really have because they either ask when my due date is and get confused or ask how far along I am- which is even worse for them to comprehend.. Yes people.. it's a full 40 weeks!

DH had a really hard time comprehending this, too. The whole pregnancy he kept insisting I had a month less to go than I really did, until recently and he finally gets it!

tanya_erin · October 2009

All months are not 4 weeks...

epphd · October 2009

I think we also need to stop referring to due DATES and start referring to due "months." Full term might be 37 weeks, but pg. can last up to 42 weeks - so really, you're looking at a 5 week window.

Try explaining that to your grandmothers - it will blow their minds Wink

mccamish · October 2009

We have a male friend that went off on me the other day because I referred to my pg in weeks rather than months. He obviously had been working on some comedy schtick about it and ultrasound pics on facebook. I just let him go on about it and am looking forward to the day his wife is pregnant.

He is no longer allowed to speak to me.

meg&jk · October 2009

I think a lot of the confusion is in the difference between months and weeks. Everyone "knows" that pregnancy lasts nine months, but they forget that there aren't just four full weeks in a month. There are usually 4 1/2 weeks/month. It kind of drives me nuts when everyone correlates every four weeks with one month when one month hasn't completed yet....

kob227 · October 2009

While this is annoying I've learned to "translate" how far along I am to everyone. I'm not getting into the pregnancy = 9 calendar months, not 9 lunar months thing.

SuperTreesa · October 2009

wheelenl:
It's really 38, I think. Because you're 4 weeks pregnant when you miss your first period, and if you ovulate in the middle of that 4 weeks, well....they give you an extra two weeks.

This is correct. 38 weeks of gestation +2 bonus weeks before you even ovulated.

mom2binKC · October 2009

TCTF:
DH and I had a bit of a fight about this when he insisted that pregnancy is only supposed to be 9 months, not 9.5-10 months. I told him that it goes by weeks, not months exactly, so at 20 weeks its considered 5 months, even though if you go by the 30 days in a months, its not 5 months. He couldn't get it. He said then no one should say pregnancy lasts 9 months if it really doesn't. I told him that too many people just automatically think of pregnancy as being 9 months to try and change their minds about it!

Your DH is right. Pg is 9 months (maybe a few days to a week over). And it is also 40 weeks. 40 weeks = 9 months, plus about a week.

My pg began April 8 (LMP of a regular 28-day cycle). My EDD is Jan 12. Count forward from April 8, plus nine months, boom--January 8. Add a few days, and there you are.

And 20 weeks does not equal 5 months, no matter if you're referring to pg or anything else. The earth does not rotate a full turn on its axis any fewer days in a month when you are pg. 20 weeks divided by 4.33 weeks (the average number of weeks in a month) equals 4.6 months, or a little over 4 and a half months.

It's just math, plain and simple. I get so tired of this stupid "debate."

nickicl · October 2009

luckyabby09:

One of my friends texted me asking where the baby was. I told her that I was still pregnant, I have started to resort to texting anyone that asks where the baby is to www.haveyouhadthatbabyyet.com she got all pissy and said that I was way over due and that I was almost 10 months! thanks a lot captain obvious. She then informed me that pregnancy is only 36 weeks long! HA!

I just texted her back, saying thanks for the advice, but I am pretty sure my due date is the 28th. Thanks.

Have you heard this before? I would give her the benefit of the doubt if 2 of her cousins hadn't JUST had babies

I can understand where someone might get confused about this kind of thing, especially if they are not going through it or have recently been through it. What I cannot understand is why she is in your business and being rude like that?

nickicl · October 2009

Months = 4 weeks for estimation purposes only. Its obviously not as accurate as tracking actual dates.

It used to really bug me that they count you as pregnant from last period (even before you conceive). Even if you figure out how to count there are variances in women's cycles.

I think this confusion becomes related to those other annoying comments about how women look too small or too big like they are not gonna make it or whatever. Really, though, who need to that specificly and exactly how far a long I am besides Dr, DH and me?

Megan55 · October 2009

mom2binKC:

TCTF:
DH and I had a bit of a fight about this when he insisted that pregnancy is only supposed to be 9 months, not 9.5-10 months. I told him that it goes by weeks, not months exactly, so at 20 weeks its considered 5 months, even though if you go by the 30 days in a months, its not 5 months. He couldn't get it. He said then no one should say pregnancy lasts 9 months if it really doesn't. I told him that too many people just automatically think of pregnancy as being 9 months to try and change their minds about it!

Your DH is right. Pg is 9 months (maybe a few days to a week over). And it is also 40 weeks. 40 weeks = 9 months, plus about a week.

My pg began April 8 (LMP of a regular 28-day cycle). My EDD is Jan 12. Count forward from April 8, plus nine months, boom--January 8. Add a few days, and there you are.

And 20 weeks does not equal 5 months, no matter if you're referring to pg or anything else. The earth does not rotate a full turn on its axis any fewer days in a month when you are pg. 20 weeks divided by 4.33 weeks (the average number of weeks in a month) equals 4.6 months, or a little over 4 and a half months.

It's just math, plain and simple. I get so tired of this stupid "debate."

Yes Yes Yes Thank you so much for posting this....my thoughts and feelings EXACTLY! It's so annoying when people refer to themselves as 7 months pregnant at 28 weeks(Or 6 months at 24 weeks,8 at 32w, etc). I don't understand how some people continue to believe that there are exactly 4 weeks in every month. The only month that has 4 weeks is February. It's really NOT that confusing if you take the time to do the math, like you said.