Countdown To My Birth

Instructions

The Weeks and Days of Pregnancy

This calendar is based on a 40-week pregnancy, starting with the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP). Keep in mind, however, your baby’s fetal age will always be two weeks less than his or her gestational age, since conception occurs about two weeks after the first day of your LMP.

Please note the calendar counts the completed weeks and days of your pregnancy rather than the week or day of pregnancy you’re in. On the first day of your LMP, you’ve completed “0 weeks, 0 days” of your pregnancy. You don’t complete “1 day” until 24 hours have passed, and you don’t complete “1 week” until seven days have passed.

Likewise, you’ve completed “2 weeks, 0 days” on the day you most likely conceive. Going forward, you’ve completed “2 weeks, 1 day,” “2 weeks, 2 days,” and so on until all seven days have passed, at which time you’ve completed “3 weeks, 0 days.”

If you find this method hard to comprehend, compare it to how you’ll soon keep track of your baby’s age: Your baby will be in his or her first week from the moment of birth, but he or she isn’t “1 week” old until all seven days have passed.

Filling in Your Dates

On the first calendar page, go to the first day’s entry, “0 weeks, 0 days,” write the date of the first day of your LMP in the “Today is” space provided at the bottom left corner. Then go to the next entry, “2 weeks, 0 days,” and fill in the appropriate date for two weeks after the first day of your LMP, which is when you most likely conceived. (I don’t include entries between the first day of your LMP and conception.)

Using a dated calendar as a guide, fill in each date for the next 40 weeks. Fill in your estimated due date at “40 weeks, 0 days.” From there, fill in the dates for two additional weeks, since your baby likely won’t arrive exactly on your due date. Alternate method: If you don’t know the first day of your LMP, work backward from your estimated due date.

Be sure to use the Notes section on every page to write in appointments or journal your thoughts.

The Countdown

Although the title of this calendar is Countdown to My Birth, it’s important to remember that unless you’re having a scheduled cesarean section, you don’t know exactly when that joyous event will occur! What you do know is your estimated due date, and you can guess your baby will likely be born anytime from two weeks before to two weeks after that date.

Therefore, in the bottom right corner of every entry is the countdown for “Days to due date.” When you’re “0 weeks, 0 days” pregnant, you have 280 days until your due date. When you’re “0 weeks, 1 day” pregnant, you have 279 days to your due date, and so on. If your due date goes by and the baby still hasn’t arrived, the countdown will keep track of “Days past due date.” If you find yourself in that situation, rest assured that you’re not “overdue” until two weeks past your due date.

I hope you and your new miracle enjoy Countdown to My Birth during this incredible time of discovery, and for years to come.

Sincerely,

Julie Carr

Disclaimer

All women and pregnancies are unique, and all babies develop at different rates. The information in Countdown to My Birth represents estimated progress during pregnancy and may not correspond to exact developments on a daily basis. Weights and lengths are estimates and will vary from baby to baby.

This book is not intended to be a substitute for the medical advice of a trained health care professional or a replacement for your regularly scheduled prenatal appointments. Please consult your health care provider for any questions or concerns you may have.

Get ready, Mom! You’re not pregnant yet, but today is the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP). Your pregnancy will last approximately 40 weeks or 280 days starting today.

0 weeks, 0 days

Days to due date: 280

Two weeks have passed, and today your ovary released an egg, and Dad’s sperm fertilized it. Hurray! This is the beginning of the making of me!

2 weeks, 0 days

Days to due date: 266

Chromosomes containing genetic material from both you and Dad fuse inside the egg. This magical moment determines whether I’ll be a boy or a girl, what color my hair and eyes will be, and many other characteristics.

2 weeks, 1 days

Days to due date: 265

It’s been 24 hours since your chromosomes fused, and now my single cell has divided into two. When another 18 hours have passed, I’ll begin my three-day journey through your fallopian tube to my next destination: your uterus.

2 weeks, 2 days

Days to due date: 264

As I travel through the fallopian tube, my cells divide into two sections. Some will become me; the rest will become the placenta to nourish me for the next nine months.

2 weeks, 3 days

Days to due date: 263

Finally, after three days of traveling, I’ve reached your uterus—my new home for the next nine months. It’ll take me a day or two to decide exactly where I’d like to attach.

2 weeks, 4 days

Days to due date: 262

After checking out some different sites, I’ve picked a spot where I can attach to your uterus—most likely a place at the top.

2 weeks, 5 days

Days to due date: 261

Now that I’m settled in, the real work begins! I start by exchanging all sorts of chemicals and hormones with your body to let you know you’re pregnant.

2 weeks, 6 days

Days to due date: 260

I’m growing steadily by dividing my cells again and again. I’ve grown from one cell to over 200 by now, and each cell looks totally different from the rest.

3 weeks, 0 days

Days to due date: 259

I’m sending you more hormones and proteins so your body knows I’m not just some “foreign cells” hanging around!

3 weeks, 1 days

Days to due date: 258

Although I’m incredibly small, I have the power to make you queasy from all the hormones I’m sending you—even at this early stage.

3 weeks, 2 days

Days to due date: 257

My cells divide about twice a day. I now have several thousands of them.

3 weeks, 3 days

Days to due date: 256

I’m still very tiny—only 0.04 inch (1 millimeter) long, which is the size of a grain of sugar.

3 weeks, 4 days

Days to due date: 255

The next five weeks are very important—my heart and central nervous system are starting to form. Continuing to take your prenatal vitamin every day helps me do this complicated task.

3 weeks, 5 days

Days to due date: 254

All my thousands of cells came from the original one at conception. One of the greatest mysteries is how different cells become different parts of me!

3 weeks, 6 days

Days to due date: 253

My cells are arranging into three separate layers—like a layered nacho dip. The outer layer will become my brain, nerves, and skin.

4 weeks, 0 days

Days to due date: 252

The middle layer of this “nacho dip” will become the deeper layers of my skin as well as my bones, muscles, heart, reproductive organs, and blood vessels.

4 weeks, 1 days

Days to due date: 251

The inner layer of these cells will become my intestines, lungs, and urinary tract. So many parts to form!

4 weeks, 2 days

Days to due date: 250

I feel a bump in my throat—my thyroid gland must be forming. This will help regulate my metabolism when I’m older.

4 weeks, 3 days

Days to due date: 249

I’m floating inside the amniotic sac, which will be my “house” for the next eight months. It’s about the size of a grape now, but thankfully it’ll expand as I grow!

4 weeks, 4 days

Days to due date: 248

Wow! I’ve doubled in size in the last nine days and am now 0.08 inch (2 millimeters) long.

4 weeks, 5 days

Days to due date: 247

If you could look at me right now, you’d see the beginning of my brain and backbone. Don’t laugh, but I also have a little tail.

4 weeks, 6 days

Days to due date: 246

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