The human pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks (depending on when your baby decides to make their debut). This is counted from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP).
PediaTip: Because the number of days in each month varies, it’s best to measure the length of your pregnancy in weeks (vs. months).
Insider Info: Doctors have a specific way of documenting how far along a pregnancy is and like to get it down to the exact day (obsessive much?!). For example, if a fetus is 20 weeks and 5 days old, the doc will write the gestational age like this: 20 5/7 wga (weeks gestational age). If a fetus is 16 weeks and 2 days old, the gestational age goes into the medical chart like this: 16 2/7 wga.
Pregnancy Is Divided Into 3 Stages Called Trimesters. Each Trimester Lasts About 14 Weeks.
Here’s How the Trimesters Break Down:
- First Trimester: 0 to 13 6/7 weeks (roughly 0-3 months).
- Second Trimester: 14 to 27 6/7 weeks (roughly 4-6 months).
- Third Trimester: 28 to 40 6/7 weeks (roughly 7-9 months).
The Bottom Line
Pregnancy is a journey. It can feel like the days and months are dragging on as you become more uncomfortable and get increasingly anxious to meet your baby. Play the long game and try to enjoy the ride even if it’s bumpy at times (like when you’re puking out of your car window in the drive-thru line at McDonald’s. Not that that’s ever happened to me!).
