Methods to Use in Calculating Your IVF Due Date
If you’ve been unable to conceive or have had failed pregnancies, you are not alone. Infertility affects over six million women in the United States. At The Center for Fertility and Gynecology in Los Angeles, CA, our doctors offer a wide range of fertility treatments, including IVF, to help couples successfully conceive and fulfill their dreams of starting a family. IVF (in vitro fertilization) is a treatment that involves combining the egg and sperm in a lab to create healthy embryos. The embryos are then transferred directly to the woman’s uterus.
Once a pregnancy is determined, it can be an exciting time in a couple’s life. The first question generally asked is “When is the due date?” Calculating your IVF due date requires a different method than the one used for traditional pregnancies. Our doctors explain the process to give you a better understanding of how to calculate yours.
Methods Used for Calculating Your IVF Due Date
A pregnancy generally lasts about 40 weeks. For traditional pregnancies, the due date is calculated by using the first day of the previous menstrual cycle since most women are unaware of when they ovulate. While a woman with a 28-day menstrual cycle tends to ovulate on day 14 of her cycle, ovulation can fluctuate and may differ from woman to woman, so the due date is only an estimate.
However, women who undergo IVF are able to calculate their due dates a little more accurately since ovulation is determined during the IVF treatment cycle. The two methods to use in calculating your due date include using the egg retrieval date or embryo transfer date:
- Egg Retrieval Date: If you undergo a fresh IVF cycle, you can determine your due date by counting 38 weeks (or 266 days) from the date the eggs were retrieved. For example, if your eggs were retrieved on September 26, your due date would be June 19.
- Embryo Transfer Date: With this method, you will count 38 weeks (or 266 days) from the date the embryos were transferred, and then subtract the age of the embryos. The age of the embryos can be determined by whether you undergo a three or five day embryo transfer. For example, if the embryos were transferred on September 26, your due date would be June 16 if it was a three day transfer and June 14 if it was a five day transfer.
How Accurate Is Your Due Date?
Just as with traditional pregnancy due dates, your IVF due date is an estimate. During your pregnancy, you will undergo routine ultrasounds where the doctor will monitor the development of your baby. Many times, due dates change based on the baby’s growth and size. Again, it’s important to remember that even with careful monitoring, your date is not a guarantee. We advise patients to use their due date as a window of time to help them gauge when they will more than likely give birth. As you get close to your due date, your doctor will also monitor your body for signs of laboring so you can plan accordingly.
Learn More
To learn more about IVF and how to calculate your due date, we invite you to meet with one of our fertility specialists. You can contact our office online or call (818) 881-9800 to schedule your consultation.