New research has found that the length of pregnancy can vary by up to five weeks.
The study, published in journal Human Reproduction, shows the average length of pregnancy was just over 38 weeks. It also found that just 4% of women deliver when predicted and only 70% within 10 days of their estimated due date.
Factors that affect the gestation period include age of the mother, length of time taken for the embryo to implant and even the weight of the mother at the time of her own birth.
The findings support popular opinion that every woman’s experience of pregnancy is different and also challenges the importance of a due date.
What do you think? Was your due date accurate? Did you find it useful to have a date to look towards?
