If you’re pregnant and wondering how many weeks is halfway through pregnancy, I’ve got you covered!
You might be feeling a little bit overwhelmed with the changes that have taken place in your body as well as how much time has passed.
Wondering how many weeks are halfway through pregnancy can help put things into perspective for you.
By knowing how far along in your pregnancy journey you are, it will allow you to better plan out what to expect at each stage of your journey. This article will cover:
- How many weeks is halfway through pregnancy?
- How do I calculate my due date?
- What milestones can I expect halfway through my pregnancy?
- What are some things you should prepare before your baby arrives?
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How many weeks is halfway through pregnancy?
Pregnancy is a really special time in your life.
It’s an emotional (pregnancy hormones), physical (hello morning sickness and breast tenderness!), and mental journey that you’re on for nine months. But how do all those weeks translate into how many weeks pregnant I am? And how many weeks is halfway through pregnancy?
Pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks or 280 days. 20 weeks is halfway through pregnancy (or 140 days).
The countdown begins on the first day of your menstrual cycle (2 weeks before you ovulate!). So, if you consider pregnancy to start on the day of conception, technically pregnancy is only 38 weeks.
I like to think of the 40-week timeline as to how old my mature egg is… Given that the egg starts to prepare for fertilization on the first day of your menstrual cycle.
To figure out how many weeks is halfway through pregnancy for you, you need to know exactly how many weeks pregnant you are!
How many weeks pregnant am I? Is a very popular question during pregnancy (because it can be a little tricky to answer).
And there are two ways to answer it: by counting from when conception happened or from when the first day of your last menstrual period was.
In this article, we’ll explore both methods to see how they work!
Pro Tip: Want to understand all of your upcoming doctor’s visits? Read my guide on prenatal appointments.
How many weeks pregnant am I?
Counting From When Conception Happened:
If you track your ovulation, then you can estimate when conception happened.
Tracking ovulation can be tricky, but this article will walk you through how to determine exactly when you ovulated. You might track your ovulation with an app, using your basal body temperature (BBT), cervical mucus, or you might experience a very common pain (kind of like menstrual cramps) when you ovulate.
Count back 14 days from when you ovulated to find out how many weeks pregnant you are. Use a calendar to count the number of days that have passed since then.
Once you have the number of days, divide it by 7 to calculate how many weeks you are. For example, if it has been 140 days since conception you are 20 weeks pregnant!
Counting From The First Day Of Your Last Period
If you don’t know when conception happened or if it’s hard to track, then counting from the first day of your last menstrual period is a good way to estimate how far along you are.
This is because most women ovulate two weeks after their period starts.
Use a calendar and count the number of days since the first day of your last menstrual cycle.
Again, just divide the number of days by seven to calculate how many weeks you are.
If it isn’t an even number, use this chart to determine exactly how many weeks and days pregnant you are.
How Do I Calculate My Due Date?
When you’re pregnant, one of the first things you want to know is how far along you are. This will help you determine when your baby is due.
I love the Baby Center App because it tells you your due date and tracks how far along you are each day of your pregnancy. The app also has tons of information about what changes are happening in your body and the milestones your baby is reaching along the way.
You can use a pregnancy calculator (like this pregnancy due date calculator from the Mayo Clinic) to estimate your due date, but if you want to figure it out yourself, here’s how:
- Starting with your conception date: Just like calculating how many weeks pregnant you are, you can calculate your due date using your conception date (day of ovulation), or your last menstrual period. Once you know your conception date, calculating your due date is easy. Just add 266 days to it.
For example, if you know you ovulated on February 14: Your due date is May 19 (February 14 + 266 days). - Starting with your last menstrual period: If you don’t know when you conceived you can calculate your due date based on your last menstrual period. Count 14 days from the first day of your last menstrual period. This date will be your conception date. Now add 266 days.
Use this chart to calculate your due date based on your day of conception.
What if you don’t know when you ovulated, don’t know the date of your last menstrual period, or have irregular periods?
If you don’t know when you ovulated, when your last menstrual period was, or have irregular periods, your doctor will give you an estimated due date (EDD) using any information that you can provide to them at your first prenatal appointment.
Then, at your first ultrasound (between 8 and 12 weeks) your doctor will measure your baby and give you a due date based on your baby’s measurements.
They will also check the baby’s fetal heartbeat, look at the health of the fetus, and tell you what week of pregnancy you are in. Based on these dates your health care provider can set up your prenatal visits to monitor your baby’s fetal development throughout the early weeks of pregnancy.
Usually, if the ultrasound date is within 5 days of your EDD, they keep your EDD. If your ultrasound is showing a bigger difference, they will go with what the ultrasound says.
Ultimately it is up to your healthcare provider to give you your exact due date, so as soon as you suspect that you are pregnant, you should book an appointment with your OB to confirm the pregnancy.
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What To Expect In The Last 10 Weeks Of Pregnancy
What Milestones Can I Expect To Experience During The Second Half Of My Pregnancy?
Now that you’ve reached the second half of your pregnancy, you can expect a few milestones for you and your baby.
As you get closer to the end of your pregnancy (like in the last 10 weeks of your pregnancy) you will notice a lot of physical changes for you and your baby. You might also have less energy than before, so it is important to get as much done as possible now while you are at the halfway point and can take advantage of your second-trimester energy!
Some of these milestones may include learning the sex of the baby, feeling the first kicks and movements, and even starting to show! Here’s a closer look at what you can expect during this stage of your pregnancy.
Learning The Sex Of Your Baby
Some couples want to find out the sex of their baby as soon as possible. This can be done through blood tests as early as 8 weeks (but this method isn’t common) or an ultrasound scan at around 20 weeks.
Your doctor will call your halfway point ultrasound an anatomy scan or 20-week ultrasound.
An anatomy scan is performed around 20 weeks to 22 weeks of pregnancy. During this ultrasound, the doctor will determine how far along you are in your pregnancy and closely examine your baby’s anatomy for any abnormalities or problems.
If your baby cooperates, the doctor or ultrasound technician can look at the baby’s genitalia to determine the baby’s sex.
Your healthcare provider will also look at the amniotic sac, the baby’s spinal cord, the umbilical cord, the amniotic fluid, blood vessels, the baby’s digestive system, and major organs like the baby’s heart, lungs, brain, etc.
How Big Your Baby Is At 20 Weeks
Your baby’s body is about 20 inches long and weighs just over a pound. At 20 weeks, your baby is the size of a large grapefruit.
Your baby’s skin is thin and transparent but will become thicker and less see-through as he or she continues to develop.
Your baby is covered in fine hair called lanugo. The vernix caseosa (white waxy coating) that protects your baby’s skin is beginning to disappear.
Your baby’s eyes can now open and close, and they may even be able to track a moving object.
Your baby’s bones are starting to solidify.
Feeling The Baby Move
This is probably one of the most exciting things that will happen during the second trimester.
There is a lot of changes at this time, and your growing baby will be very active by week 14 or 15. You might also start feeling the first flutters in your tummy – these are called “quickening.” Early on, these movements feel like butterflies, popcorn popping, or flutters. First-time mothers usually don’t feel any movement until closer to 16-20 weeks.
Second-time moms might feel the movements earlier (just because they know what they are looking for!).
Don’t panic if you don’t feel movements right away mama. There are all kinds of factors that play into feeling your baby’s kicks (like the position of your placenta). If you are worried, mention it to your doctor at your next appointment, or give your nurse hotline a call.
Starting To Show
Sometime late in your first trimester or early in the second trimester you will start to notice your belly changing.
Your uterus has grown to around 30 centimeters (12 inches) above the pubic bone.
You have probably heard of the term “popping,” where the belly pops out. Your belly starts to “pop” or be visible as the uterus grows and expands beyond the pubic bone. There is no specific timeline for when you will “pop.”
In both of my pregnancies, I was definitely showing by 12 weeks (which feels very early btw). Some women don’t show until late in their second or even third trimester.
Starting around 20 weeks your doctor will start measuring your fundal height (the measurement from the bottom of your uterus to the top of your uterus) at your doctor’s appointments. This is how they will track your baby’s growth. So don’t worry whether you have a big belly, small belly, no belly, or anything in between.
During this time you will likely start to gain weight as your baby bump grows.
Whatsmore, you might start seeing stretch marks on your pregnant belly–especially under and around the belly button.
You might also start feeling more physical pregnancy symptoms at this time in addition to the weight gain like leg cramps, varicose veins, and Braxton-Hicks contractions.
Mom Tip: If you are a first-time mom, be prepared for lots of physical changes for the rest of the pregnancy! It seems like when you’re pregnant your body changes every day.
Good news though, right around the halfway point of your pregnancy you should start to feel your energy levels increase until the end of the second trimester, and then you are in the home stretch!
What Are Some Things You Should Prepare Before Your Baby Arrives?
Now that you’ve reached the halfway point in your pregnancy, you can start thinking about your due date and what things you should prepare before your baby arrives.
- Pack a hospital bag (here are all of the clothes that you need for the hospital postpartum) and make a postpartum survival kit.
- Create a birth plan and prepare for labor – what will be helpful during labor and delivery, such as snacks or music that can soothe your nerves and relieve pain.
- Arrange for childcare or family members to help out after the baby arrives.
- Consider how you’ll deal with your postpartum period, such breastfeeding and maternity leave.
- Consider how to prepare financially for the arrival of your new addition – make sure you have enough savings in case something goes wrong, like an emergency c-section or if there are complications during childbirth.
- Plan your baby shower – set a guest list, pick a venue, plan games like a diaper raffle and prizes, etc.
- Create your baby registry.
- Prepare and decorate your nursery.
- Consider whether you will try to breastfeed (here are some breastfeeding lifesavers to have on hand when baby comes), what kind of pump you will need, or formula feed.
- And, if you’re like me, you will still need to come up with a list of baby names!
If you’re expecting, the halfway point is a good time to start thinking about how your life will change with a newborn. You’ll want to make sure you have plenty of time off from work and childcare set up in advance so that everything goes as smoothly as possible. Don’t forget to consider those last-minute concerns such as what maternity clothes to buy, how to decorate the baby’s room, and what items you’ll need for your home. By preparing in advance, you can take some of the stress out of having a newborn!
