If you follow our special "Pregnancy week by week”You may have noticed that we offer information about the growth of the fetus and the changes in the mother, taking into account the week of gestation in which the woman is. But did you know that to determine the latter, the gestiogram is used?
And what is a gestiogram? Surely you are familiar with a tool formed by overlapping circles in the hands of the gynecologist or the midwife: they ask you on what day and month you had your last period, they move the circles and They tell you what your Probable Due Date is (FPP). But the best thing is that nowadays the data offered by the gestogram goes further, and we will explain it below. Of course, it is a very useful tool to have basic information.
Useful and with proven data, the only drawback (perhaps) being the tendency to become obsessed with accumulating information, and to consult almost continuously. The gestiogram can be presented in different formats: online applications (almost always linked to a maternity information page), or to download to your mobile device; and also in physical support.
What is a gestiogram?
They also call it a 'gestational disc'. It is a graphic tool capable of calculating which week (+ days) of pregnancy you are in, and therefore what will your PPF be (taking into account the average duration of pregnancy: 40 weeks). But be careful, because the latter is 'probable', as its name suggests, and it is already known that a normal pregnancy can last between 37 and 42 weeks, there is nothing possible variation!
Gestogram, gestational disc, pregnancy calculator… Access in any of its forms is very easy, even when it comes to the physical format, which can be purchased in pharmacies or childcare stores.
That said, clarify that the only data that you must enter or indicate is the date (day and month) on which it began your last rule, from there the gestiogram approximates not only the possible moment of birth, but also the height, weight and other characteristics of the fetus. I repeat these are indicative data: that they serve you as information, not to compare yourself with other mothers, because if you do, the uncertainty will be much greater, and the pregnancy must be lived from tranquility.
More useful data.
The technology allows a pregnancy calculator to also offer the measurement (length) of the baby's femur, including the biparietal diameter (or distance in millimeters between the parietal bones of the skull), although the gestiogram does not really know what the baby inside you measures, For that there are the ultrasounds. In any case, it will serve to maintain a dialogue with the midwife and ask the questions that really interest you..
Reliability of the securities offered.
Do not worry because if it is about having very approximate data, the gestiogram has been designed to show it from statistics that have been obtained from very large samples of pregnant women. When we talk about statistics we also talk about averages, so your baby may not have the exact measurements that are read on the discs, but you can get an idea.
My recommendations.
It is fine to use a gestiogram, but you should also maintain open communication with the professionals who take care of you as your pregnancy needs close supervision. Listen to their recommendations, ask questions, speak without fear of all the issues that concern you, you can even suggest.
The pregnancy calculator is to use when you already know that you are expecting a baby, just as a reminder throughout your pregnancy, or to share with your other children or your partner ... It is not to look at it every day, and much less to overwhelm you towards the end of pregnancy, because the truth is that each baby has a moment to be born, and it is he himself who decides.
Gestogram and other tests.
For everything I'm counting on you will realize that having a gesturegram in hand and informing you about the changes, care, tests, etc.. During your pregnancy, you will have controlled the information you need, and you will feel calmer.
Do not forget that other tests are necessary that we are talking about week by week in our posts about pregnancy, including those that serve to detect alterations in the fetus.
I hope that all this information about the Gestogram has been very useful to you.