Health & Fitness · Pregnancy Formula verified

Due Date Calculator

Estimate your due date from your last menstrual period or conception date, plus your current gestational age and the key dates along the way.

Method

Assumes a typical 28-day cycle with ovulation around day 14.

Estimated due date
— along
Estimated conception date
Full-term window
Milestone Date

Step-by-step proofCheck by hand
This is a standard-formula estimate, not a medical diagnosis. Naegele's rule assumes a regular 28-day cycle with ovulation on day 14, which does not describe every pregnancy — actual due dates vary, and only about 1 in 20 babies is born on the estimated date itself. An ultrasound dating scan, performed by a qualified healthcare provider, is more accurate than a calendar estimate, especially for irregular cycles. Consult your doctor or midwife for your confirmed due date and prenatal care.
Visual breakdown

Where today falls on the timeline

Weeks along Weeks to go

The bar shows how far today sits between the last menstrual period and the estimated due date, out of the full 40-week timeline.

How a due date is estimated

The standard method — Naegele's rule — adds 280 days (40 weeks) to the first day of the last menstrual period. It assumes a typical 28-day cycle with ovulation on day 14, so it's a population average rather than a measurement specific to this pregnancy.

The conception-date method is the same 280-day estimate counted from a different starting point: 266 days from conception (roughly ovulation) rather than 280 days from the last period. In a standard 28-day cycle the two methods land on the same date, since conception typically falls 14 days after the last period began.

An estimate, not a prediction
Only about 1 in 20 babies is born exactly on the estimated date. A range of a couple of weeks either side is normal — this is a planning anchor, not a firm forecast.
An ultrasound is more precise
A first-trimester dating ultrasound, performed by a healthcare provider, typically narrows the estimate further than calendar math alone — especially for irregular cycles.

The method

due date = last menstrual period + 280 days

Conception method: due date = conception date + 266 days

Worked example

A last menstrual period starting January 1 gives an estimated due date of October 8 — 280 days later. Estimated conception, 14 days after the last period, falls around January 15; adding 266 days from that date lands on the same October 8 due date.

Frequently asked questions

How is a due date calculated from the last menstrual period?
Using Naegele's rule: add 280 days (40 weeks) to the first day of the last menstrual period. This assumes a typical 28-day cycle with ovulation around day 14 — an ultrasound dating scan is more precise, particularly for irregular cycles.
Why is the conception-date method different from the LMP method?
It isn't really a different formula — it's the same 280-day estimate counted from a different starting point. The LMP method adds 280 days from the last period; the conception method adds 266 days from ovulation/conception, which typically falls 14 days after LMP in a standard cycle. Both land on the same due date when the cycle matches the 28-day assumption.
What are the pregnancy trimesters and milestone dates?
The first trimester runs through week 13, the second trimester through week 27, and the third trimester from week 28 to birth. Viability — the point at which a baby born prematurely has a meaningful chance of survival with intensive care — is commonly cited starting around week 24. "Full term" spans weeks 37 through 42, the range in which delivery is considered neither pre-term nor post-term.
How accurate is a due-date estimate?
Not very precise for any individual pregnancy — only about 1 in 20 babies is born exactly on the estimated date, and a range of a couple of weeks either side is normal and expected. It's most useful as a planning anchor and for tracking gestational age, not as a firm prediction. A first-trimester ultrasound typically narrows the estimate further.
Sources and method
  • Naegele's rule (LMP + 280 days) — long-standing obstetric convention, described in ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) patient guidance on estimating due dates.
  • Trimester boundaries and full-term range (37–42 weeks) — ACOG Committee Opinion on definition of term pregnancy; viability commonly cited around 24 weeks per general published perinatal medicine guidance.
Last reviewed: 19 Sep 2026 Sources last verified: 19 Sep 2026 Results use the assumptions explained on this page. Report an error How we check calculations

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