The Mother and Her Child | Page 4

pregnancy.
PROBABLE DATE OF DELIVERY
And now our expectant mother desires to know when to expect the
little stranger. From countless observations of childbirth under all
conditions and in many countries, the pregnant period is found to cover
about thirty-nine weeks, or two hundred and seventy-three days. There
are a number of ways or methods of computing this time. Many
physicians count back three months and add seven days to the first day
of the last menstruation. For instance, if the last menstruation were
December 2 to 6, then, to find the probable day of delivery, we count
back three months to September 2, and then add seven days. This gives
us September 9, as the probable date of delivery. The real date of
delivery may come any time within the week of which this calculated
date is the center.
As a rule, ten days to two weeks preceding the day of delivery, the
uterus "settles" down into the pelvis, the waist line becomes more

comfortable, and the breathing is much easier.
On the accompanying page, may be found a table for computing the
probable day of labor, prepared in accordance with the plan just
described.
TABLE FOR CALCULATING THE DATE OF CONFINEMENT
=========+=========================================
========+======= Jan. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 |
Oct. | 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 |
---------+-------------------------------------------------+------- Jan. | 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 | Oct. | 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | Nov.
=========+=========================================
========+======= Feb. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 |
Nov. | 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 |
---------+-------------------------------------------------+------- Feb. | 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 | Nov. | 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 5 |
Dec.
=========+=========================================
========+======= Mar. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 |
Dec. | 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 |
---------+-------------------------------------------------+------- Mar. | 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 | Dec. | 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 | Jan.
=========+=========================================
========+======= April. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 |
Jan. | 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 |
---------+-------------------------------------------------+------- April. | 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 | Jan. | 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 1 2 3 4 | Feb.
=========+=========================================
========+======= May. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 |
Feb. | 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
---------+-------------------------------------------------+------- May. | 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 | Feb. | 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | Mar.
=========+=========================================
========+======= June. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 |
Mar. | 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 |
---------+-------------------------------------------------+------- June. | 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 | Mar. | 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1
2 3 4 5 6 | Apr.
=========+=========================================
========+======= July. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 |
Apr. | 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 |
---------+-------------------------------------------------+------- July. | 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 | Apr. | 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | May.
=========+=========================================
========+======= Aug. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 |
May. | 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 |
---------+-------------------------------------------------+------- Aug. | 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 | May. | 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 1 2