Why do they always say that pregnancy lasts 9 months, when in reality it lasts 40 weeks?

Question

At least that's what the books say... and also when you go to the doctor's appointments they always talk about 40 weeks...
I dont' understand ...

Thanks!

Answer 1

It is cruel. Not all months are exactly 4 weeks long (28 days).
It is just one more thing to drive pregnant women crazy during their last month.

Answer 2

It's an approximation based on the average length of pregnancies. In truth the baby arrives when it's good and ready. the 40 weeks is inaccurate anyway as they count it from the first day of your last period when of course, you weren't actually pregnant at all. You might become pregnant during that period, or well more or less any time after it so it's really just a guess because most women ovulate around 2 weeks after the first day of their last period.

Answer 3

there are 52 weeks in a year...12 months.
A month is around 4 weeks
52-40=12 weeks
12 weeks divided by 4 weeks =3 months
12 months-3 months= 9 months

Answer 4

Its just an average and when 9 months = 39 weeks is a really good estimate. I guess you could say 9 months and 1 week.

Answer 5

Pregnancy is 38 weeks, the first two weeks you really aren't pregnant.

Which is 38 weeks * 7 days or 266 days. 266 days /30.5 (average number of days in a month, well 30.437 if you want to get technical)
8.72 months

OR if you count the first two weeks (or really 283 days which is what is generally used to calculate due dates) 9.27 months.

Answer 6

Its really 9 full months. you actually have your baby in the 10th month, or the end of the 9th.

Answer 7

because they like to confuss us!!! i always go by weeks, and when somebody ask me how many months that is im like "Ughhhhhhh" and feel like a retard


by the way im 35 weeks.....thats ugggghhhhhh 8 1/2 months lol