A typical pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, which is approximately 9 months. However, pregnancy is often divided into months by counting 4 weeks per month, so one month of pregnancy is roughly 4 weeks long. This means there are about 4 weeks in each pregnancy month, and a full-term pregnancy spans around 10 such 4-week months.
Key Points about Pregnancy Duration
- Full-term pregnancy is typically 40 weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period (LMP).
- Months in pregnancy are approximated as 4 weeks each, which means pregnancy is about 10 months long when counted this way.
- Commonly, people refer to pregnancy as 9 months, but medically it's closer to 10 months by this 4-week month calculation.
- Pregnancy is also divided into 3 trimesters, each lasting about 12 to 13 weeks.
Summary
Pregnancy Duration Aspect| Time Span
---|---
Weeks in pregnancy| About 40 weeks
Months in pregnancy| About 9 calendar months or about 10 four-week months
Weeks per month (pregnancy)| 4 weeks per month
Trimesters| 3 trimesters, ~12-13 weeks each
Thus, months of pregnancy are generally counted as groups of 4 weeks, leading to around 10 months for a full-term pregnancy, though it is popularly referred to as 9 months pregnant.
