What is an estimated due date?
Your estimated due date (EDD) is when you reach 40 weeks of pregnancy. It helps you and your doctor plan scans, tests and delivery.
It can be worked out from several starting points: the first day of your last period, the conception date, an IVF embryo transfer or a dating ultrasound. All of them should land on almost the same date.
How it is calculated
Ultrasound: the due date is the scan date plus the days remaining until 40 weeks.
Worked example
Different methods, same pregnancy
- Last period 1 Jan 2026
- Thu, 8 Oct 2026
- Conception 15 Jan 2026
- Thu, 8 Oct 2026
- Day-5 transfer 20 Jan 2026
- Thu, 8 Oct 2026
- Scan 12 Mar 2026 at 10w0d
- Thu, 8 Oct 2026
How reliable is a due date?
- Only about 4–5% of babies are born on the exact date; most arrive between 37 and 42 weeks.
- A first-trimester ultrasound is the most accurate way to date a pregnancy.
- A longer cycle pushes the due date later, a shorter cycle earlier.
- First babies and twins are more likely to come at different times than average.

