The height of the uterine fundus by weeks is the most important indicator that can tell a lot about the development of pregnancy.
Based on this indicator, it is possible to determine when the egg and sperm met, that is, when the conception took place. If the size of the uterus and the height of its bottom (the bottom is the upper part of the organ) do not correspond to the term, this may indicate various pathologies, for example, a delay in the development of the fetus.
For example, if this indicator increases slowly, the doctor may come to the conclusion that in this case there is a placental insufficiency. If the uterus grows rapidly, this may indicate a multiple pregnancy or the development of polyhydramnios.
Centimeter per week
The height of the uterine fundus by weeks is determined by the gynecologist at each appointment. When pregnancy is still not so noticeable, the doctor examines your stomach with your fingers, then uses a tazomer or a flexible measuring tape to measure it . We can say that every week the uterus grows by about one centimeter. And if in four weeks of pregnancy the size of this important organ does not exceed a large egg, then by forty weeks it reaches volumes of a very large watermelon.
With the onset of three months of an interesting position, the bottom of the uterus peeps out from the edge of the pubic bone - its growth is about 14 cm. At the 19th week it reaches sizes from 16 to 24 cm. By the middle of the term (20 weeks), the height of the uterine fundus is calculated by weeks based on the gestational age, that is, the number of weeks from this moment is equal to the growth of the uterus in cm. Simply put, at the 22nd week this parameter is 22 cm, at the 23rd week it is already 23.
Above the belly button
There will come a moment when you yourself can easily determine what the height of the uterine fundus has become. 30 weeks is the time you will do it without problems. By this moment, by the way, its height is from 29 to 31 cm, if we take the pubic symphysis as the initial level . If the umbilical cavity is taken as the reference point, then the uterus rises about 5 cm above the navel.
Please note that the physique and individual characteristics of a woman have a serious impact on this indicator, therefore, in two pregnant women at the same time, it can be very different. When the middle of pregnancy passes, the organ almost reaches the navel level - by this moment about 26 cm is the height of the bottom of the uterus. 28 weeks is the period when this happens, or the uterus by this time exceeds the navel by two centimeters.
37 weeks: the uterus no longer grows
The height of the uterine fundus by weeks is a parameter that changes until the 37th week of pregnancy. After this period comes, the stomach, as a rule, does not grow. By this period, the bottom of the uterus reaches the chest, rising 36-40 cm above the pubis.
If you expect twins, then the stomach reaches this maximum much earlier, and then begins to actively grow in breadth. Toward the end of pregnancy, he may even drop a few centimeters, because your baby is preparing for birth, pressing its head to the pelvic floor - this is one of the precursors of childbirth.