Gestogram: What It Is and How It's Used
During pregnancy, the mother-to-be usually has hundreds of questions and concerns. These questions range from how the baby develops to what they should and should not do. To help answer all of these questions, there’s a tool that helps both mothers and doctors: the gestogram. And it’s very easy to use.
What Is a Gestogram?
It has a few different names. It can be called the gestogram, pregnancy wheel, or gestation disk. It’s a type of calculation chart that helps you control your pregnancy week by week. It’s simple to use and gives you relevant information that’s easily accessible.
This little tool is a cardboard wheel with two inner rings. The external part has a circular calendar where you can see the days of the year. The inner circle has two wheels. They tell you the approximate size and weight of the fetus according to how far along you are.
This wheel can tell the mother interesting information such as:
- The growth of the fetus week by week.
- The estimated weight of the fetus.
- The estimated due date.
The gestogram also gives more specific information. For example, it tells you the biparietal diameter. That’s the distance between parietal bones, measured in millimeters. It even tells you the length of your baby’s femur.
Since it’s so practical, this tool is becoming more and more popular. You can find it in pharmacies or women’s centers. Recently, women have started using online gestograms.
“The gestogram is a tool that allows pregnant women to better control their pregnancy. This is because they have a lot more information.”
How Is a Gestogram Used?
The first thing that you need to know to use the gestogram is the exact date of your last menstrual cycle. Gestograms use this as a basis to calculate the 40 weeks of your pregnancy.
It’s not very hard to use. The wheel has a pointer that you set to the date of your last period. Then, the inner rings will tell you about the baby’s development.
The information this tool gives you can help you take precautions and know what to do for a better pregnancy.
Uses
In addition to satisfying the curiosity that a pregnant woman feels, knowing how the baby is growing is practical. A woman who wants to stimulate her baby needs to know what week she is in.
For example, the baby can hear his or her mother’s voice at 17 weeks. This is a great time for the mother to start talking or singing to the baby. It’s a great way to strengthen the bond between mother and child. By 25 weeks, the baby’s ears are more developed. This is a good time to start playing music.
This is just one of the many ways you can put the gestogram to use. In addition to knowing medical information, you can bond better with your baby.
How Reliable Are Gestograms?
The data provided by gestograms are totally reliable and scientifically proven. However, you need to keep in mind that the calculations are approximate. This means that it tells you the average values.
That being said, don’t worry if your fetus doesn’t follow along exactly. The important thing is to know more or less where he or she is at.
It’s important to go to your gynecologist to accurately see the progress in your pregnancy. Gestograms don’t replace the tests and analyses that doctors do. Although it’s very likely that the doctor and gestogram will say the same thing, the doctor always knows best.
This tool is very useful. It’s also very simple since it’s made of cardboard. It has a lot of data inside, similar to the ancient Mayan calendar. Without gestograms, appointments with your gynecologist would be much more complicated. The calculations would also be a lot more complex.
