After finding out about a pregnancy, knowing the gestational age can help assess management options, whether choosing to continue with the pregnancy or terminate it.
Calculate pregnancy age.
Calculate pregnancy age.
*According to the World Health Organization (WHO), safe abortion is best when services are accessed at an early gestational age. Please consider to access safe services promptly.
If you decide to continue the pregnancy, knowing the gestational age early helps plan for prenatal care. This is beneficial for preventing other conditions and risks that may arise, monitoring health during pregnancy and childbirth. It is advisable to start prenatal care immediately upon knowing you are pregnant, preferably before 12 weeks.
If you need to terminate the pregnancy due to unpreparedness, either physically or mentally, the gestational age will determine whether it can be done through medical procedures or medication. In Thailand, abortion medication (Medabon) was registered in late 2014 and is distributed for use only in health facilities registered with the Department of Health, not available over the counter. Abortion with medication must be provided by a doctor and nurse for the safety of the patient.
The duration is related to the gestational age of the patient, which is important because the risk to health decreases as the gestational age is smaller. Early gestational age means less risk and requires less time. If the gestational age is more, terminating the pregnancy correctly and appropriately by a doctor is safe, but it also depends on the gestational age and the physical health of the patient.
Therefore, after knowing about the pregnancy, it is crucial to know the gestational age. We can calculate the gestational age from the first day of the last menstrual period to know how many weeks pregnant you are or visit a nearby hospital for an ultrasound to determine the gestational age. If you decide to continue the pregnancy, plan for your health care and that of the pregnancy. If you decide to terminate, plan your management accordingly.
Knowing the gestational age is for the safety of pregnant women, regardless of the decision thereafter. Currently, there are services willing to provide consultations, including the hotline 1663, advisory services for unplanned pregnancies, and hospitals that offer consultation and referral services as per choice at https://rsathai.org/ปรึกษาท้องไม่พร้อม to help find a management approach that suits the patient’s needs.