How obstetric weeks work
Pregnancy is dated from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP), so at the time of conception you are already 2 weeks pregnant by convention. A full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks (280 days) from LMP, with 39–41 weeks considered "term".
Trimester boundaries (ACOG)
- First trimester: 0 weeks 0 days through 13 weeks 6 days.
- Second trimester: 14 weeks 0 days through 27 weeks 6 days.
- Third trimester: 28 weeks 0 days through 40 weeks (or birth).
Reading "20 + 4"
Healthcare providers write gestational age as weeks + days. "20 + 4" means 20 weeks and 4 days, which is exactly 144 days from LMP.
This is informational only. Clinical dating uses an early ultrasound, which is more accurate than LMP-based estimates if your cycles are irregular.