Mama Math

In high school, I got a C, mostly Bs, and an A or two in math class (let's give a shout out for those teachers who rounded grades up: I say "No child," you say, "left behind!" "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND!"). Today, I can balance my check book, figure out the best rates for interest loans, calculate the savings from discounts, double a recipe, and quarter a sandwich when I have to, and isn't that what counts?

But, there is one question people ask me that makes me feel a bit number-deficient: "How many months are you?"

"Let's see," I say, dusting off my mental abacus, "there are 9 months total, right? But there's really only 40 weeks, or is it 42? And I'm about halfway through ..."

I'm not trying to undermine the health care profession, but they don't make the math easy. We've all heard that women are pregnant for 9 months, so that makes me think: 9 months x 4 weeks in a month = 36 weeks.

Not so! Pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks. To make things more complicated, "... because counting begins from the first day of your last period--and ovulation and conception don't take place until two weeks after that (if your periods are regular)--you actually become pregnant in week 3 of your pregnancy. In other words, you've already clocked two weeks by the time sperm meets egg" (What to Expect When You're Expecting). What?

The good thing about all this is that Tim hasn't figured it out, either (ignorance loves a party).

So, here's what I do know: I am in my 22nd week of my 40-week journey (I'm more than halfway!). According to What to Expect, I'm finishing my 5th month. Next week I'll be in my 6th month. It seems like I should be only 4 1/2 months along, since that would be half of 9 months, but again, that would be too simple. If anyone has a graphing calculator, bar chart, or Chinese zodiac calendar that can explain all this to me, please visit. I'll be in my office balancing my checkbook (humph!).