Why do pregnant people start talking in "weeks" instead of "months"?

Question

And then "months" instead of "years" after the kid is born...

Example...

Regular person: "So how far a long are you, ms. pregnant lady?"

Pregnant lady: "23 weeks"

After kid is born:

Regular person: "So how old is your baby?"

Post pregnant lady: "18 months"

Do they realize we have to stop and calculate what they just said?? so annoying.

Answer 1

Sorry, during pregnancy, BIG things happen in terms of weeks unstead of months, at 6 weeks the child's heart starts beating! At 20 weeks, most parents will be able to be told the s*x of the child. At 25 weeks if the child is born at this time it has a slim chance of survival where if wouldn't if it were any earlier. At around this time also the child starts moving around a lot and growing in leaps and bounds. At 30 weeks the child has an even better chance of survival, and will spend less time in the NICU, if it is born. At 35 weeks, (when my 2 month old son was born!), the chances of a successful delivery and a completely healthy baby are very good. At 37 weeks, if the child is born, it is no longer considered premature. And finally at 40 weeks the child is considered to be full term. At 42 weeks if the child has not made his/her appearance yet doctors will induce labor or commence a c-section.

We look forward to each week, different things happen with our child to be and we just cant wait for every little thing to take place! We can't help our excitement and the reason we speak in weeks, is because that is how we are thinking.  

Answer 2

Like every one is saying, so many things happen between every week of pregnancy and every month of a child's age. Like the first person said, there's a HUGE difference between a 12 month old and a 23 month old yet they're both considered 1 year.

Why does it bother you so much? You know the type of answer you'll get. If you don't want to hear the answer, don't ask the question. EVERY mother I know answers me in weeks/months. So if you know that, and don't want to hear the "annoying" answer, then please don't ask. And I'm sure no one answers with "I'm ___ weeks, ___ days, ___ hours and ___ minutes."

YOU might be the one wanting to know a "ball park" figure, others might really be interested. You can't say what other people are interested in knowing, only yourself.

If it's really that annoying for you, Please DON'T ASK.

Edit: Hey, why all the thumbs down people???

Answer 3

kinda the same reason that old people start saying things like, I made it to age 82, rather than i just turned 82. then after they are like, 100 it starts all over, they are a hundred and two days, a hundred and two weeks, a hundred and three months, a hundred and two years... lol.... Funny how we go into life the same way we end it isn't it?

Answer 4

Its because a baby changes by the week in pregnancy/post birth so it would no sense at all to calculate it in mths.

As also stated a baby is one at 12 mths up until 23 mths and so much happens in this timw with development.



Quite simple hun when you look at it like that.

Also its not that hard to calculate it.  

Answer 5

The enormous difference that is seen while the mother is pregnant and then again when the child is born. The differences are larger, quicker, while the mother becomes closer to her due date and then the difference because a little bit slower, but still big, when the child grows as an infant.

Answer 6

Once you are pregnant and/or have a child, then you will understand.

When you are pregnant, both 36 weeks and 40 weeks means you are 8 months pregnant.  But there is a HUGE difference between 36 weeks and 40 weeks - so people do specify in weeks.

Same thing wtih kids.  A child is one years old.  But there is a HUGE difference between a 12 month old, and a 23 month old.... even though they are both considered one year old.   Most people stop talking in months once the child turns two years old.

Anyways, like I said, once you have a child, you'll understand.

**EDIT**

If it annoys you so much, stop asking everyone how far along they are in their pregnancy, or how old their kids are.  Problem solved!  If that is your biggest annoyance in life, boy you have it made.  Their are bigger issues in life, trust me.

Answer 7

well they say that for pregnancy becuase different things happen at different weeks. and right now im technically 8 months pregnant...but where in the 8 months am i? did i just turn 8 months or did am i 3 days away from my due date?

then for your baby... how old is your baby? so im going to say shes 0 for a whole year?!? so much happens every month. your baby reaches so many milestones and you have yo hae some sort of measurement.

when are you going to realize that your question was stupid and if you dont feel like calculating dont ask!

Answer 8

There is an enormous difference between a 12 month old child and a 23 month old child, and yet both are technically "1 year old."  Parents speak in terms of months because other intelligent people recognize this fact.

Answer 9

Because something about the baby and/or pregnant woman changes EVERY week.  

(it's not hard for most people to calculate it, BTW.  Maybe you should brush up on your math skills :)

Answer 10

your pregnant for 40 weeks thats not 9 months and there isnt exactly 28 days in every month so its not the same to say your 8 months pregnant and be 32 weeks pregnant (since you have 8 weeks left to go)  

Answer 11

for pregnancy- thats just how its done, you go by what the doctors say- but i agree with you about it being annoying when you are asking the childs age- just say a year and a half please!  

Answer 12

I HATE it when they talk in weeks instead of saying it normally.  I don't even like asking some poeple anymore

Answer 13

When a woman is pregnant how do you figure months?  Is a woman six months pregnant when she is 24 weeks along or is she five months because she has four months (16 weeks) to go?  Its easier to say it in weeks because calculating it in weeks is so much more accurate.

There is a huge difference between a baby who is 18 months old and a baby who is 12 months old.  If you can't calculate how old an 18 month old baby is I think you need to brush up on your math skills.  

Do you know how many times a pregnant woman is asked how far along she is?  Should she have to calculate it for you because you are unable to understand how many weeks 23 weeks is?    Maybe she should just say "I'm halfway done"  Jeez, do your own math.

Answer 14

Why does it matter, if you know how to count whats the big deal, we go by weeks during pregnancy b/c thats what we do at the doctors and thats how the doctors talk. Of course if I am just talking to someone I say I am 6 months....as far as the kid thing I totally I agree after 12 months why cant people just say my child is 1 or 1 and a half. Like 2 or 3 weeks ago I was on here and some lady asked a question regarding her 27 month old come on now, and she asked 2 questions stating my 27 month old, geez it was crazy

Answer 15

h**l i tell every body how many days old i am 9376 days old

i really do agree with you and i have two kids i have never done that and me and my wife have a freind that says her daughter is 39 months it is really annoying

Answer 16

You would like me.  I always respond in both.  "I am seven months pregnant.  33 weeks.  My son just turned one. He's 12 months."

Answer 17

Oh good..  It's not just me..  That is very annoying when people do that!

Answer 18

Because when you are pregnant, your body changes so much every single week, and every single weel different things are happening... for instance at week 17 you don't know what your having yet, but at week 20 you do know what you are having...and both are in the 5 mont mark. Plus, pregnancy is also calculated in trimesters, the first trimester being weeks 1-12...and pregnancy is 40 weeks is a full 9 months...and at 36 weeks your baby could still need a lot of care if born then, but at 38 weeks you re full term.

And a baby does so much changing in the first year of their life.. and they are gaining weight like crazy. If you look at a newborn picture and compare it to a 3 month picture you'll see. They go from not being able to do anything at all to being walking and talking in less then two years! In the first year of their life they triple their weight!

It's not something you have to be intelligent to understand, nor is it something that you will automatically understand if you are intellegent, it's something you have to bea parent to understand. You see the monthly changes in your baby and remember all th emilestones...so it's just natural to say months/weeks.

Besides if someone asks you how old your baby is 6 months after having thema re you really going to say zero?

Answer 19

Wow... A lot of sensitive mom's answering this one.  It really annoys me too.  Especially when you ask how old is your little boy? and they answer 22 months.  I think to myself.... Ok so why don't you say he's almost two??   I don't know why some people do this.  Some mothers do respond correctly and not like they are speaking to a their doctor so thanks to all the mother who can say I'm ___ months pregnant!

Answer 20

Simple..

Because all months have a different amount of days.

Example: August has 31 days, February has 28 (or 29 on leap year).

A typical pregnancy lasts roughly 40 weeks. So all days (and exact weeks) must be accounted for.. =)

EDIT to add: Also, babies are standardly measured by their doctors in weeks until they are 2 years (or 24 months) old. A doctor charts early childhood development in weeks, not months.