What is the last menstrual period?

After a girl becomes pregnant, she will go to the hospital for a check-up. The doctor will use a lot of professional terms, which sometimes we don’t understand. In fact, as long as we pay a little attention to pregnancy-related matters, we will understand these terms. Girls should learn about gynecological diseases so that they can make their bodies healthier and avoid unnecessary diseases. If there are symptoms of illness, you can make a timely judgment yourself. So, what is the last menstrual period?

1. What does the last menstrual period mean?

The last menstrual period is the date of your last menstrual period before you become pregnant.

For example: A woman found out she was pregnant during a check-up on October 20. She remembered that the date of her last menstruation was September 15th (the first day of her menstruation), and this "September 15th" was her "last menstruation".

2. The cyclical onset of menstruation is a major characteristic of women of childbearing age. The time of the most recent menstrual period, i.e. the last menstrual period, is important not only in fertility but also in the diagnosis of some other female diseases:

1. Confirming early pregnancy : If a woman of childbearing age has regular menstruation and has not had her menstruation on time without contraception, she should consider whether she is pregnant based on the date of her last menstrual period.

2. Calculate the expected date of birth : starting from the first day of the last menstrual period, add 9 or subtract 3 to the month, and add 7 to the date. The result is the expected date of birth of the baby;

3. Determine the time of surgery : During menstruation, the shed endometrium contains more lytic enzymes, which enhances the fibrinolytic effect, increases bleeding, and increases the risk of surgery. Therefore, doctors ask about the last menstrual period and avoid menstruation during surgery.

4. Choose an abortion plan : Calculate the length of pregnancy based on the last menstrual period, and then choose an appropriate surgical method. For example, if the fetal vacuum extraction is used within 10 weeks of pregnancy, forceps curettage and vacuum extraction are used between 10 and 12 weeks of pregnancy, and induction of labor is required after 14 weeks of pregnancy.

5. Diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy : Most ectopic pregnancies have a history of amenorrhea of ​​about 6 weeks. Diagnosis and timely treatment can be made based on the last menstrual period and combined with symptoms;

6. Determine pathological pregnancy : If the pregnancy ends before 28 weeks, it is called miscarriage; if it ends before 37 weeks, it is premature birth; if it ends after 42 weeks, it is overdue pregnancy. The doctor will then treat it according to the above different situations.

7. Certain diseases are more likely to occur or not occur during the menstrual period, and the last menstrual period can also assist in diagnosis.

It can be seen from this that every woman of childbearing age should remember the time of her last menstrual period so as to provide a reliable basis for doctors to diagnose and treat diseases when necessary.