Due on April 20? Your Most Likely Conception Date
A due date of April 20 points back to a conception date of about July 28 of the previous year. Below you'll find the full set of dates that go with it, from your estimated last period to the start of each trimester.
Key dates for a April 20 due date
| Most likely conception date | July 28 |
|---|---|
| Likely conception window | July 25 – July 31 |
| Days when sex could have led to pregnancy | July 23 – July 29 |
| Estimated first day of last period | July 14 |
| Positive home test likely from | August 11 (around the missed period) |
| Second trimester begins (14 weeks) | October 20 |
| Third trimester begins (28 weeks) | January 26 |
| Full term begins (39 weeks) | April 13 |
How the conception date is calculated
Due dates are normally counted as 280 days (40 weeks) from the first day of the last menstrual period. In a typical 28-day cycle, ovulation and conception happen about two weeks after that period starts, so conception sits roughly 266 days before the due date. Subtracting 266 days from April 20 gives July 28.
Because sperm can live for up to five days, the act of sex and the moment of conception aren't always the same day. Fertilisation happens close to ovulation, but the sex that led to it may have been days earlier.
How certain is this date?
A due date is a planning estimate rather than a promise. Most babies arrive within two weeks either side of it, which is why any conception date calculated from it is a best guess.
If your cycles are usually longer than 28 days, conception probably happened a little later than July 28; with shorter cycles, a little earlier. A cycle that is 32 days long, for example, shifts the likely date about four days later.
Check your own dates
Enter your exact due date in the conception date calculator to see these results with weekdays and the correct year, or start from your last period with the last-period conception calculator.
Conception Date Calculator: Find the most likely conception date from your due date.
Open the calculatorThis article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or midwife about your own pregnancy or fertility.