The Conception Calculator

Due on September 20? Your Most Likely Conception Date

Due dates & conception. Updated . Calculated with the standard pregnancy dating method used by ACOG and the NHS.

Counting back from a September 20 due date puts the most likely day of conception at December 28 of the previous year. That's an estimate, so we've also included the window of days around it.

Key dates for a September 20 due date

Most likely conception dateDecember 28
Likely conception windowDecember 25 – December 31
Days when sex could have led to pregnancyDecember 23 – December 29
Estimated first day of last periodDecember 14
Positive home test likely fromJanuary 11 (around the missed period)
Second trimester begins (14 weeks)March 22
Third trimester begins (28 weeks)June 28
Full term begins (39 weeks)September 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 September 20 gives December 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?

Due dates set from an early ultrasound are usually more accurate than those set from a period date alone, so if your provider changed your due date after a scan, use the newer one here.

If your cycles are usually longer than 28 days, conception probably happened a little later than December 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.

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This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or midwife about your own pregnancy or fertility.