How far along am I? Your options at every stage of pregnancy

The first question after a positive pregnancy test is usually “How far along am I?” The answer is actually counted from the first day of your last menstrual period, not from the day you conceived, so you are probably further along than you expect. A positive home test usually appears around 4 weeks. If you count the days since your last period started and divide by seven, you have a solid estimate right now, and an early ultrasound can confirm it.

Here is the part that matters most: whatever your number turns out to be, it is not too early, and it is not too late. Every stage of pregnancy comes with its own choices, and adoption can become part of your plan at any of them, including after your baby is born. Lifetree Adoption Agency is a licensed adoption agency in Dallas, and our counselors talk with expectant mothers at every stage. This page explains how dating your pregnancy works, what is happening at each stage, and what you can do at each stage if you are considering adoption.

How to figure out how many weeks pregnant you are

Doctors measure pregnancy by gestational age: the number of weeks since the first day of your last menstrual period. That counting starts about two weeks before conception actually happens, which is why the baby’s age (called fetal age) runs about two weeks behind. Doctors, ultrasound reports, and pregnancy apps all use gestational age, and so does this blog post.

Count from your last period

Count the days from the first day of your last period to today, then divide by seven. The whole number is how many weeks pregnant you are, and the remainder is the number of extra days. For example, if your last period started 66 days ago, you are 9 weeks and 3 days along. To estimate your due date, add 280 days to the first day of your last period. A shortcut: take that date, subtract three months, add seven days, and add one year. A last period that began on January 10 points to a due date of October 17.

Know the limits of the math

The math assumes a 28-day cycle with ovulation on day 14. Real cycles run anywhere from about 21 to 35 days, and many are irregular. If your cycles are long, short, or unpredictable, or you simply do not remember the date, treat your count as a rough guess and let a provider confirm it.

Get an ultrasound

An ultrasound is the most accurate way to date a pregnancy, and the earlier, the better. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists notes that measuring the baby’s crown-rump length by ultrasound through 13 weeks and 6 days is accurate to within about 5 to 7 days. Later scans measure growth well but date the pregnancy less precisely, which is one more reason to start prenatal care early. And keep this in mind: a due date is an estimate, not a promise. Only about 4 in 100 babies arrive on the exact day.

First trimester, weeks 1 to 13: learn, confirm, breathe

This is the information stage, not the decision stage. Your job in the first trimester is to confirm the pregnancy, find out how far along you are, and start prenatal care. Everything else can wait until you have had time to think.

If you are considering adoption, this is a good time to learn how it actually works in Texas and what your rights are, with no commitment of any kind. You can talk with a Lifetree counselor, ask every hard question, and take as long as you need. Looking at profiles of waiting families is available whenever you feel ready, this month or months from now.

Two things are worth knowing right away. First, an adoption plan is never binding during pregnancy. You can begin one, pause it, or walk away from it at any point before your baby is born. Second, if you make a plan, help with pregnancy-related expenses and help coordinating medical care are available under Texas law, at no cost to you.

Second trimester, weeks 14 to 27: time to plan, if you want to

For many expectant mothers, the second trimester is when an adoption plan takes shape. The pregnancy feels more real after the anatomy scan, and there is still plenty of time to make careful, unhurried choices.

This is the most common stage to choose the family that will adopt your baby. You review profiles, pick the family that feels right, and decide how much contact you want with them before the birth. Many mothers meet the family, talk regularly, and build a real relationship during these months. You also decide what openness looks like after placement, from letters and photos to visits and an ongoing relationship.

None of this has to happen on a schedule. Some mothers choose a family at 16 weeks. Others wait until much later, and a few prefer not to choose at all, asking the agency to select a family for them. All of those choices are normal, and your counselor works at your pace.

Third trimester, weeks 28 to 40: your hospital plan takes shape

In the third trimester, planning gets practical. The centerpiece is your hospital plan, a written plan that tells the hospital staff and the adoptive family exactly what you want when the day comes:

• Who is in the room. You decide who is present for labor and delivery (and who is not).
• Time with your baby. You decide whether you hold your baby first, how much time you spend together, and whether you want time alone with your baby.
• Feeding and care. You decide about feeding and who handles the baby’s first feedings.
• Photos and keepsakes. You decide what photos are taken and what you take home with you.
• Visitors and privacy. You decide who visits, and the hospital staff follows your plan.

If you are reading this at 35 weeks, having made no plan at all, you are not behind. Counselors can help you build a complete plan in the final weeks, including choosing a family, and many mothers do exactly that.

After delivery: it is not too late

Texas law is deliberate about the hours after birth. Under the Texas Family Code, a mother cannot sign an affidavit of relinquishment until at least 48 hours after her baby is born. That waiting period exists so that no one signs permanent papers in the delivery room or under pressure. Your baby is yours, and the decision stays yours until you choose to sign.

You can also make an adoption plan that begins after delivery. Some mothers deliver without any plan in place, then call from the hospital. Others go home, settle in, and realize in the following days or weeks that adoption is the right choice. Both happen more often than people think, and Lifetree counselors can come to the hospital or talk by phone whenever you are ready, day or night.

After placement: support does not end

Placement day is the middle of your story, not the end of it. The weeks and months after placement can be tender ones, and you should not walk through them alone. Lifetree stays available to you with counseling after placement, help navigating the contact you chose in your openness plan, and people who understand what this season feels like because they walk with mothers through it every week.

We believe your place in your child’s story matters, and that the love behind this decision deserves to be honored for years, not just on one hard day.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know how far along I am if I do not know when my last period was?

An early ultrasound can date your pregnancy. Measuring the baby’s crown-rump length in the first trimester is accurate to within about 5 to 7 days, and providers use it for this exact purpose. Clues like when you got a positive test or when symptoms started can give a rough range in the meantime. If you need help finding prenatal care in the Dallas area, call Lifetree, and we will help you get connected.

Is it too late to make an adoption plan in my third trimester?

No. A complete plan, including choosing a family and writing a hospital plan, can be built in the final weeks of pregnancy. Some mothers start even later, at the hospital. There is no week of pregnancy when your options close.

Can I make an adoption plan after my baby is born?

Yes. You can begin a plan at the hospital or after you have gone home. Texas law requires at least 48 hours to pass after birth before relinquishment papers can be signed, so you will have protected time to rest and think before anything becomes official.

When do I sign legal papers for an adoption in Texas?

Nothing is signed during pregnancy. An adoption plan, a family choice, and a hospital plan are all plans, and you can change any of them while you are pregnant. The legal document, an affidavit of relinquishment, cannot be signed until at least 48 hours after your baby is born, under Texas Family Code section 161.103.

Does it cost anything to talk to Lifetree or make an adoption plan?

No. Counseling and support for expectant mothers are free, whether you choose adoption or decide to parent. If you make an adoption plan, help with pregnancy-related expenses is available, as Texas law allows. Asking questions never creates an obligation.

Wherever you are in your pregnancy, you are not behind

Maybe you found out yesterday. Maybe you are packing a hospital bag. Maybe your baby is already here, and you are reading this at 2 a.m. Whatever stage you are in, there is a next step that fits it, and a person at Lifetree who will walk through it with you at your pace. We believe your life and your baby’s life both have value and purpose, and that a decision this important deserves unhurried, honest guidance. Call or text (972) 491-3333 any time, day or night.