Naegele's Rule

[Ronin786]

For those who don't know, Naegele's Rule "estimates the expected date of delivery (EDD) by adding one year, subtracting three months, and adding seven days to the first day of a woman's last menstrual period (LMP).".

I don't if I'm just not thinking straight here, but why does there have to be an entire rule just to tell people how to add 40 weeks to the last menstrual period? It could be that I always assumed there was some significance to the addition of 7 days outside of convenience, but it seems very unnecessary.

Why can't people just say "Add 40 weeks to the last menstrual period" and let everyone do their individual math? I'm doing my OB/Gyn rotations now and it just seems very weird to have a rule devoted entirely towards teaching doctors how to do simple calculations.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[theseeker4]

For those who don't know, Naegele's Rule "estimates the expected date of delivery (EDD) by adding one year, subtracting three months, and adding seven days to the first day of a woman's last menstrual period (LMP).".

I don't if I'm just not thinking straight here, but why does there have to be an entire rule just to tell people how to add 40 weeks to the last menstrual period? It could be that I always assumed there was some significance to the addition of 7 days outside of convenience, but it seems very unnecessary.

Why can't people just say "Add 40 weeks to the last menstrual period" and let everyone do their individual math? I'm doing my OB/Gyn rotations now and it just seems very weird to have a rule devoted entirely towards teaching doctors how to do simple calculations.

It is a lot quicker to, in your head, subtract three months and then add seven days to a date than it is to add (7 * 40) days to the date. Quick, what is the date 280 days from today? It is easier to subtract three months, then add seven days, in your head.

 

[DarkmanX]

Its easier to add by months than by weeks. If I were to ask you right this second to tell me 13 weeks from now or 3 months and 1 week from now, I can guarantee you will be able to calculate the latter faster than to go through a tier'd process of adding nine weeks, figuring out the month and day in relation to the day it is today.

 

[DarkmanX]

This post is a gunner/oblivious post if i have ever seen one.

 

[Ronin786]

This post is a gunner/oblivious post if i have ever seen one.

By no such means is this a gunner post. I'm not denying the ease of the rule, I just feel that thats something better left to individuals as opposed to actually having a set rule in place.

 

[evilbooyaa]

The reason it's taught is the same reason mnemonics are taught. Did you come up with, "C3, 4, and 5 keep the diaphragm alive" by yourself, or were you just taught it?

This is very similar. Most people wouldn't realize that there is a simpler way to calculate EDD.

If you don't like it, don't use it and use 40 weeks from LMP doing the math yourself. It takes about 5 minutes to learn, so just zone out for those 5 minutes.

 

[DarkmanX]

By no such means is this a gunner post. I'm not denying the ease of the rule, I just feel that thats something better left to individuals as opposed to actually having a set rule in place.

There's a reason you will be the doctor and they are patients. When you start to deal with patients, you will understand this.

 

[DarkmanX]

The reason it's taught is the same reason mnemonics are taught. Did you come up with, "C3, 4, and 5 keep the diaphragm alive" by yourself, or were you just taught it?

I don't get this mnemonic, because the Rhomboid muscles use c3,4,5 (dosal scapular nerve) so I end up having to remember the difference between phrenic and ds nerve.

 

[Ronin786]

The reason it's taught is the same reason mnemonics are taught. Did you come up with, "C3, 4, and 5 keep the diaphragm alive" by yourself, or were you just taught it?

This is very similar. Most people wouldn't realize that there is a simpler way to calculate EDD.

If you don't like it, don't use it and use 40 weeks from LMP doing the math yourself. It takes about 5 minutes to learn, so just zone out for those 5 minutes.

Hmm that is actually a better way of thinking. I've actually never thought of it as a mnemonic lol.

I guess the fact that its a "law" put me off on it.

 

[evilbooyaa]

Hmm that is actually a better way of thinking. I've actually never thought of it as a mnemonic lol.

I guess the fact that its a "law" put me off on it.

I mean I guess it's not technically a mnemonic in the sense of the sentence for cranial nerves (mainly the NSFW version)

But it gets the job done.

As for the rhomboid muscles, I don't know what to tell you if you get the diaphragm and rhomboid muscles confused.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

I don't get this mnemonic, because the Rhomboid muscles use c3,4,5 (dosal scapular nerve) so I end up having to remember the difference between phrenic and ds nerve.

Well first of all the dorsal scapular nerve comes from C4-C5 (and not always from C4 anyway) but yeah if you're getting the phrenic and dorsal scapular nerves mixed up it's time to study harder.

 

[SpecterGT260]

By no such means is this a gunner post. I'm not denying the ease of the rule, I just feel that thats something better left to individuals as opposed to actually having a set rule in place.

your OB will probably do a better estimation.

Your FM doc will probably just throw a number out that is within a month in either direction and well beyond your anticipated OB visits 😉

Don't worry about it.

 

[CATrtb]

This post is a gunner/oblivious post if i have ever seen one.

This. When I first read OP's post this is the first thing I thought.

 

[jslone1342]

I don't get this mnemonic, because the Rhomboid muscles use c3,4,5 (dosal scapular nerve) so I end up having to remember the difference between phrenic and ds nerve.

Fun Fact: C3, 4 & 5 control the Phrenic nerve. Reminder, the Phrenic nerve innervates the diaphragm. Last I checked, Breathing involves 2 critical life functions, ventilation being the most important. Seems kind of important to me, if you want to keep your pt alive that is.

FYI: I am another kind of health care student, I have never been to Medical school.

 

[loltopsy]

Fun Fact: C3, 4 & 5 control the Phrenic nerve. Reminder, the Phrenic nerve innervates the diaphragm. Last I checked, Breathing involves 2 critical life functions, ventilation being the most important. Seems kind of important to me, if you want to keep your pt alive that is.

FYI: I am another kind of health care student, I have never been to Medical school.

Thank you for necroing a thread to show how smart you are.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Fun Fact: C3, 4 & 5 control the Phrenic nerve. Reminder, the Phrenic nerve innervates the diaphragm. Last I checked, Breathing involves 2 critical life functions, ventilation being the most important. Seems kind of important to me, if you want to keep your pt alive that is.

FYI: I am another kind of health care student, I have never been to Medical school.

Honestly, that's what I call a cool story bro. Such a riveting tale, I honestly copy and pasted it to word, saved on my hard drive, backed it up on a jump drive, drove to the bank, put the jump drive in the safe deposit box, and will leave it there until my kids turn about 12 (when they can actually state their age, and ask what it is I'm showing them), when I will pick it up, put it in an old USB drive reader and relay this cool story to them and tell them, "kids, this is what a cool story should look and sound like...not like the stories your generation tells."

 

[SpecterGT260]

jslone, you didn't really address his question at all. I think this is what happened yesterday:

 

[evilbooyaa]

Fun Fact: C3, 4 & 5 control the Phrenic nerve. Reminder, the Phrenic nerve innervates the diaphragm. Last I checked, Breathing involves 2 critical life functions, ventilation being the most important. Seems kind of important to me, if you want to keep your pt alive that is.

FYI: I am another kind of health care student, I have never been to Medical school.

Why you do dis

 

[tiedyeddog]

Fun Fact: C3, 4 & 5 control the Phrenic nerve. Reminder, the Phrenic nerve innervates the diaphragm. Last I checked, Breathing involves 2 critical life functions, ventilation being the most important. Seems kind of important to me, if you want to keep your pt alive that is.

FYI: I am another kind of health care student, I have never been to Medical school.

strong work, health care student, strong work.

 

[JP2740]

Fun Fact: C3, 4 & 5 control the Phrenic nerve. Reminder, the Phrenic nerve innervates the diaphragm. Last I checked, Breathing involves 2 critical life functions, ventilation being the most important. Seems kind of important to me, if you want to keep your pt alive that is.

FYI: I am another kind of health care student, I have never been to Medical school.

Midlevels are just as good as doctors