gentle tools for your parenting journey

Reverse Due Date Calculator

Already know your due date? Work backward to see your estimated conception date and the first day of your last period.

Conception date
Last period (LMP)
This works backward using the same averages a forward due-date estimate uses: conception around 266 days before the due date, and a last menstrual period around 280 days before it (assuming a typical 28-day cycle with ovulation around day 14).

How the math works backward

A due date is normally estimated as the first day of your last period (LMP) plus 280 days — Naegele's rule. Reversing that: LMP = due date − 280 days.

Conception typically happens around ovulation, roughly 14 days after the LMP, so it's estimated as due date minus 266 days. If you conceived via IVF, your IVF due date calculator will be more precise since it's based on your actual transfer date.

Conception month → birth month, at a glance

Conceive inBaby due around

Common questions

How do you calculate conception date from a due date?

Subtract about 266 days from the due date. This assumes conception happened close to ovulation, roughly two weeks after the start of the last period, which is the standard assumption behind most due-date estimates.

How do you find your last period date from a due date?

Subtract 280 days (40 weeks) from the due date. This reverses Naegele's rule, the standard formula that adds 280 days to the first day of the last period to estimate a due date.

Is the reverse calculation as accurate as a forward one?

It carries the same assumptions and margin of error as any due-date estimate — useful as a general guide, but actual conception can vary by several days depending on individual cycle length and ovulation timing.

Does this work for IVF pregnancies?

Not precisely, since IVF due dates are based on a known transfer date rather than an assumed ovulation day. For an IVF pregnancy, use the IVF Due Date Calculator instead for a more accurate result.

I know the month I conceived — how do I find my due month?

Find your conception month in the left column of the table above and read the approximate due month across from it — useful for questions like "conceived in May, when is my baby due?" For an exact date rather than just a month, enter the specific date above.

My baby is due in a specific month — when did I conceive?

Read the table above in reverse: find your due month in the right column to see the approximate conception month across from it — this answers questions like "baby due in July, when did I conceive?" For a precise date, enter your actual due date above instead.