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Glite Dictionary
Naegele's rule

Naegele's rule

8.4
A way to find a baby's due date by using the first day of the last period
  • noun
  • /ˈneɪɡəlz ruːl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : regla de Naegele
  • According to Naegele's rule, the due date is calculated based on the last menstrual period.

Examples

  • Obstetricians frequently use Naegele's rule to estimate when a baby is due.

  • Many pregnancy tracking apps include Naegele's rule as part of their calculation tools.

  • According to Naegele's rule, her expected delivery date is November 18th.

  • Have you heard about Naegele's rule for estimating delivery dates?

  • According to Naegele's rule, the estimated due date for her baby is calculated from her last menstrual period.

  • Obstetricians apply Naegele's rule by taking the first day of the last menstrual period to predict delivery dates.

  • Many expectant mothers learn about Naegele's rule during their early prenatal check-ups to understand their due date.

Surface Forms

Naegele's rule singular
Naegele's rules plural

Morphology

Naegele's + rule

This is an eponymic, technical term: 'Naegele's' is a proper name that gives no clue to the calculation, and 'rule' only indicates a guideline. The specific obstetric procedure (subtract three months and add seven days) is specialized and cannot be derived from the constituents, so learners who know the individual words would not infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Naegele's rule is named after a doctor who gave a simple calendar trick: start from the first day of the last period, subtract three months and add seven days to find the baby's 'due date'. That's why the rule is used today to estimate when a baby will arrive.