gestation period
Plural
gestation periods
1
the duration between conception and birth during which an embryo or fetus develops in the uterus
- In humans, the average gestation period lasts approximately 40 weeks from conception to birth.
- Elephant mothers undergo one of the longest gestation periods in mammals—nearly 22 months.
- Farmers track the gestation period of dairy cows to schedule calving and optimize milk production.
- The gestation period of a mouse can be as short as 19 to 21 days, enabling rapid population growth in research colonies.
- Obstetricians use ultrasound measurements and last menstrual period dates to estimate a pregnant woman's gestational age throughout the gestation period.
Synonyms: