Due Date

[atheliah]

Just a question, I figured someone here would have to know

My estimated due day is 27th Oct 08. But when I was doing my ticker, and playing around with a due date calendar... a few asked what cycle my period was... so when I entered that info, my due date was the 31st of Oct.

My first OB appointment isn't until mid May... so does the due date go by the last time u had ur period, or by your cycle as well??

 

[lovesdolphins]

if you go by the date of your last period they assume you ovulate on CD14.

Some women don't ovulate until much later - which would throw of the growth dates of the baby.

 

[Leanna]

As far as what your obgyn/midwife will go by that depends on the practice. Some go by LMP, some date by early ultrasound, and some date by LMP but adjust when they do an ultrasound.

My caregiver goes by LMP unless an ultrasound is done that determines it more than a week off.

You can also base your due date on ovulation if you have a chart and that's the most accurate, though most caregivers don't seem to take charts.

 

[jgonz]

The Vast majority of caregivers use the standard "wheel" which is based on LMP. Apparently my OB uses a computerized version, which figured in Leap Day this year! so my "new" due date is May 6th (instead of the 7th). *rolleyes*

 

[lovesdolphins]

The Vast majority of caregivers use the standard "wheel" which is based on LMP. Apparently my OB uses a computerized version, which figured in Leap Day this year! so my "new" due date is May 6th (instead of the 7th). *rolleyes*

LOL - that is too funny - b/c that ONE day is going to make a HUGE difference (and you are just going to jump on induction if this baby doesn't come on it's due date).

Plus - it's not like the baby knows day from night - and exactly when s/he is going to come out.

 

[rainbowbright]

The funny thing is that I can't remember my last LMP no matter how hard I try to remember and my doctor I switched to at the beginning didn't do an 8-week ultrasound, but I had an ultrasound at 10 1/2 weeks and found out I was two weeks ahead of what we thought I was, then I just had my level 2 ultrasound this week and found out I'm 2 weeks behind what the other ultrasound showed. When I look at the first us pic, it doesn't look like a 10-week old baby and I've been feeling really strong kicks, so I am so uttely confused and I hope somebody will straighten this up.

 

[jgonz]

Dating by u/s is tricky... Although IMO, if the baby is older when they do the date it's more accurate. So your latest one is "probably" more accurate for dates.

It could still go 1 week either way though... Sorry I'm not much help.

 

[Assisi]

They say the best time for a dating scan is about 8 weeks. The margin for error increases as the bubs gets bigger. So at 8 weeks it could be out by 3 days, but by the time you're 20 weeks it could be out by 10 days or more. I wouldn't count an ultrasound done after 12 weeks as accurate for dating (and neither would most OBs). Perhaps your first scan was a little ahead and your latest scan was a little behind?

I'd go by the first scan. It is more likely to be accurate. My baby measured a week small at 20 weeks, but if it is accurate then I got a positive test before bubs implanted, and I saw a fetal pole and heartbeat at just shy of 5 weeks, and my hcg levels were 6000 at four weeks. None of that is likely. I have a small baby, I still measure small.

Babies grow at different rates and different techs measure in different ways. I'd be surprised if they would move your due date based on your later scan.

As for the OP. I agree with lovesdolphins. It depends on when you ovulated. I've never ovulated on cd14, so the ones based on LMP are not accurate for me.

 

[Leanna]

The funny thing is that I can't remember my last LMP no matter how hard I try to remember and my doctor I switched to at the beginning didn't do an 8-week ultrasound, but I had an ultrasound at 10 1/2 weeks and found out I was two weeks ahead of what we thought I was, then I just had my level 2 ultrasound this week and found out I'm 2 weeks behind what the other ultrasound showed. When I look at the first us pic, it doesn't look like a 10-week old baby and I've been feeling really strong kicks, so I am so uttely confused and I hope somebody will straighten this up.

I didn't have an LMP this time, I could give them "it was sometime this week".... so they.... get this.... made one up. Yup!

 

[Assisi]

I didn't have an LMP this time, I could give them "it was sometime this week".... so they.... get this.... made one up. Yup!

I remember now, you didn't have a scan til you were 12 weeks or so.

I didn't have an LMP this time either. We're basing my due date totally on first trimester scans (and I know when I ovulated)

 

[atheliah]

Thanks everyone for your replies suppose I'll just have to wait for the u/s LOL.

 

[angelsamongus]

Hi, its a funny thing you asked. I just had my 1st appt. today and they said I'm due oct. 25th. But since i was still nurseing my son and my periods were not regualar they are doing an u/s tuesday.
Ps my son is now done nurseing.

 

[Leanna]

I remember now, you didn't have a scan til you were 12 weeks or so.

I didn't have an LMP this time either. We're basing my due date totally on first trimester scans (and I know when I ovulated)

Yes they made a date and wasn't planning to give me an ultrasound until 20 weeks but as it turned out they had to give me one at 12 weeks which was different by a few days, I can't remember, but they didn't change it.

 

[atheliah]

I don't have my first 'official' appointment until the 15th of May and I will be around 16 weeks along then. Is that normal? To have your first appointment so far along?

I don't even know if that appointment is going to include a u/s.

 

[sparassidae]

I don't have my first 'official' appointment until the 15th of May and I will be around 16 weeks along then. Is that normal? To have your first appointment so far along?

I don't even know if that appointment is going to include a u/s.

If you mean your first appointment at the hospital, yes that is normal (at least here in Aus). My first appt at hospital I'll be 16 weeks, some see you at around 14 weeks. My last pg the hospital was sooooo busy that I didn't even get in to see them for the first time until I was about 26 weeks . They actually had some women go in for prem labour who weren't booked in yet.

And no (I'm running by my exp, which is public system) that appt won't have an u/s (they would have warned you re: water drinking) but does include a doppler. Mostly it's just answering a million questions.

And Leanna, I actually made up my LMP this time. I knew it was sometime that week, and didn't want the bother of a dating U/S, so just picked a likely date. Didn't tell them all that of course

 

[FaithLoveHope9]

So you mean that when the time comes, I should just tell them 14 days before I ovulate was the start of my LMP (since I am charting, and should know!)

 

[sparassidae]

So you mean that when the time comes, I should just tell them 14 days before I ovulate was the start of my LMP (since I am charting, and should know!)

Yeah, I reckon that's the way to go. My second pg I told them I'd ovulated in the third week, not the second (but never before or since for some reason) but they didn't believe me until a dating u/s confirmed it . If I'd been thinking I would have done it your way.

 

[jgonz]

They say the best time for a dating scan is about 8 weeks. The margin for error increases as the bubs gets bigger.

Oops! I had it backwards. Sorry!

 

[rainbowbright]

My doctor actually just told me it's harder to tell when the baby gets bigger and you really do need an ultrasound before 12 weeks. I knew I should've made up some excuse to go to the er so I could get an early u/s, but my conscious got the betterof me. One of my firends said that she just made up a date that was three weeks before her actual lmp. It' just odd for me to not know b/c I have always been so accurate and right on the dot, but I guess I've been pregnant so many times, I have lost my touch.

 

[atheliah]

If you mean your first appointment at the hospital, yes that is normal (at least here in Aus). My first appt at hospital I'll be 16 weeks, some see you at around 14 weeks. My last pg the hospital was sooooo busy that I didn't even get in to see them for the first time until I was about 26 weeks . They actually had some women go in for prem labour who weren't booked in yet.

And no (I'm running by my exp, which is public system) that appt won't have an u/s (they would have warned you re: water drinking) but does include a doppler. Mostly it's just answering a million questions.

I haven't got this far before, because I would always miscarry before any 'official' appointment, so it's all pretty new to me. I am going the public way as well... the other way is just too expensive for us right now. But its good to know that it's all normal

Doppler? Mind blank - whats that again?

I don't chart, never have to be honest. All I do is just jot down when I had my period. Which was 21st Jan 08 LOL