Couple of questions- which due date to trust and a query re Braxton Hicks...

[MadameG]

This is my first pregnancy so maybe you girls can answer a couple of q's for me.

There has been confusion about my due date from the start. LMP date says I have 7.5 weeks left to go, and midwife was always going off that, but then in the last appointment she suddenly said 'your dating scan at 8 weeks said your due date is 10 days later, so we'll go off that'. Eh? So now suddenly I'm due nearly 2 weeks later? And also, my 20 week scan put me at 8.5 weeks to go. I'm lost. Which date should I be looking at, do you think? My bump is gigantic.

Also, re Baxton Hicks contractions... what do they feel like? I'm not sure if I've had them or not. I've had sudden tenseness and pain down the lower sides of the bump on and off since about 12 weeks- might that be Braxton Hicks?

The dating scan is more accurate than the LMP date - but also remember that only a tiny minority of babies arrive on their due date and anything between 37-42 weeks is normal! First babies are born on average at 41 weeks apparently.

Dating scans are more accurate than LMP. Going by your LMP assumes that you have 28 day cycles AND ovulate on day 14. So many women don't fit into that box.

Your original dating scan will be the most accurate - sounds like it and your 20-wk scan were about three days apart in terms of the due date you got. So I would count yourself as having about 8.6 weeks to go. Sadly bump size isn't an indicator of anything. You'll be having MW appointments every two weeks as you get to the end of the third trimester and she'll be checking how engaged baby's head is and so on, so it's unlikely to take you by surprise.

The only real difference it makes (because babies arrive when they want to, regardless of dates!) is if you're starting mat leave and you want to notify work that you want to leave a week later.

12 week scan date is most accurate. I have been given a difference of 12 days, my scan date being 12 days later than the one I calculated based upon my LMP. Was certain I would be more accurate but so far I am 6 days over my scan date and 18 days later than LMP date! The tensing you have had is probably BH although I don't think most people notice these so early on. Good luck.x

Thanks for your replies ladies, very helpful!

Hi - no idea on the dates! The Braxton Hicks are often strongest when you fast walk somewhere - I could guarantee bringing one on if I tried to walk fast to catch a bus, etc, so I would try that and then you really will get one. I had them constantly from 20 weeks and then couldn't do a darn thing from 35 weeks without getting them. Good luck x

Go with dating scan at 8 weeks, these are acurate to a couple of days.

Scans after 10 weeks are much less accurate so ignore date from 20 week scan.

at my 39 week antenatal appointment my midwife wrote in my notes that the babys head is 3/5 down. does that mean that its fully engaged and is the lowest it can be?

5/5 engaged is the lowest it can be I think.

My understanding is that your due date is always based on your dating scan. Mine was at 12 weeks - 8 weeks is quite early for a dating scan. I investigated this recently as I measure two weeks further along than I am according to my due date (from dating scan), and wondered if the date might be wrong. In fact I am assured that the dating scan date is always the one to work from, so I am just growing a whopping baby, not one that is actually two weeks further along than I thought.

MoonUnitAlpha but isnt 5/5 when you're actually in labour??

jenny, dd was 5/5 for several weeks before she arrived. it makes walking hard, but doesn't mean that you're in labour.

oh okaay

what does dd mean?

darling daughter

whats dh ?

I would go with the scan due date, tends to be the most accurate, althought not foolproof. Braxton hicks for me felt like my whole bump would be solid, although not really painfull.

0/5 is engaged, not 5/5.

2/5 is about as 'engaged' as you'll get as it means that only 2/5 of the baby's head is palpable. 5/5 is not engaged. dh means darling husband.

mtn bik - you're right. i had that thought as i was falling asleep last night, when i thought, 'didn't the numbers count down, not up?'

Hmm... I thought 2/5 palpable was the same as 3/5 engaged! So 2/5 of the baby's head can be felt and 3/5 is engaged in the pelvis?

Hmm, im confused lol

MUA - you're right, but they only use the one measurement i.e. the 2/5 (which means that 3/5 of the baby's head is in the pelvic girdle)