Lying to midwife about LMP

[MistressofPemberley]

Just wanted some advice really. I've just found out I'm pregnant. BFP on Sunday, which was my due date from last mc. I'm obviously overjoyed as we've been trying since the mc in June. But also petrified after 2 consecutive mcs.

My LMP was 14th dec, but I don't ovulate until day 21, and ov tests confirmed this. Shall I add a week onto my official LMP date so that any early scans I choose to have with my local EPAU don't cause alarm re: showing foetus is a week behind, IYSWIM.

Or is that ridiculous?

Understandable but can't you just explain to her about your ovulation like you just explained it to us? Or is she one of those sorts of medical professionals who can't get their head round the patient knowing stuff about their own body?

Oh, and huge congrats by the way!

No, don't do that

I'd tell her what you've said there - your LMP was 14 December and you know you ovulated on day 21 because you tested.

If any early scans then show the foetus is a week behind, you can let the sonographer know that you ovulated on day 21 rather than day 14 IYSWIM so they can take that into account.

Massive congratulations to you :)

Even if the foetus does show as being a week behind, it doesn't really matter does it? Once you have the 12 week dating scan they will know when your due date is.

Tell her the truth - I knew exactly the date of ovulation and this was taken into account at my early six week scan and confirmed at 12 weeks.

I knew due to endless fertility scanning exactly when it all took place and didn't have proper periods at the time making that more complicated to measure, but they seemed able to work out my due date.

Thanks all. I suppose I'm just thinking that they date from LMP, so I'll always be a week ahead. As in I'm only 4 ish weeks today but 5 according to the due date calendar things.

I'll be honest!

I have to say I disagree - I have really long cycles and keep getting into mini-disputes with both midwife and (lovely, but by-the-books) gp - I keep having to explain and explain to them and they keep getting out their wheel of 28 day cycle/ mid cycle ovulation and looking at me like 'you CAN'T be only such and such - our magical wheel says you're at least such and such!'

I'm currently coming to the end of a very nerve-wracking first trimester (been absolutely terrified of something going wrong) and absolutely know what you mean about not even wanting to experience the 'moment' of them looking at scan and responding 'hmm, looks a bit small'.

Many congratulations on your news and if you know your dates tell them whatever makes you feel most comfortable.

they are supposed to take into account cycle length but they generally aren't that bothered as the date as it is the scan that gives you the 'definitive'
ie the magical wheel is supposed to look at lmp then + or - the appropriate number of days from 28 then give you an edd. if you choose to have an early scan, you can tell them then whether they look alarmed or not and tell them it is nothing less than you expect (and you can be reassured by that too). i don't think you need to lie about it, just explain and eventually it will sink in

I have a long cycle which wasn't taken into account with my pregnancy with DD1. So when I got my appointment for my dating scan, my notes guessed me at 11+5 when I knew fine well I would only be around 10+5 and wouldn't be able to have nuchal done.

The sonographer measured and confirmed what I knew all along. She was very apologetic and said I would have to come back in a week or so to have nuchal testing. I was pretty darn happy to be honest, I got two lots of reassurance for the price of one

wydon't you just say you can't remember when your LMP was but you know you ovulated because you tested - let them do the maths and the scan will correct things anyway.

I fibbed about mine, it was only a few days (I have short cycles) but it made a difference to me for the following reasons:

i) Maternity leave would be calculated differently, i.e., I didn't want to have to leave work because the mw thought my baby would arrive later than it would due to a miscalculated LMP, I want time off AFTER the baby is born.

ii) I had some real problems (PE/induction/emcs) during my last pregnancy and I wanted them looking at the correct dates - especially wrt the elcs and timing this time.

My husband was very at me - but it did rather annoy me that the "professionals" can't see past the 14/28 day thing.

I had iui so I took drugs to make me ovulate and obv had insemination on a given day and some medics still put dates back after a dating scan

Hi my cycles were 35 days long and they didn't put edd down, once id had my dating scan they give you a due date which is right for my cycle and the magic circle thing works with correctly :)

Yes I would lie, I had the same problem with a short cycle, they just could not get their heads round the fact that not all women ovulate on day 14, its staggering really. I fyou have one of 'those' then I would definitely fudge it so you are getting the right dates.

Congrats and good luck!

Congrats on your bfp.

It's up to you what you tell her. I ov'd on day 18 and was given an initial edd of 30th oct based on lmp which I knew should have been at least 4 days later. Dating scan changed it to 25th and I actually delivered on the 18th. So these dates really are just an estimate but you will have to explain it to every healthcare professional who has anything to do with your pregnancy because, as others have said, they just don't get it!

I tell them I only know the due date and refuse to give them any other information. If they ask when the lmp was I tell them to take the due date and calculate back, but them I'm on my third pregnant and have learned the hard way.

I have 45 day cycles btw.

I too don't understand why can't the MW / GP take note of our ovulation date when working out EDD. I have longer cycles too and based on temping I ovulated on day 23 rather than day 14. So their date is about 9 days too early. Oh well, they will find out when they do the scan! (and on the other hand I am quite glad I get to do the scan sooner rather than later!)

I dunno why people get in a pickle to be honest. Who is charge of your notes?
One pregnancy I simply scrubbed out their date and put mine in.

Incidentally both children so far have been born on their due dates as identified by me.

Most MWs ignore any other info you give them and just go by your LMP until you have your first scan - then they'll go by the EDD suggested by the fetal growth. Tell her what your ovulation kit said if it makes you feel better, but don't expect her to change your notes. Mine went religiously by my LMP and assumed a 28-day cycle even when I'd told her my cycles were short. Then the scan proved me right!

I understand and would consider fining or saying you can't recall but tested and no ovulation date, not do much for the early scans but so you aren't under pressure at the end of the pregnancy to induce.

I am planning to do just this OP. I know exactly when I got pregnant so will be counting back 14 days from there and claiming a 28 day cycle, even though my LMP would have been a few days earlier.

I just think this will make life easier particularly as my hospital will only officially date a pregnancy at the 20 week scan. I am only comfortable doing this because I can pinpoint conception so accurately (sadly, but I do have an 8 month old who sleeps very badly so it's amazing we even managed the once to be honest )

Good luck with everything.

I have a short cycle, so told them, they still calculated as a 28 day and then adjusted my due date once I had my 12 week scan. It was no big deal. You could always request your scan to be at 13 weeks (still in window for nuchal if you want it) so that you would be 12 weeks by your dates.

I had the extreme version of this: I'd had a blood test which confirmed I'd ovulated on a certain morning, but hadn't had a period for about 7 months.
So I had to point out that we could pretend for the lmp that it was 14 days pre-ovulation, until a scan confirmed a date at 12 weeks, or else it would look like I was 8 months pregnant on the paperwork which would cause all sorts of problems.

Luckily after a few glazed looks this was considered fine. I'd be quite happy to lie to anyone who couldn't figure out the potential repercussions of a misleading lmp date.
Only issue was after the 12-week scan breaking it to DP that his sperm had faffed around for about a week before conceiving. :)