Changing the official due date - possible late on?

[SoontobeOutnumbered]

Apologies for the length of this post. Am expecting number 3. First was born exactly on due date, and second was a couple of days early. Both straightforward births, second at home. This third one is also planned to be a home birth.

My due date originally, based on LMP, was to be today, 7th August. (I have regular 28ish day cycles so this would be pretty accurate). This was then moved forward at the 12-week scan, when baby was slightly bigger than expected, to 1st August. Subsequent growth and 20-week scan were consistent with a due date of 1st August, and given that the others had been on time I wasn't concerned about going too far over.

However, here we are, still no baby despite weeks of seemingly promising Braxton Hicks, and I am seeing the midwife tomorrow for a sweep, as it stands, at 41 weeks pregnant according to my notes. Induction would then be next week so I'll be given a date for this tomorrow. Leaving aside my own impatience to get on with things, I am not keen to have an induction - quite apart from obviously having to go into hospital rather than stay home (and I would be alone - DH would stay home with the other DC because we have no relatives anywhere near), I'm thinking that if the baby is still fine inside, and just not quite ready to come out, then it would be better to wait and give nature chance to take its course, and not risk the whole "cascade of interventions" which might ensue if baby decides not to cooperate with the induction process.

How possible is it at this stage to change the due date back to the original LMP one officially? I know that technically one can refuse induction entirely; I personally wouldn't if it were not in the baby's best interests, but in this case given that had we stuck with LMP dates then I'm only 40 weeks not 41, I'm wondering how flexible the system can be to allow another week to wait, during which a home birth would still be approved.

I don't think you will get your EDD changed. You may well have ovulated early and this date is accurate.
As you said, you can refuse induction, though risks do go up after 42 weeks. I'd ask the midwife for a no holds barred sweep!
You still have time. I went in to labour at 40+13, DS born 12 hours before induction admission was due.
Very best of luck

I don't think so - once they have a date from the 12 week scan they won't look at the LMP date as the scan date is so much more accurate. I don't really understand why you would rather change the EDD than simply refuse induction? Your baby is the same age no matter which you do!

They won't change the LMP but you can tell your MW you don't agree with it and the due date you believe to be correct is 7th August. You have two straightforward births behind you so be confident in your body and your baby. She will probably have to follow policy and book the induction appointment but you don't have to go to it. Or you could go to the appointment and discuss your reasons above for wanting to wait another week. Hopefully you'll go into labour in the next seven days anyway and have a wonderful HB! Good luck x

I know my dates were correct, I know when I ovulated as was using ovulation strips and everything else to do with my cycle at the time.

My date was gradually over 3 scans put nearly 2 weeks forward (when they originally agreed with my date). DS was born at 38+2 by their dates and 36+5 mines, by induction, he was teeny at 6lb 1oz when before my date was pushed further, at a growth scan was estimated to weigh between around 9 1/2lbs at EDD.

Also, I don't think they can actually make you give birth in hospital, you could refuse induction and ask for monitoring.

Ok, thanks all, yes that makes sense. The scans have been consistent with each other and the 1st August date, and so if what is now on record is set and unchangeable then that answers the question really.

I've never faced the question of induction before, so it's all new and unexpected, and I suppose I sort of feel that "refusing" point blank isn't the sort of thing I would generally do. I certainly wouldn't feel comfortable going directly against medical advice. The amount of discussion might depend a bit on which midwife I see tomorrow - one in particular is very keen on natural home births, but obviously I'm aware of the risks of going overdue, and the baby's safe arrival is ultimately the only important thing here.

Meanwhile I'm holding on to the hope that the baby will not wait too many more days, and that the sweep (plus walks, raspberry leaf, pineapple and all the rest!) will work!

I'd talk to your midwife. When discussing due dates with mine, I mentioned that I wasn't entirely confident in the scan date, which puts me further on than I think I am. Without any further prompting from me, she said we'd use the scan date for the moment, but that if I go late, we could change back to my date at that point.

Cross posted, Shrodinger, sorry. I knew that later scans can be slightly inaccurate but getting it wrong by 3lb! That's just shocking.

They're not as far out for me: the LMP is exact, and I was aware of ovulation signs around day 12-13 of that cycle. I'm assuming that implantation also happened fairly swiftly because it was on day 25 of the cycle that I "felt" pregnant, decided to test (never been able to resist early testing!) and it was faintly positive. So in my mind, the due date was a couple of days ahead of the LMP, hence my being perfectly happy with the scan's estimate of a week before.