How do you measure how far gone you are?

[wawabear]

Hi

We conceived three weeks ago, however the first day of my last period was 6 weeks ago and therefore the doctor calculated me at 6 weeks pregnant, but I know I am not.

I want to follow my baby's progress but I don't know if I should be following 3 weeks or 6 weeks?

I know I am very early doors but I haven't felt sick at all. Other than very tender boobs (does that ever go?), feeling tired and 3 positive pregnancy tests, I don't feel very different at all yet.

We planned this pregnancy and we are really delighted but at 34 I thought it would take a lot longer than it did. In the end it happened on the first time of 'trying' (sorry if TMI) and I have this feeling that its all been too easy to get here when I know so many people who have struggled to conceive.

You are 6 weeks pregnant, even though you weren't pregnant for all that time. It's just a quirk of how dates are calculated.

Be grateful that you conceived easily, but don't feel guilty or paranoid about it, it doesn't have any bearing from now on.

Congratulations!

So should I be monitoring the progress of 3 weeks or 6 weeks on sites like Baby Gaga?

I am so scared. We went in Mothercare yesterday and I felt like a bit of a fraud as there were lots of ladies younger than me who knew exactly what they were doing and we were bewildered! It's a hard thing to admit!

It's from the date of the first day of your lady period, as your dr has calculated. This is the time you use for looking at progress on baby growth and development info. If dr says you are 6 weeks, then you are 6 weeks. You conceived sometime in the first few weeks and the date you give birth (if all goes well) will be a few weeks centred on you official due date to reflect this.

You calculate it based on the first day of your last period. Everyone does it like this even though no one was pregnant then.

Officially you are 6 weeks pregnant. Congratulations

Being scared is all part of being pregnant for the first time! The best advice I can give you is to relax. No one knows anything at first!! Try and enjoy this voyage into the unknown, enjoy browsing in baby shops and discussing names. Look forward to seeing your baby in scans etc. It's very exciting and nothing to be scared of!

You've had a positive test result - you're not a fraud!

Technically for the first couple of weeks that you are classed as pregnant you are not actually pregnant! But those couple of weeks after your last period but before you conceive still count. So you are six weeks pregnant an day books or apps etc you use you will be wanting to look at 6 weeks.

Congratulations, and remember, no one instantly knows what they'll need to buy for the baby, or have all the answers. You have nine months to read about it, listen to family and friends etc and you'll build up a picture of what you want/need

Don't worry too much about dates for now as they will measure baby and alter you a bit at your 12 week scan if needs be. I'm an early ovulater so always get bumped forward by a week at my scan. Yes you're 6 weeks pregnant as stupid as it sounds so you can look at that week in the apps.

Don't worry about symptoms, I never felt pregnant till about 17 weeks when I started to get SPD and heartburn!

i felt exactly the same, again after conceiving quickly when i knew a lot of close friends and family had really struggled. also in my 30s and also expected it all to be a bit harder. i still feel like i'm waiting for something to go wrong sometimes because i can't believe we could have been this lucky, and that's at 39 weeks!

the dates thing is confusing but just roll with it for now and you'll get a more accurate due date at your 12 week scan (which you will learn as you get close to 40 weeks means nothing ; ) but use the 6 weeks date for now.

and maybe slow down on the whole mothercare thing... it can be a bit overwhelming at the start and you're right, it's hard to know what to do or what you need. take it slowly, look after yourself at this stage (folic acid, rest for when the tiredness hits!) and gradually you'll get your head around it all. these boards are great for information on things like what you really need to buy, but remember, you've got 9 months to work it all out : )

oh yes! and congratulations ; )

I get what you mean. I ovulated later than the 'average' so if I was 6 weeks pregnant based on my last period I assume I'm actually nearer the 5 week development mark. So at the moment I'm actually 8 1/2 weeks by the date of my last period but really I think I'm only just 8 by the day I ovulated. Not much but if you are reading the books then I get how it makes a difference.

Asked the midwife about it and she said they just use you last period date is just what they use until the dating scan because hardly anyone knowns when they ovulated.

It's 6 weeks. Pregnancy is not counted from day of ovulation. It's weird but that's how it is. They will adjust the date at the 12 week scan but it will still not be from ovulation day.

Congratulations :-)
I know what you mean about walking through mothercare and feeling really out of your comfort zone - I was exactly the same, yet really exited so I went to mothercare anyway! I then stopped going to any baby shops until after my 20 week scan, a bit of superstition and bamboozlment mixed together. Try researching online for a bit (or try to stop yourself!!) - I still haven't bought anything but at 24 weeks I feel a bit like a expert and probably will buy very very little from mothercare or mamma and papas

Wow thanks ladies.

It's so overwhelming. I really never thought this would happen for us and now here we are!

My GP said he doesn't need to see me and recommended making an appointment with the midwife - that appointment isn't until 11th September. Is that normal? I feel a bit odd that they don't want to make sure everything is ok before then.

Also, before I knew I got drunk two weeks ago and had a few glasses of wine the night before we found out. Feel absolutely dreadful now as I was 'late' so I should have been more careful. Argh!

Currently sat at work pretending everything's normal and inwardly freaking out a little!

In a 40week pregnancy youre only actually pregnant for 38.

Its because ultrasound dating its a pretty modern thing, prior to this the only way to date a pregnancy was by your last period. Now even though technology means we can date it from conception, it would be far too confusing to change it. So we still date it from last period then adjust it according to the dating scan. Dates calculated by dating scan still add on the 2 weeks of non pregnant time, prior to conception, that would be average.

So if you definately concieved 3weeks after your period then you will find that at your dating scan they move your edd back a week. But until the scan you are dated soley by last period.

wawabear in my area we don't see GPs for pregnancy issues. It is all via the midwife. (You will find soon GPs tend to know nothing about pregnancy unless they are mothers themselves. I had the honour of trying to obtain eczema medication from them last time). The first booking in appointment is 8 weeks. Some trusts don't see you till 12 weeks. (I heard on the boards here that's common in London. That way they don't need to see all the ladies who miscarried in the first trimester)! The only important date is the 12 week scan. If you don't get to see a MW till 12 week, ask how is the scan arranged and booked, as it's really important to do that during your 12 and 13 week.

And yes you will find the wait between appointments seems very long. It varies by area but the first appointment can be anything between 6-10/11weeks.

If you have any problems with the pregnancy prior to seeing your midwife call your local hospital and ask for Early Pregnancy Unit.

Actually sept 11 must be around your 8th week. So they will book your scan from the booking in appointment. It's just a form filling exercise. They don't check anything at the meeting really.

Make sure you are taking some pregnancy vitamins btw. Especially folic acid. If you want a multi many here would recommend pregnacare.

Ahh ok - thanks again so much. Its just the leaflets on the (three) pregnancy tests I took all say contact your GP as soon as possible so I thought they'd have me straight in to make sure I'd got it right - but they didn't seem bothered about checking. I even too photos of the positive pregnancy tests to show them!

I am on the folic acid now. We looked at multi vitamins yesterday but I am already taking everything that's in them. I take Omega 3 for Sjogren's syndrome, calcium and vitamin D because I was on steroids last year which can lead to osteoporosis, and I already take folic acid.

It's so hard to keep the news quiet. I told my Granddad last night he was beside himself with happiness. Wouldn't surprise me if he's taken out a centre spread in the local newspaper by the time I get home from work!

wawabear is the multivitamin you are taking for non pregnant women? (Ie normal adult ones)? You will have to stop taking those as they have vitamin A. Pregnancy ones do not have vitamin because it is harmful for pregnant women to overdose on it. See

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Vitamin-A.aspx

And read about the pregnancy bit. Check your bottle to see if it has vitamin A.

If it's for a sickness you are taking them, then you probably need to see a GP.

Ah misread you. You are taking the vitamins individually. Then you are fine as it is!

Thanks OneLittleToddleTerror - We looked at the ingredients and it seemed a waste of money to buy them all again. When my current stash runs out then I'll probably buy the pregnacare.

Currently suffering caffeine deprivation. My GP said caffeine was fine and I shouldn't bother giving it up but the websites I have read (including the nhs website) say that more than 200mg can increase the chance of a miscarriage so I have given up completely... I still feel bad about the amount I consumed before I knew.

Drs never check pregnancy anymore - home tests are just as acurate. It is strange at first though and certainly wasnt what i expected when i went with my first pregnancy.

wawabear if you want to read up, the NHS pages are very good
www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/pregnancy-and-baby-care.aspx

There's a page on foods to avoid

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/foods-to-avoid-pregnant.aspx

I think it says you can have 2 cups of coffee a day.

It is really exciting when you first realise you are pregnant - it can throw you for weeks (at least it threw me for weeks). But......you are still a person to, not just the incubator of a baby.

By all means give up caffeine if you want to, and try to avoid all the things on the NHS food list, but if you find that you can't / don't want to once the excitement has worn off a bit don't feel like a bad person.

200mg of caffeine is about two mugs of instant coffee - or one cup of filter. Just stay off the espresso.

A little of what's bad for you often does you good! I avoided alcohol for the first trimester (once I found out I was pregnant, like almost everyone I drank before I found out) and now I am happy with a glass of wine or half a pint of lager every so often.

Last night I ate some parma ham (what a rebel I am!) - nothing bad has happened (it was fresh and pre-packed and from waitrose!) It was lovely.

Enjoy this bit of your pregnancy :)