Early scan measurements

[Rose0804]

I had a private early scan today but to check everything is okay, I went thinking I was about 7 weeks and 3 days as I last started my period on 19th April. My cycle is normally around 32-36 days since coming on the pill. Today the baby was only measuring at 2.3mm and they said I was about 5 weeks and 3 days. I'm a bit worried on how I am so far off, she did say I may catch up? Is this possible?

This happened to me both times, I had my dates I thought I knew my ovulation date to the hour, but at both early scans I was measuring early, it's really difficult at such an early stage to properly date a pregnancy, with both mine I was out by a good two weeks, all fine though now.

@Lymphy so did you catch up to your dates? Or were you actually 2 weeks out

No I was two weeks out, I had charted and used BBT so really couldn't understand it, at 12 weeks I was measuring online with the early scan I was baffled but they said its pretty common, my little boy was 2 weeks late and had to be induced but by my dates he was 4 weeks over, it's the 12 week that will confirm, it's horrible waiting though

Also did you concieve soon after coming of the pill?

@Lymphy I came on the pill in January. Oh okay it’s so hard as I’m booked in for my first midwife next week so don’t know wether to cancel it or go to it and explain about the early scan. As they have calculated me at nearly 9 weeks.

So I've done some maths (I'm a contraceptive nurse and often have to work out dates for emergency contraception and coils etc) if you cycle is usually 32-36 days long then I would expect you to ovulate on or around day 18-22. Your last period started 19th April meaning you likely ovulated between 7th and 11th of May, so looking at my Callander I think that scan is accurate and you will be about 5 weeks, does that make sense?

Oh and go to midwife your booked in its just to take all your history and get you in for dating scan x

@Lymphy thank you so much you have been so helpful 😊

I just needed some reassurance 😊

Not at all, don't worry, midwives always go from last period I suspect they've dated you based on a typical 28 day cycle and not a longer one, it'll be fine, they are a worry these babes good luck xx

I think @Lymphy is bang on. I have longer cycles too and was 9 days out at an early scan. By my 12 week scan I was only 3 days out. If you have longer cycles you won't ovulate CD14.. normally a lot later so that affects conception dates, obviously. Try not to worry x

Thank you both so much, it’s just so hard to know and being patient at the same time. I don’t want to waste the midwifes time but going to early but it’s then dating me.

Nah you're not wasting their time, they go from last period so there's always a two week window of flexibility we go from ovulation usually because we are trying to delay ovulation to prevent a pregnancy, also although we can predict when you might have ovulated it's never 100% as it can be earlier or later its all based on educated guesses TBH x

@Lymphy ah okay I see, thank you very much 😊

I had this when i was 7 weeks pregnant. Private ‘reassurance’ scan told me I was 5 weeks and couldn’t be 7. I said there’s no way I could be 5 I knew my dates. I went back at 9 weeks she told me I was 7. I had my 12 week scan and measured spot on to my dates of 12+5. The midwife told me they are hard to measure so early and that’s pribabky what it was

OP I cant speak for super early scans but I can tell you that my last period gave me a date of X for this pregnany, my 8 week scan gave me a date of a week further ahead that and at 12 week scan I was a week further ahead of that!

So I’m two weeks further along than we expected it to be going from my period date.
I’ll get to my 20 week scan and find out I’m 9 months pregnant.

Anyway, the further along you are the more accurate the scan so fingers crossed it all rights it’s self.

(I’ve since figured out that I ovulate on day 8 of my cycle, it’s taken me 3 children to figure this out....)

@Tink88 @JustVent it’s weird isn’t it, she did say I may catch up but I just don’t see how I can be so far off! Thank you so much for your reassurance, just got to see what happens on next scan.