Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Irrational Paternity Fear.

18 replies

Confused1086 · 11/03/2019 08:57

Hello ladies, thank you for taking the time to read my post. I am currently 17 weeks pregnant and really struggling with my mental health. I had 2 MC last year and prior to that my partner messed me around for 3 years whilst I was desperately broody so my experiences of pregnancy so far have not been good. My LMP was 7/11 and I believed myself to have ovulated between 25/28th November due to CM and generally feeling it! I got my positive on dec 10th and my first scan was dec 25th when I was dated back by 2 weeks from 7 weeks to 5 and told that EPU measure from conception, actual fetal age. At this scan we had a HB. Next scan was dated 9+2 which was after the point my last pregnancy had stopped progressing so up until this point my obsession was making it past this week. As soon as this scan was over and baby was still viable I literally had the most epic breakdown. I started to wonder about the dates - how could I be 9 weeks on 18/1 ? It didn’t tally to my conception dates! Then I dragged up a night out I had been on, on 11th nov during the last few days of my period. I went for drinks with a married couple and back to see their new house as they had just moved back from overseas. We drank listened to records, I got too drunk and asked for a cab and my friend said he put me in a cab and paid taxi man. I woke up the next day and couldn’t remember getting home - I felt the usual alcohol related fear but didn’t think anything sexual had happened to me at all I just felt shady as I do when I’ve been too drunk. I mean I let myself in my house with my key, completely intact, got undressed in the bathroom and got in bed next to my partner without saying a word. But now I am thinking I must have been assaulted, I ring EPU and this is not helped by the nurse telling me my dates are impossible and I must have conceived during my period. WOW. The anxiety at this point is borderline insanity- i actually call my childhood friend and ask him if he did anything to me that night, obv in front of his WIFE. He was really upset by me asking but once I explained he was really sweet and spoke to me for a while trying to help. I then moved on to “it must have been the taxi man”. And that’s where I’ve sat for the last 8 weeks. Sometimes I know it’s not true as I know in my heart I just got a cab home with no event. Yes I can’t remember but I feel that was due to being drunk and tired and going into autopilot, I was able to walk and undress and get into bed I feel sure I could have come to enough to fight off a rapist or tell my partner I had been attacked so I know it’s my anxiety and hormones making me think this. It’s reallt spoiling my pregnancy and I am at my wits end. I feel so sad and alone, I’ve even considered abortion as a way to stop feeling this way which is the last thing on the planet I want to do and I know when I came to from the procedure I wouldn’t survive the loss. I don’t understand how everyone else is dated with an extra 2 weeks of unpregnant time added in but I am dated from “conception” ? I’ve asked so many professionals about this and it’s like I’m speaking in tongues. Someone at a 12 scan has a fetal age of 10 weeks but I “must have conceived during my period” whyyyyy? If I were rational I would be able to think past this but I’m stuck. When I look at my partner I get sad as I feel like he is living a lie with me and the Rapey taxi mans baby Confused it’s such an ingrained feeling which I think is tied to my previous mc and fear of it happening again and also fear of pregnancy in general, change, being a mum and labour. I’m doing meditation, positive affirmations, yoga, I’m trying to do CBT on myself by treating the intrusive thoughts in different ways as they arrive. I don’t know if I can do 5 more months of this I’m exhausted and so low. Anyone have any input for me? Sorry for long post! Thank you.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
WhenZogateSuperworm · 11/03/2019 09:02

It is perfectly possible that the scan dates are out. Babies grow at different rates and they are measuring something that is only mm big at first.

Have you talked to your partner about this? If you are genuinely still worried you can have a paternity test done but I think you would be better to speak to your midwife about your mental health.

burritofan · 11/03/2019 09:04

The best thing you can do is talk to your midwife about your mental health and intrusive thoughts, be honest about how much you're struggling.

Dating scans are not an exact science, it all comes down to millimetre measurements that can be thrown off by the baby's movements and position.

Confused1086 · 11/03/2019 09:07

Yes I told my partner straight away, he doesn’t have any doubts he puts it down to fear. I suppose what I want to know is if anyone else had this and did they get past it? I have told the midwife but as I am extremely self aware of what is happening to me she thinks I will be ok and can cope.

OP posts:
WildFlower2019 · 11/03/2019 09:23

Wait... I might be reading this wrong but every pregnancy is dated from the first day of your period. Every single one.

Imagine I'm on day one of my period now. If I get pregnant in two weeks during ovulation, that day I'd MEDICALLY be two weeks pregnant already.

The reason for this is that it's impossible to pinpoint when you ovulate but every women can pinpoint her period. So it's used as a universal measurement.

Is that what's confusing you or am I missing something? (Been known to happen)

I really would consider seeing a special mental health midwife to chat about your anxiety, they can put you in contact with one xx

DustyDoorframes · 11/03/2019 09:26

If your midwife is being unsupportive then can you see your GP? Either something very traumatic has happened to you, or you are having intrusive thoughts making you feel as if it has- both situations require support!!
I'm sorry you are feeling like this. As others have said, dating scans are not gospel (as plenty of IVF ladies will testify!) and conception dates are mysterious beasts. You are having a tough tough time, following some tough years. You deserve support!

BitchPeas · 11/03/2019 09:30

Every pregnancy is dated from the first day of your last period. Even though technically you weren’t pregnant until ovulation, around 2 weeks later. So when you ovulate and sperm meets egg you are technically, according to doctors, already 2 weeks pregnant.

So the first day of your last period was 7th November , assuming you have a 28 day cycle, your due date is 14th August and you are 17 weeks pregnant. Even though technically sperm only met egg 15 weeks ago.

BitchPeas · 11/03/2019 09:35

And according to the method above you would have been 10+ 2 weeks on 18th jan, but you measured 9+2 which is a week out but still within the realms of normal.

I’ve had 4 babies and my due dates have moved after a scan between 4 and 8 days forwards/backwards, with all of them even though I have a 28 day cycle and was sure of ovulation dates due to ovulation tests.

pacempercutiens · 11/03/2019 09:38

Your OP sounds very confusing. But, I will just add that in my current pregnancy the dates got moved back by over a week (so at 12 week scan they moved me to under 11 weeks). I know when my period was and when I had sex. The new dates don't match, but its nature! It really could just be 1 of those things.

newmumwithquestions · 11/03/2019 10:00

As pp have said you are dated from your previous period so ‘starts’ at 2 weeks.

Also dating isn’t exact. My first was over a week out (fertility treatment so I know exactly when I ovulated - it was all controlled!)
And a friend was dated 2 weeks out (husband away so again she knows it wasn’t when they said)

Both times the person doing the dating said we were wrong, but we can’t have been. I didn’t really bother arguing.

newmumwithquestions · 11/03/2019 10:01

But please get some assistance for your anxiety. You said you’ve spoken to your midwife... perhaps a GP appointment for a second opinion?

Confused1086 · 11/03/2019 10:07

I don’t know why but I can’t seem to reply to indivual replies. My understanding of dating was from LMP but EPU said as they are measuring the early embryo they measure as fetal age from conception. I think the dates are what they are, and if I weren’t poorly they wouldn’t matter to me at all as I know when I conceived. But the anxiety, paired with past trauma and this little period of time where anything was possible on my night out has created a monster. I’ve rang the midwife again and got an appointment to see her next Tuesday, going to ask to be referred. I honestly never thought my pregnancy would be life this, I dreamed of it and wished it for so long, it’s so upsetting. So many women who can’t conceive as well and here I am with my crazyness spoiling a beautiful time in my life. Sad

OP posts:
DustyDoorframes · 11/03/2019 10:27

Oh @Confused1086 please don't beat yourself up! The pregnancy hormones can knock you for six in so many ways- not just knackeredness and chucking up! They can put your head in such weird places- and it's not you being ungrateful, it's a pregnancy complication just as much as spd or something!

JasonGideon · 11/03/2019 10:39

I had a similar fear when I was pregnant, as did a friend. Despite the fact we were both in long term relationships.
I was convinced my baby was going to come out the wrong race. It was just intrusive thoughts and anxiety manifesting itself.

OutingOutlander · 11/03/2019 10:49

I knew the exact day of sex that led to me conceiving as it was only once in a good few weeks, but my lmp had been 20 days before, not 14 and apps and doctors all said that it was impossible, I had to have conceived closer to or on day 14. Then at the 12 week scan my dates were moved to 11 weeks and everything made a bit more sense. That said, our baby always measured small throughout the pregnancy and now at 9 weeks old has only just hit 8lbs. Every baby grows differently, they aren't an exact science.

Confused1086 · 11/03/2019 13:58

Thanks all for the kind messages, I did worry with posting that I would people trying to say “ you must have done something to be so worried” so thanks for not saying that as it would have made me feel worse! Jason Gideon how did it resolve for you? I’m sorry you had this it’s vile! Funnily enough my best friend admitted she had experience it too, not only did she query being raped she also manifested an affair which had never happened. She says she never spoke about it for fear of being judged and it carried on with a year of feeling strange after baby was born. I’ve managed to get in to see the midwife next Tuesday so I’m hoping I can distract myself until then. Thanks again x

OP posts:
JasonGideon · 11/03/2019 14:56

It took a while, the fear kept coming and going but I kept reminding myself about how intrusive thoughts can seem real. I spoke to friends about it as well and they reassured me .

Confused1086 · 11/03/2019 16:24

That’s good to hear, my friend said hers settled down later on in pregnancy and turned into something else after she gave birth I guess that’s what I want to avoid. I’m glad yours resolved itself x

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page