Wrong due date?

[Peekay12]

Could my dating scan be wrong? My last menstrual period was 10/10/2020. I had a private scan as I was experiencing right pelvic pains. This was on the 22/11/2020 and was told I was 6 weeks and 3 days which seemed about right. I had my dating scan on the 05/01/2021 which showed I am 13 weeks and 3 days. The technician was training and baby was moving so much, she struggled to get the measurements. According to my private scan I should have been 12 weeks and 5 days. My dating scan shows i conceived 2 days after I finished my period (which I know I did not have intercourse with my husband during that time) whereas the private scan fit with the days of intercourse and made more sense that this was the time of conception. I know I sound stupid worrying about 6 days difference but my DD was born at 40 weeks and 5 days and was admitted to hospital with pneumonia and sepsis due to my waters breaking 31 hours before she was born. I was really traumatised from that birth and now I am really paranoid about this one. I just want to make sure I know exactly when the baby is due to come so I can get the correct treatment should history repeat itself as I wasnt offered an induction on time.

Your own date workings don't really count for anything. I was adamant with my workings out, based on ovulation and running like clockwork, but they put me 1.5 weeks behind my date. The baby will come when it comes and I'm sure they'll monitor you if you're late! X

It's normal for the full date to be adjusted at the 12 week scan - baby measurements take precedence over last period date at that point

I'm having twins abs just because one was measuring bigger at 12 weeks they bought my due date 5 days earlier even though this is an IVF pregnancy and no disputing when "conception" was

My date was adjusted by 5 days. I was wondering if the baby is just bigger than average as I too was certain about the dates since I'd used ovulation testing and hadn't had sex the week before. Sorry your last time was traumatic - speak to your midwife about it and see if there are any reassurances you can get on the issues that worry you.

Thank you for responding. I am extremely paranoid about this pregnancy. I work in the NHS as a health care assistant and my workplace are already pushing me to provide my maternity leave dates. I also want to take my maternity as late as possible so I can spend the full year with my child so this is another reason im hoping my dates are accurate. I still feel as though the technician wasn't really sure about the measurements. She kept shaking my belly lol baby wouldn't co-operate. I do feel like this baby is big. My belly is already sticking out and I am suffering with SPD since I was about 8 weeks. This pregnancy is completely different to my previous one. I still experience nausea and tiredness. :(

There is really not much between 12w5 and 13w3. Your 12 week scan will be more accurate as the baby is bigger and easier to measure so I would go off that.

Really interesting as my LMP was 12.10.20 and I have been dated a whole week ahead each time on numerous scans (I’ve had 4!).

So according to the scans my conception date was on CD7 which seems impossible to me. It concerns me slightly as I have to have an elective c section at 39w so I’m thinking I’ll be more like 38w. MW not concerned at all though 🤷🏻‍♀️

@WalkingMeAway what is your due date? I highly doubt I conceived 2 days after my period. What makes it more confusing is that I actually conceived via the withdrawal method . I recall having intercourse on the 20/10/2020 and my private scan put me as having conceived on 22/10/2020 which makes complete sense.

I know spot on when my last three were conceived and I have six week scans too that were spot in then. This one is 5/ 6 days ahead from the 12 weeks scan and my last one was 4 days ahead as was my son. I just kept that in mind when discussing inductions dates etc. Hope you are ok and your pregnancy is going well x

@Peekay12 I have long periods so would have been on the tail end of my period ! My due date is 12th July. Like I say 4 scans (2x private + 2x NHS) have all dated me exactly the same so they must be right !

Scans are accurate to around a week either way so being 5 days out is utterly unremarkable in the scheme of things (not unremarkable to you, I mean just utterly normal in terms of dates recorded during scans).

Take your maternity leave when you want to. The date scribbled in your notes won't tell you when the baby will come so plan around what you would like to happen given the 37-42 weeks of normal gestation and have contingencies for if your baby is early or late.

I had a very traumatising time with my first and became a bit obsessed with knowing stuff with my second until it dawned on me that I was trying to predict the unknowable and control something which wasn't possible. I then shifted to planning for eventualities and looking at different options according to the pregnancy's progress.

@WalkingMeAway only 2 days away from my due date! My cycle was every 25 days but my last period was 5 days late so it was 30 days.

@lovemylittlebear thank you. This pregnancy is definitely not going well but it could be worse. I work in a gp surgery ans there are loads of women who are way worse than me. But with my dd I had zero symptoms. The only thing that happened was my belly got big lol. I will also keep in mind the dates I have and will make sure I discuss this with the midwife.

@ShowOfHands thank you for responding. I also had a traumatic birth. My watera broke and i went into hospital. They confirmed that it was indeed my waters but because I had no contractions, they told me to go home. I did and spent the next 24 hours leaking fluid. I eventually started experiencing pains but they told me to go home as I was only 3cm. I refused and after 3 hours, I dialated to 5 cm. I was only offered gas and air and after a failed water birth, I had an episiotomy. They didn't hand me my daughter as she didn't cry and half an hour later. She was in icu. She was discharged after 9 days and this experience actually caused me to have post natal depression. I was very conscious of her health and still am and I feel I will be the same with this baby. That is why I am constantly trying to know everything about this baby. . I think i might take all my annual leave just before I start my maternity.

To reassure you, I had PND and PTSD after my DD's birth and was in a bleak place. Even up to the start of labour with DS, I wasn't really coping. However, I received extraordinary care and while the birth had some parallels (both resulted in emcs), I smiled and laughed during his delivery and had not a jot of PND second time round.

I had some birth trauma counselling while pregnant with my second and saw a consultant obstetrician who explained that my waters breaking with v poor progression afterwards could be a sign of a poorly positioned baby. He theorised from other factors that my DD had managed to pop my waters but wasn't ready or in the right position to be born which started a cascade of issues. When DS was similarly poorly positioned throughout pregnancy, I was ready for the eventuality that my waters might break again with a similar long and difficult labour. And what do you know? Waters went at 36 weeks and I progressed oddly through labour. But I was prepped and ready and moved to emcs before we reached the point of episiotomies and forceps and failed rotations and injuries and haemorrhage.

I felt so much more in control with my second. Have you had debriefs? Or counselling?

I conceived by IVF so knew exactly the date of conception. My dating scan was different by a few days but my obstetrician actually stuck to the known date of conception

@ShowOfHands I'm glad your 2nd birth was so much better than the first. I hardly received any support or counselling. My midwife came to visit me and my daughter in the neonatal ward. I instantly started crying.she did think I needed support but never replied to my texts and calls and then I found out I was discharged. I actually reached out to Birmingham healthy minds myself but they felt I was in an okay state of mind and as I had a supportive family, they didn't think I needed one on one counselling. Eventually with the support of my family I was able to get better but I am still very health conscious when it comes to my dd. Anything triggers me. My mom is always telling me off and reassuring me. Now I feel that I'll be even worse with this baby.

@GwendolineMarysLaces that's interesting to know. I definitely feel like I have the right date of conception. It will be interesting to see what they say at my 20 week scan.

Don't know if this is at all helpful but after my waters leaked for nearly 7 days without labour I am this time opting for a planned c section (had emergency one last time). It has really helped knowing there is an end date before my due date, if that makes sense. Might be something to consider if the uncertainty is affecting you so significantly

I found my own psychotherapist after a traumatic first birth. She’s private - let me know if you want her details as she does skypes. I highly rate her (I work sort of in this field so went through a few until I found her). I have also seen her after a traumatic third birth (second was a dream by the way) and after miscarriages. It really helps to get good support if you felt you needed any xx

I needed my date to be moved by about a week from my scan date as it affected my maternity pay significantly. The midwife was v happy to accommodate. And the baby was born on the date I said it was due!

@Drowninginwashing how was your recovery after the c-section. My sister had one in June and it took her sometime to even walk properly. I had a vaginal delivery and was on my feet walking two hours later to the surprise of all the midwives and especially my parents and in-laws. To this day they can't believe I was so normal afterwards.

@lovemylittlebear thanks for the suggestion. I have got in touch with my gp and i have an appointment to discuss my concerns. I'm also seeing my midwife face to face on 1st so i will definitely be discussing my concerns with her. Thank you anyway x

@chocolatepowder my employer has been really pushy this time around. She has issued me a letter now asking for my dates. I think i will discuss this with my midwife to see if she can help me in anyway.

Sorry for the late replies btw. It was my birthday yesterday so I was a little busy cutting a cake with my dd lol x

@Peekay12 my recovery was fine, I mean yes it it us surgery and you are a bit less mobile for a while, but it was nowhere near as bad as I had feared. For the first week My husband had to wait on me a bit, and do most of the nappies etc, which was actually quite nice!! I was on the usual prescribed painkillers, but I stopped the oral morphine quite early because I wasn't in much pain. Scar healed with no issues.

I obviously didn't plan on a c section before, it was an emergency one, and I was really worried about recovery, but I am not worried about it this time around. The only thing I would say is that I had pretty horrendous constipation, so this time I will take some laxatives from immediately after the c section.

On my first pregnancy my due date by LMP was supposed to be 16th jan, I went to my dating scan expecting to be 12 weeks on the dot but they put me as 11+4 and put my due date up to 20th jan, I didnt see how I could be 11+4 as it didnt work out with when I ovulated but my DD was born on 16th Jan anyway