Scans and LMP dates

[MAT020823]

Hi everyone!

I’ve just tested positive last Saturday with my second baby! Completely over the moon as it’s taken a little longer to conceive than with my first born.

Since my little girl was born my periods have been all over the place. My folicular phase would be about 24 days, I would then ovulate and get my period 8 days later so I had a short luteal phase and obviously TTC this was horrible. I had been to the doctors about my hormone levels and getting my thyroid checked etc but they weren’t interested so I went private. Turns out I had a vitamin d deficiency (I’ve had melanoma in the past so this makes sense I’m a little afraid of what sub we get in the uk).

i started taking an extra strong vitamin d and k2 supplement in June and have now conceived my baby in July. My last period started 1st July 2024, but I still didn’t ovulate until around day 25/26. So I think I am now 4 weeks 6 days pregnant.

the only thing is, as per nhs I am 6 weeks 2 days pregnant which is massively different. I am going to have a private scan when I’m around 8 weeks so that I can get a proper due date estimation but when I’ll be called for my nhs scan I’ll only be around 10 weeks.

what do you do in this situation? Like do I just explain to the nhs sonographer that I ovulated really late in my cycle?

What I did is tell the NHS a false date for the start of my last period. I knew exactly when I had ovulated so counted back as if ovulation happened on day 14 of my cycle. I knew it was far more accurate than going off the actual date of my LMP. All was fine!

To add that I did so because from my research on here, the NHS doesn’t care about ovulation tracking. They won’t listen to you or make changes even if you have the proof. So as you say, I knew all of my upcoming scans and visits would be way off and then they would say baby isn’t growing as expected etc etc!

If I ever had another child I would absolutely do the same again.

Thank you for this! It’ll have to be something I do then because there’s almost a 2 weeks difference. Hate that the nhs do that!

I understand why they have the LMP system because for 90% of women it probably provides an accurate-ish starting point. What is a shame is that for those women who do track their cycle, no allowances are made, even when you have irrefutable proof that they date they say I ovulated is a physical and medical impossibility! 😁

I'm in this situation because I ovulated late the month I conceived. I have my scan next week but I'll be 10 weeks, I told them the correct dates for my last period as I'm happy to have to go back again. I had a MMC in Feb finding out at my 12 wk scan so hopefully I'll get some reassurance that baby is ok then go back 2 weeks later to be properly dated.

That’s fair enough actually! Give yourself a bit of peace of mind earlier.

Hope everything goes well 💖