You are pregnant and need to determine your due date in order to manage your expectations. You are aware you are approaching the final few weeks of your pregnancy but unsure of your due date. Assuming a 28-day cycle, your dates suggest you are due on 29 April. However, your most recent previous menstrual cycle gave you a 26-day cycle. In addition, the dating scan taken at 12 weeks brought your due date forwards to 25 April.
When is your due date? Please set out your reasons/calculations in your answer. (10 marks)
OK, forgive the silly post but I am genuinely confused about the situation I have just described. With my three previous babies, I was able to accurately work out my due date as I had a 28-day cycle and my estimated due date was not altered by the dating scan. So I was surprised, and a little bit thrown, when the hospital brought my due date forwards this time by just a few days. Is this a more accurate gauge of baby's development, ie by size? I assume it is based on average sizes and measurements and so never an exact science. Additionally, how should a shorter 26-day cycle be treated, if at all differently?
Confused (and approaching a due date but unsure when that might be!) Thanks for any suggestions!