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-   Pregnancy & New Motherhood (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=262)
-   -   Different due dates (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=809272)

  • Mar 13, 2015, 05:37 AM
    mscwb
    Different due dates
    My due dates keep changing and its really aggravating me. Because I cant remember the specific date of my last period in November I cant figure out my conception date. Will an ultrasound help me as I grow further along. Please help
  • Mar 13, 2015, 05:41 AM
    Fr_Chuck
    Conception dates are just estimates, and can vary or be wrong by one or two weeks.
    The due dates as you get further along can be closer.

    How much are they changing, if merely a week or two, that is really not an issue
  • Mar 13, 2015, 05:42 AM
    ebaines
    An ultrsound won't really help in zeroing in on the due date. Just remember that the so-called "due date" is only an estimate, and the actual date of birth can vary quite a bit from it. If you're a bit uncertain about the date it really doesn't matter. So go with your best guess.
  • Mar 13, 2015, 05:43 AM
    mscwb
    Ive been given due dates of 8/25 8/28/ 8/31 And 9/3
  • Mar 13, 2015, 06:10 AM
    ScottGem
    As noted calculating due dates is an inexact science. The further along you get the better they can pinpoint. Generally the start with the date of your last period and if you can't pinpoint that, you hamper the calculation.

    Why is it important to figure when you conceived? It it is a matter of establishing paternity, you will not be able to be sure. If you had multiple partners since your last period, any could be the father. You will need to have a DNA test done after the child is born to be sure.
  • Mar 13, 2015, 06:14 AM
    mscwb
    Never it is an Issue of multiple partners. It makes NO SENSE FOR me to have been given 4 different due dates! Things that don't make sense WARRANT inquiry from me
  • Mar 13, 2015, 06:20 AM
    ScottGem
    But yes it DOES make sense. Due dates are a guesstimate. Since you were unable to provide them with accurate data to help them calculate, they had to guess and have revised their guesses as they got more data.
  • Mar 13, 2015, 06:38 AM
    talaniman
    End of August and the beginning of September is their best guess for about a 4(?) month pregnancy, and many things can make it sooner, or later.

    Relax, more will be revealed as you get further along. Every pregnancy can be unique.

    Is this your first child?
  • Mar 13, 2015, 06:41 AM
    mscwb
    YES. This is my first.
  • Mar 13, 2015, 07:07 AM
    talaniman
    Then you are learning for the first time about the birth process and all the unknowns that go with it. Yes ask questions, but don't expect exact perfection in the answers you get, as there is no such things with this process.

    A range of what amounts to a week, at this stage of the process, is as good as it gets, and as the process moves along the answers will be more certain.

    LOL, babies tend to arrive when they are ready, and don't care much about mom's calendar, or hormone driven feelings, inexperienced or NOT.
  • Mar 13, 2015, 08:55 AM
    J_9
    Dating gestation is not an exact science and the LMP is what is used to calculate a due date. Due dates can, and do, tend to fluctuate plus or minus a couple of weeks during pregnancy. Since you don't remember your LMP, the doctor will date you according to ultrasound or fundal height.

    Your date ate changes aren't significant, so there is nothing to worry about.
  • Mar 13, 2015, 01:53 PM
    DoulaLC
    Your best dating will come from an early ultrasound as this is the time when babies follow a more distinctive pattern of growth. They may follow this up with another ultrasound later that may also be used to confirm dates. Late in pregnancy, growth rates can vary, and ultrasounds become even less reliable for dating purposes.

    As was said, having dates roughly around the same time is perfectly normal. I'd much rather have someone be told that they are due around the end of August/early September than an exact date. The reason for this is that few babies are actually born on a due date... there is a window of time at the end of pregnancy that is perfectly normal to give birth in. Not every women will have the same gestation.

    Focusing too much on a due date, often results in unnecessary stress for parents... especially when that due date comes and goes... which, again, is perfectly normal and often happens.

    Were these dates given as results from ultrasounds? If so, is there a particular reason for having had several so far? Were they done by the same doctor, midwife, or technician?
  • Mar 13, 2015, 04:33 PM
    Alty
    I knew my LMP (last menstrual period) with both of my children, and I was extremely regular with my periods. Even then my due date changed three times with different appointments and tests.

    My son ended up being 4 days past his due date, my daughter was born on her due date, which is very rare! Very very rare! Around 10 percent of babies are born on their actual due date. The rest (if it's not a premature birth) are born within 2 weeks before, or two weeks after their due date.

    Your due dates are very close together, and none of them will actually tell you when this baby is actually coming. It's all a best guess, and even when they have your LMP and you're very regular, that doesn't mean your baby will be born on the date you were given. Most babies aren't.

    Good luck. :)
  • Mar 14, 2015, 06:21 AM
    Fr_Chuck
    As a father of 5 children, not a single one, came within a week of the due date. So at best, they are guesses, and I think on my last son, they changed each time she went to the doctor by a little.
  • Mar 16, 2015, 08:40 AM
    LearningAsIGo
    I just want to add that giving you an estimate within one week (Aug 25 - Sep 3) is perfectly normal. I often heard the same thing and I knew exactly what my LMP and ovulation dates were. All of the ultrasound measurements, dates, etc. are all a best guess. There is no perfect way of measuring, so if you want a date to go by, pick one in the middle and that's what you can tell people. Most of us who've already been parents take a due date with a grain of salt anyway. ;)

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