Due date

looksee

This thread was prompted by a friend's experience, maybe it has been dealt with before, in which case I apologise.

You get a pregnancy test done, the doctor says 'you are due on such a date' and that date becomes the holy grail. I know there are scans etc you can get now that can give pretty good dates, but if you are just going on your initial discussion with your doctor, please ignore the number in the date.

If you are told 15th August, then its 'sometime in August', if you are told 25th July then its July/August. Don't get hung up on a date. Every day after that magic number feels like a week. Of my four pregnancies, three were around 2 weeks late, only one came on the due date. That was a long time ago, but I see that the situation is still the same for friends who wait and wait as the days past the due date crawl by!

Chocolate fiend

Are there really people naive enough to believe that a due date is the exact date they will have their baby? If they are that foolish they deserve to go two weeks over.

Ms2011

I lied about my LMP when asked by my doctor, I know the day I ovulated & concieved but as I don't have a perfect 28 day cycle I knew they would calculate my EDD wrong so I gave them a LMP that would ensure I would be given an EDD that coresponded correctly with when I concieved.
That said though I realise I most likely won't go into labour on my due date, mores the pity ;-)

Squiggler

Another thing to be aware of is that the EDD your doctor comes up with is based on a 28 day cycle with ovulation on day 14. Even if every woman had that "average" cycle the "normal" gestation period ranges from around 38-42 weeks. If you have a longer cycle and a later ovulation date, and are prone to longer gestation then you could be looking at a 42 week plus normal birth.

Be prepared to have the averages imposed, and make sure you point out from the beginning if you're not average.

Squiggler

Ms2011 wrote: »

I lied about my LMP when asked by my doctor, I know the day I ovulated & concieved but as I don't have a perfect 28 day cycle I knew they would calculate my EDD wrong so I gave them a LMP that would ensure I would be given an EDD that coresponded correctly with when I concieved.

This is so much more common than anyone will acknowledge. An awful situation when you need to lie/bend the truth to try to ensure that you get the best outcome for you and your baby.

I spoke to one midwife who added two weeks on each of her three children.

Cadyboo

Yes I think it is an outdated way to do it alright.
Worst thing is when you are 10 to 12 days over by your EDD they want to induce you, but 10 to 12 days could actually be your real date. There has to be another better more accurate way to work it.

liliq

Doctors will give you an "EDD"- estimated due date!
Less than 5% of babies actually arrive on their EDD. Anything from 2/3 weeks beforehand to 2 weeks after EDD is considered normal!

Chocolate fiend

An early scan gives a pretty accurate idea of the gestation of the baby, medical science does allow us to know when a baby has been inside for 40 weeks gestation (although in reality that is 38 weeks, 2 of those weeks are pre-conception) What isn't always considered is that not every baby wants to come out after 40 weeks. Some are ready at 36 and others want to cook until they are 42, and there is no way of knowing which is which.

cynder

looksee wrote: »

If you are told 15th August, then its 'sometime in August', if you are told 25th July then its July/August. Don't get hung up on a date. Every day after that magic number feels like a week. Of my four pregnancies, three were around 2 weeks late, only one came on the due date. That was a long time ago, but I see that the situation is still the same for friends who wait and wait as the days past the due date crawl by!

That was my guys due date, 15th of august, however he didnt come in august he came in july, 5 weeks early, all 7lb 6 oz of him.

Im fortunate to have all mine early...

IvyTheTerrible

Over here, they do a scan very early (around 8/10 weeks) and this is usually accurate +/- 48 hours. When I went for my first gyny apt, he didn't even want to hear about my cycle, he said, we'll know from the scan.

iguana

Ms2011 wrote: »

I lied about my LMP when asked by my doctor, I know the day I ovulated & concieved but as I don't have a perfect 28 day cycle I knew they would calculate my EDD wrong so I gave them a LMP that would ensure I would be given an EDD that coresponded correctly with when I concieved.

Ah but did you make allowances for leap year?;)

My due date that I calculated online is a day ahead of the due date the doctor gave me because the online calculators have accounted for leap day but the little wheel the doctor uses doesn't.

Moonbeam

Chocolate fiend wrote: »

Are there really people naive enough to believe that a due date is the exact date they will have their baby? If they are that foolish they deserve to go two weeks over.

If you have nothing useful to contribute then please do not contribute.

GoerGirl

I prefer the term "guess date" to "Due Date" !!

January

grindelwald wrote: »

That was my guys due date, 15th of august, however he didnt come in august he came in july, 5 weeks early, all 7lb 6 oz of him.

Im fortunate to have all mine early...

You're fortunate to have healthy babies that came early, others don't get the same luck as you.

lmullen

Have never once had a 28 day cycle so when I found out I was pregnant I went straight for an early dating scan which hopefully will be accurate! Going by the doctors wheel I'm due on the 7th June going by my dating scan I'm due the 24th June - I'm 99% sure when baby was conceived and the dating scan is definitely the more accurate! When my mum was pregnant with me her EDD was the day I arrived I wouldn't say that happens too often - hopefully my little one will take after me!!

notsobusy

According to my GP I was due on the 8th July, then it was brought forward to the 2nd July by the dating scan at 14 weeks and the anomaly scan at 21 weeks brought it forward to the 29th June!!

So I supposed to will arrive some time in june/july