feeling for due dates

[Kanga]

How accurately can a midwife determine a due date by feeling a woman's belly? I had one period after nursing for a year and a half... but don't remember when exactly... somewhere in sept.-oct.... pretty vague. My midwives just took one feel of my uterus at the first visit and said... "oh, you're about 10 weeks" The next visit they moved the date back a week, again by how the baby felt. I wouldn't ordinarilly doubt their expertise and experience, but I feel SO much like I'm about a month further along than they say I am. Just by how much the baby is bouncing around already, how much I'm showing, pressure on my cervix. I know these things can happen earlier in second pregs... but is it possible they could be off by so much? I'm having an ultra sound in two weeks, at which time they are predicting I'll be at 22 weeks. I'm hoping this will confirm what they are saying. I'm planning a homebirth and I'm afraid if the date is off by too much I'll be sent right to the hospital because they'll think it's preterm. ALso I get the last month off from work paid and I'd like to take advantage of it.

[MysticHealerMom]

If you aren't sure when you ovulated, which is pretty easy if you're cycles are 28 days and you know when the first date of your last menstrual period was, that's the most accurate way.

If you didn't have your period and weren't measuring your ovulation or your periods were erratic, then it's more difficult to tell, unless you know when you had intercourse and there weren't any other incidents inky

There is something to be said by how large your uterus is by feel, but it isn't the best indicator, esp early on and w/a 2nd baby.

sonograms are most accurate early on, before 18 weeks? After that, they aren't as accurate because that's when babies start to grow at different rates.

After about 22 weeks the length of a woman's uterus, from public bone to the top of the fundus, is indicative of how far along her pregnancy is - it's pretty amazing, actually, for most women your uterus actually measures at the same week as your pregnancy. - ie: 27" = 27 weeks.

If you thnk you're farther along than they do, insist that they keep that in mind regardless of their measurements because you don't want to have to deal with the pre-mature situation when you get there. You know your body better than they do.

You might try asking this on the midwife and doula forum, too.

Hope it works out for you.

Lori

[tinyshoes]

centimeters from pubic bone to fundus (Not inches, Lori )

(edited to make winking smiley work properly to accurately convey jovial nature of my 'correction' to my fellow pregnancy-brained mama!)

[MysticHealerMom]

he he, that does make more sense

27" whew!

[Kanga@work]

Hi, This is the original Kanga...
I remember the very strong correlation between the distance from the public bone to the top of the fundus in my first pregnancy. It always exactly correlated to the week I was in. These midwives haven't done this measurement yet. Maybe they only do it later? I'll ask next time. But some good news is that I remembered that I talked about the day I got my period on the boards here! I went back and did a search.... the due date calculated from the date of my period (and a 42 day cycle... what it was prior to baby #1) exactly corresponds to what the midwife "felt" was about right. I must say that I'm impressed.

[Beth-TX]

I was always behind like 4 centimeters on my fundus length. My midwife kinda flipped and made me keep a food diary and made me eat 100 grams of protein a day (that's tough when you're a vegetarian). My dd was nearly 8 lbs, though. I think either my uterus was tilted weird or maybe it's just because I'm a very tiny person (when I'm not pregnant, that is!).

peace, Beth

[Mary-Beth]

Measuring the uterous is very subjective...two midwives may get two different measurements... Also, my midwives told me it is not very accurate anyway after the second tri. I just thought I'd share becasue one student midwife really scared me with how off my measurements were...even suggesting a possible problem like growth retardation! The other midwives immediately corrected her but it was so wild to hear one week I was 36 the next 34 the next 37 the next 32...
It depends on your body, the baby's position, how you carry, and the baby's station.

I'm curious how to date a pregnancy too since I just found out I'm pregnant and becasue of nursing haven't had a regular cycle...in fact, my cycle just returned. I'm not in favor of u/s (unless really, really necessary) and so I may have a blood test done, combine with the midwives measurements, combined with first kicks, first heart tones heard on dopplar, etc.
Make your concerns heard though...you midwives may be willing to make changes towards the end if you do seem to be "more" pregnant.
Wishing you the best!

[mrzmeg]

My MW estimated that I was about four weeks more pg than I was...ugh...ended up going into labor exactly three weeks after my EDD, as determined by my dates.

[Peppamint]

Hmm... I would just go by your edd based on your one lmp. Make sure your midwives are okay with going with what your body does.

I know the day my babe was conceived, but there's till that 6 week span where he could be born (I figure b/t 36-42 weeks) and it be considered a normal pregnancy.

Due dates are the pits anyway... I'm sick of people asking. I can't even say April, they want to know what day like he'll be born that day or something! :