Made my first appointment. :)

[alison_in_oh]

I'll be 8.5 weeks when I go to see the CNM! I hope I get along with her, she has a bit of a reputation for being annoying.

The scheduler asked when my LMP was and I blanked. It's not like it matters, because I have long cycles and I do NOT want the wrong dates associated with my record! So I fumbled and finally told her, "I'm five weeks along today. I conceived three weeks ago. I don't know when my LMP was." LOL.

Speaking of which I am really fuzzy-brained lately! I keep doing stupid things and failing to remember simple stuff. Must be preggo brain already.

[boscopup]

I'll have an interesting first appt regarding dates as well. My LMP is 4/19, peak day was day 35, and I think I actually ovulated on day 34 (I was crampy that day). So by LMP I'm a full 3 weeks further along than I really am. Thankfully, my OB and my midwife both believe me when I tell them this. I have my first OB appt next week, and while he'll initially put the LMP-based date in the chart, he'll tell me to schedule the dating u/s for what we think is probably closer to 8 weeks (I do a dating u/s because I've had a preterm baby before and I want to be sure on dates so we can deal with the situation knowledgeably if it happens again... I *was* sure on dates with the preterm baby because I chart, but the doctors assigned to me in the hospital didn't believe me because he was measuring 2 weeks ahead for size... that's just how I grow my babies).

Now my midwife, I usually just say "put down the wheel", and she does. She writes down whatever date I give her. I love my midwife. Won't see her until 12 weeks, most likely.

[Everrgreen]

I have the same issue, my lmp was April 30th, but I didn't ovulate until day 23. So when I made my appt the receptionist gave me an edd of February 5th but according to my ovulation my edd is February 12th. She said I could just straighten it out with the midwife at the first appt. So I hope that'll be okay.

[nighten]

Last time I ovulated really late, so I just adjusted my LMP date so it made it that I'd ovulated on "day 14" -- made things sooo much easier for everyone.

(Though I did tell my midwife what had really happened and she nodded, said it was fine, and wrote down the adjusted LMP so I'd have the right due date.)

Honestly, unless your midwife or OB is as laid back as mine was, I'd just tell them the adjusted LMP, as if you'd ovulated on day 14 instead of your actual ovulation date, so you'll not run into issues about being "late" at the end of your pregnancy.

This time I am pretty sure I ovulated on day 14 (maybe one or two days earlier -- which is no big deal), so my actual LMP date is fine.

I've been in twice for blood work now, but go in for my first actual appointment around 7 weeks. (So 3 weeks from now basically? I can't count. My brain's right fuzzy already too.)

[alison_in_oh]

Originally Posted by nighten

Honestly, unless your midwife or OB is as laid back as mine was, I'd just tell them the adjusted LMP, as if you'd ovulated on day 14 instead of your actual ovulation date, so you'll not run into issues about being "late" at the end of your pregnancy.

Yeah, I'm strongly leaning toward never offering a LMP date, just an ovulation date. They can do with that information what they will.

[nighten]

Well, to me it was less about the struggle of insisting when I ovulated (though I'm sorry -- I think it's ridiculous that women who do know are penalized or lumped into some mass 28 day cycle system, but anyway), and more about needing everyone to be on the same page with the due date.

I was lucky not to have a midwife or OB who would've pressured me about inductions or whatever, but honestly had I not given them the false LMP, then my due date would've been off by ~ two weeks, and that could've also mucked up the actual delivery date in terms of being able to go to the birth center rather than a hospital (seeming premature when not). Or what if I'd been late? Then I could've been 4 weeks overdue, possibly? Things like that are hard to deal with once you're 40 weeks pregnant. It's a lot easier to get it all out of the way as early as possible.

So it can go either way, for sure, but I think giving an LMP that makes ovulation occurring on day 14 is a good compromise. Unless of course you're anything like me right now and can't do math. Then definitely give them the ov date and let them do the math.

[alison_in_oh]

Originally Posted by nighten

So it can go either way, for sure, but I think giving an LMP that makes ovulation occurring on day 14 is a good compromise. Unless of course you're anything like me right now and can't do math. Then definitely give them the ov date and let them do the math.

Oh, no, I'm very serious about not feeling pressure at the end of my pregnancy, I want all the time I can get. If there were going to be *any* question about dates, I'd get an ultrasound. That's what happened with my last pregnancy. I knew my dates, my midwife was OK with trusting me but wanted something more concrete in my chart that could follow me when I transferred care (I moved mid-pregnancy).

It's just that I'm a terrible liar. "I ovulated 3 weeks ago", which is true, is easier for me to say than "I had my period on May 9," which is false.

[boscopup]

I'm just going to enjoy telling them that their wheel is 3 weeks off and then showing that the dating u/s proves me right.

Of course, if you're avoiding early u/s, that's not a good option, and making up an LMP is probably the best way to do it.

[nighten]

Oh definitely. And of course it's dependent on your comfort level with being 100% honest too. I apparently don't have an issue with telling a nurse that my LMP was a date other than when it was because to me, that's simply not choosing to battle with her over the Wheel That Can Never Be Wrong(tm).

[boscopup]

I'm actually able to be completely honest with my OB. He's awesome. Last time, I told him that I was planning to birth out of hospital with a midwife, and that I was just seeing him in case I went early again. He was happy that I told him, because he's had several that did the same thing as me, except that they didn't tell him their plans... they just didn't show up at the hospital. He felt bad that they didn't tell him about it.

He also is fine with me skipping tests, checking blood sugar with a glucometer a few times instead of taking the GTT (my dad is diabetic and lent me an extra glucometer and plenty of strips), etc. He would be more comfortable with his patients birthing in a hospital, as he does believe that's the safer place to be, but he's open minded enough to say that out of hospital is a safe option and he'll see patients that are planning that, which is amazing in this area, because homebirth midwives can't legally practice in this state.

And of course I can be completely honest with my midwife too. She trusts my charting over any wheel.

[milli249]

I made my first appointment immediately! I wanted to make sure I could get in with my midwife! I go July 14th...I forget but think i'll be around 10 weeks then? That seems like forever!
I still keep wondering if this is reallly happening!