What would you recommend re:pg while bf, no LMP

[chumani]

The week of Jan 12-19 our whole family had some kind of stomach bug, I never got over it. Now 3 different brands of pg tests, all positive!, and 4 weeks of morning/noon/middle of the night sickness I know another little one is on the way.

I have one failing as a natural homebirth mama, I really like to know my due date, I love knowing exactly how many weeks I am. I am going nuts not knowing! I have always known when I conceived but have been lax in charting the last year.

I had a mini period back in October (3 days) and then nothing. I took a pg test around Thanksgiving and another before Christmas they were both neg. So I am thinking conception happened in early Jan. However I can feel my uterus about 5-6 cm above my pubic bone.

I really don't want to go to a local ob for an ultrasound as we had a court ordered c/sec last August in our county. The homebirth climate is a little uncertain in Utah right now. I guess I am just looking for support that it is ok to trust my body and that the babe will come when ripe. I haven't ever had problems with pre-term labor etc.

Thanks for listening to my drama of the day!! It seems pretty silly to be so dramatic after four babies! :o

Sarah:o

[SamuraiEarthMama]

do you have journals from your past pregnancies? can you compare your m/s dates and narrow it down that way? have you had implantation bleeding before?

my m/s started bang at 8 weeks, and it's been pretty reliable from one pregnancy to the next.

your fundal height, unfortunately, won't be a great indicator, because your uterus will become more relaxed and prominent with subsequent pregnancies. still, your growth rate should be about 1 cm a week. i measured 17 cm with preg#4 at 14 weeks, so i know i'm 4 cm "bigger" than dates (i'm also a hefty gal, so this makes sense to me). if you have consistantly measured at dates with all your pregnancies, though, perhaps it will be a good way for you to estimate your baby's due date.

u/s is pretty common these days. midwives can refer for them (at least in CA... not sure in Utah). but you do have to do it soon, because the ability to date babies gets fuzzier the longer you wait.

i've heard of plenty of folks who go into a FP or OB to get initial bloodwork and labs done, then just never call back. they don't go looking for you! i think they just assume that you have chosen a different care practitioner... it happens all the time.

i'm not trying to talk you into an u/s, but it shouldn't be too hard for you to get one if you want one.

good luck and let us know what you find out!

katje

[DreamsInDigital]

I, too, conceived while breastfeeding and I had not really had my post partum AF yet so I am unsure of my dates.
I am trying to trust my body to take care of this pregnancy, so I am doing my own prenatal care at home. I am not going to have an ultrasound to find out when my due date is because I never give birth any where near my due date so it's irrelevant anyway.
If you feel you can trust your body to grow this baby without medical help, great. Go with it, and many blessings to you. But I don't think going to see an OB for one ultrasound and never calling him again is going to hurt anything. If you feel you have to know, then ease your mind.
I am learning how to trust my body's ability to be pregnant without any thought or effort on my part. Feel free to PM me if you want to talk any time.

[Carmel]

If you had other things that were consistent in your other pregnancies- like when you felt fetal movement you could use that.

Also in Anne Frye's Holistic Midwifery she lists many, many signs of pregnancy and the time at which they occur. Some have a more specific time range and you could watch for those.

Also I think you are right about trusting your body.

[ldsapmom]

Congratulations!

I am like you with the due-date-thing. I guess what everybody else said about comparing to your last pregnancies is what I would say, but I wonder if your sickness can be a better clue? Many women get sick and then feel better at pretty "standard" times in each of their pregnancies; are you like that?

What wonderful news! I can't wait to see what you name this baby -- I love all of your baby names, they are all ones I have always liked for myself.:)

[hvl25]

No advice , but :champagne

[veganmamma]

I would wait awhile, base your EDD on what you would guess it at, then when you think you are 20 weeks, have your MW palpate your uterus. 16, 20 and 24 weeks are big landmark changes in the uterus. 16 weeks is up to your belly button butnarrow like a circle, 20 weeks is still at your navel but wide to the sides of your abdomen, like an oval, and 24 weeks is above you navel and sticks out much more prominently. I wouldn't go by weeks anyway, try lunar months. Weeks tend to be so innacurate. EDDs can be off a week or more, and everyone gestates differently. HTH. :love
Lauren
PS CONGRATS!!