Mistaking How Far Along You Are?

Updated on January 15, 2009
M.F. asks from Ellsworth, ME
6 answers

Hi moms, I have written about my sil before and always had such great feedback I wanted to try again. Briefly to catch you up, after a miscarriage, 14 months of infertility and beginning clomid, my sil just found out she was pregnant again right after Christmas. She had her first appt. yesterday and when they did the ultrasound, the pregnancy is measuring only at 5 weeks instead of the 7 she thought she was. She totally freaked because she found out about her last miscarriage when they couldn't hear a heart beat and then an ultrasound showed the embryo was no longer viable. The doctor didn't seem too distressed, my sil has longer cycles and so the dr. attributed it to that. Does anyone have any experience with this? How did it come out? This is going to be a long week for all of us before her next ultrasound on Monday. Thank you moms! M.

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.M.

answers from Boston on

Also worked out fine for me with both of my pregnancies. The bummer was that both times it pushed my "due date" back by a couple of weeks. I obviously can't make any promises, but the ultrasounds generally are better at determining fetal age than the general dating system.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.K.

answers from Boston on

This is really common with longer cycles, she should be fine but I know it's really stressful, especially after a miscarriage and infertility. I just had an ultrasound yesterday that said my baby was two weeks younger than it would be based on the generalized dating system. I have long cycles too, and I had the same thing happen with previous (successful) pregnancies so I was expecting it.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.H.

answers from Boston on

It isn't uncommon for ultrasounds to date differently than the general dating system, especially early in the pregnancy. Early on in a pregnancy, ultrasounds can be pretty accurate b/c the fetus is undergoing rapid transformations. The general dating system is supposed to be an estimate - some doctors even say you have a birth month rather than an actual date. With my first pregnancy, the ultrasound moved my due date by 17 days. With my second, the ultrasound moved my date 8 days. I have pretty irregular cycles, so the ultrasound was more accurate than the general dating scheme. Good luck to your sister-in-law!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.L.

answers from Buffalo on

M.- I had a miscarriage during my first pregnancy so during my second they did several early ultrasounds and ALL of them dated me one week earlier than the due date my Doctor gave me. In the end my due date from my Docs was around June 11 and my daughter was born on June 4th (almost exactly one week earlier!). I don't know about the longer cycle stuff b/c mine is pretty standard (28 days) but it makes sense that it would throw things off...

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.F.

answers from New London on

Hi M.,

The measuring is not always accurate. I was measuring huge a few weeks before I was due, and my doc decided to induce, becuase she didn't want me to have to deliver a massive baby. It turns out that the baby wasn't huge at all, it was just so much amniotic fluid, and the position of the baby at the time. Your sil may just have a small baby right now, which is very common with firsts so early on in the pregnancy. I don't think she should worry. The docs are really great at calculating. My last preg, I didn't even know I was for a few months, and when I went in, the doc pegged my preg within a week from the actual (cuz I didn't remember). I don't think she should worry about the actual, as long as baby is ok. :o)

Mari

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.K.

answers from Springfield on

as far as pregnancy and due dates everything is a guess based on the first day of your last period. I measured small the entire time I was pregnant with Evan and he weighed in on the small side much smaller than my first and I had to have several ultrasounds becuase my size fluctuated so much with him I'd be smaller one week than I was the previous week. Stress isn't good for the baby so as hard as it is she needs to try to relax if her ob isn't worried she should try to relax a little. If her cycles have been longer than normal she probably ovulated later in her cycle than normal. I wish her the best of luck and I hope all goes well.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions