Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Can the baby be mine?

My wife is showing as being 10 weeks and 3 days pregnant. That makes the conception day the 7th of October. She was away in Viet Nam from the 10th of September until the 20th of October. We did not make love until about the 24th of October when she was back and in early September before she left. Is there any chance the baby can be mine?
11 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
134578 tn?1693250592
COMMUNITY LEADER
sorry, conceived October 24, not December 24!  Wish there was an edit function.  lol
Helpful - 0
134578 tn?1693250592
COMMUNITY LEADER
No, from what you thought they told you, you had a small chance.  Not from what they told you.  They were speaking in medicalese, and thought they were being clear.  Another doctor or nurse would have understood immediately that they were using a GA, which count begins on the first day of the last period.  The problem is, medicalese sounds just like plain English.  They spoke in medicalese and  you heard it in English, and nobody realized the other was misunderstanding.  I am SURE they did not say "You have a very small chance of being the father," and am sure you didn't say "Do you mean CONCEIVED on October 7?"  It would have never occurred to either of you to say these things, because you thought you were understanding each other.  

Anyway, it sounds (if the ultrasound was on December 10 and said 8 weeks 5 days) that the baby was conceived December 24, give or take a couple of days.

Have a merry Christmas!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for the feedback everyone.
It is great to know that there is a huge chance that I am the father. From what doctors and midwifes had told me it was a very small chance.
Helpful - 0
134578 tn?1693250592
COMMUNITY LEADER
ps - When was the first ultrasound done, that showed the baby to be 8 weeks 5 days?  On what date (on the calendar) was that?
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
It was done on December 10. It is nice to read all these posts and see that is very possible and even most likely I am the father.

From what the doctors and midwifes were saying it was very likely that I wasnt the father.

Thanks for all your detailed replies. They have helped a lot :-)
134578 tn?1693250592
COMMUNITY LEADER
When you say "My wife is showing as being 10 weeks and 3 days pregnant / that makes the conception day the 7th of October" you are wrong.  If she is at gestational age 10w3d on the 17th of December, conception would be around October 14 - 24.  Her last period should have come around the 5th of October.

When a doctor gives a gestational-age count, he is NOT counting from the conception date.  He is counting from the assumed first day of the last period, which comes two weeks before conception.  A doctor saying you are 10 weeks 3 days "pregnant" means you are 8 weeks 3 days from conception.

If you don't understand this, call the doctor and ask.  Pregnancy is calculated from the first day of the last period because in grandma's day, that was the only signal they had to begin the count.

Get a copy of Your Pregnancy Week by Week, or A Child is Born, or any pregnancy book, and they will say things like "6 weeks pregnant (4 weeks from conception)" alll throughout the book.  Or just look up "gestational age" and see how it is calculated.

As the previous poster says, suspicion is fear, don't be fearful.  If you have a genuine reason to think your wife has been with someone else, talk to her and find out.  But the g.a. of her pregnancy is not that reason.  It leads to you as a perfectly plausible candidate for dad.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Remember that the due date is an estimate! Baby could also be measuring a little ahead or behind. My baby always measuring larger than what my "due date" was.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
It sounds like you are the father. There are many factors that contribute to the due date being an estimate, how long s perm can live before ovulation occurs and fertilization talked place-up to a week,  how long it takes to implant 5-12 days, how long her luteal phase is. It isn't like you are talking about a months discrepancy. It sounds like you and your wife need to communicate better to reestablish trust in the relationship. Better to do it now before baby is born and it leads to more developed problems. A baby with two parents has a better chance at life. Don't let fear control you, suspicion is fear.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Be sure**
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I agree with maw, ultrasound a little more accurate since they use your last period to calculate due date and not everyone is regular. And also the ultrasound can be off too since babies develope a different rates throughout the pregnancy sometimes measuring bigger or smaller. The only way to he sure is a paternity test which can be done later during the pregnancy or once baby is born (they even sell kits over the counter now I believe)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The ultrasound is likely more accurate, but also remember that it's an estimate.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
By the way, the first ultrasound was done showing baby to be 8 weeks and 5 days.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the DNA / Paternity Community

Top Pregnancy Answerers
13167 tn?1327194124
Austin, TX
4769306 tn?1568490209
NC
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Get information and tips on how to help you choose the right place to deliver your baby.
Get the facts on how twins and multiples are formed and your chance of carrying more than one baby at a time.
Learn about the risks and benefits of circumcision.
What to expect during the first hours after delivery.
Learn about early screening and test options for your pregnancy.
Learn about testing and treatment for GBS bacterium.