Due date and AF don't make sense

[smjmekg]

Ok...I had irregular AFs when I got pregnant with DS. The day AF would end in one month would be the day it would start the next month, give or take a few days. I used a calculator in case I get my BFP this month to see when I would be due, and how far I would be now. I put in DSs dates...keep in mind I was irregular when I got pregnant with him, but this is what it said, and how it was...LMP with DS Oct 3 2007. With a 28 day cycle, he was due July 9, but born a week early July 2. When he was born he had the maturity level of a 38 week baby, or so the dr said...so was he really one week early, or should he have been due later due to irregular AF...the reason I ask is this is my first cycle off b/c and if I have to have another c-section, I don't want baby coming out any earlier than it needs to be, and if the dr decides to deliver at 39 weeks again, am I really going to be 39 weeks? I had no late AF with DS, I just didn't get it at all...so if I am pregnant, I can't really count the days of my cycle if AF never shows like with DS. If I confused anyone sorry, I can try to explain better if I know where you're confused...

[cmoretti]

If you are able to have it naturally, then that will quell your apprehensiveness about "too early". Did you get the information you needed to help you feel a bit better? I wish you the best and TRY not to stress about things. Everything will be ok. Just love your husband as much and often as you can ;)

[smjmekg]

No, my incision wasn't vertical, and when I do get pregnant this time I am going to talk to the doctor about a vaginal delivery. DS didn't have that many issues, he was breathing too fast when he was born and was in the nursery for the first 24 hours, 14 of which he was on oxygen...so it wasn't too bad, I was just confused about some things.

[cmoretti]

Yes, I also posted on your first one. but you did add more information with this one. To have your period about the same time every month give or take a couple of days isn't irregular!  Irregular cycles range from 10 days to 45 days or more. A variation of up to 5 days is considered regular.

There is NO WAY you can date this pregnancy based on your last pregnancy! One way to get an accurate date is to have an early US. This is what the doctors will use to get the most accurate due date for you. Everyone's fetus grows the same for the first several weeks so the date they give you is very accurate.

To understand how they date gestation outside of an ultrasound. They go by the first day of your LAST (previous) period. If you were taking BC that makes it so you don't have a period at all, then they will use US to date your pregnancy. Medically, full term pregnancy is 38 weeks, but because there is no way of knowing when the woman actually ovulated they go by the first day of your last period and add two weeks making 40 weeks. A term delivery is anywhere from two weeks before your due date and two weeks after your due date. The due date is JUST A GUIDE. Rarely are babies born on their due dates. Was there any problems with DS? Did he have problems breathing or need time in NICU? If he was fine, I think you are taking what your doctor said out of context. If you are worried about them doing the c section too soon then you can request an amnio to make sure the lungs are developed. That is the main worry about early births.

If you are worried you can always deliver vaginally unless your last CS was a vertical incision down the middle of your tummy.

[Grandmatobe]

I commented on your other post too, but I forgot to say that you always take the number of days from the FIRST day of your period to the FIRST day of your next period to calculate the number of days.  It doesn't matter when you end your period.

The other "quick and dirty" calculation that was used in my day was take the first day of your last period, subtract three months and add a week.  So in your example above, If your period had started on Oct 3, the due date should have been around July 10th.  Again, that was the way they did it 20 years ago and it was probably based on a 28 day cycle, not a 30 day.