What to do? Switch midwife/ob? Sorta long...sorry.

Bluescarf · October 2010

I got back from my prenatal appt. today and am more frustrated that ever! I had an early dating u/s at 9 weeks in which they measured the fetus 9 days ahead and then sitched my due date up 9 days as well. I tried to explain that I was using the Fertility Awareness Method and that while I know it isn't an exact science it would have my conception date at one day after my period. Also, my temp. never rose until the day after my estimated ovulation date. I went along with it anyways because I could not change their mind, and now at my 19 week u/s they said the baby is in the 30th percentile. I feel like this more clearly adds up to my dates than theirs as to when I conceived. It wouldn't bother me so much except today my midwife informed me that what I'll have to prepare for is that they will induce me if I go to 42 weeks. With a jump of 9 days, this seems so likely now that I will be induced. I really do not want this, I wanted a natural birth. Should I just switch practitioners? Would this even work. I guess my point is that a new practitioner would be going by my LMP this late in the game, not an u/s dating. Sorry this is so long but I am really confused and would really like to hear from someone else on this.

MaiteRam · October 2010

They're all going to go by the early u/s.

citychicks · October 2010

Switching would be a waste of time, as the new pract will still use the u/s dates. Sorry Sad

tapcat63 · October 2010

My OB doesn't change the due date unless there is a 2 week difference. Can't you insist that they keep their water-breaking crochet hooks away from you? With my first, my doctor suggested an induction but left it up to me. Unless it's absolutely medically necessary, I think they would have to let you go on your own.

penguin-kisses · October 2010

What PP said. Not to mention the reason they go by the size of the baby in your early u/s to determine when you are due at all, and why they consider it accurate, is because it's a pretty standard measurement with everyone. This is literally bare bones fetal development so fatty tissues and other things that develop in the second half of your pregnancy and most towards the end don't even come into play as far as the weight. If your baby is measuring 9 days ahead, it's because they really ARE 9 days ahead.

I was told by my u/s tech at my amnio that regardless of how far ahead or behind your baby "measures" later in the pregnancy your due date will generally not change and will always be calculated based on your early dating u/s over your own dates.

Even with charting and temperatures and all that, judging when you ovulate is still just a guess so I would take what came up in the ultrasound over your own calculations. Just because counting back puts you ovulating so soon after your LMP, doesn't mean it can't happen because you really can ovulate any time.

SarahTx5701 · October 2010

the ONLY thing that would concern me is if they tried to induce you EARLY for some reason.

I charted and knew exactly when I concieved, yet my docs were sticking with my early ultrasound which put me a week ahead of time.

So when I was 12 weeks, I was really only 11. This wouldn't have been a problem except I was induced early for severe pre-eclampsia.

My hospital was a military hospital and could not do inductions earlier than 36 weeks becuase they didn't have a nicu. Well since I was 36 weeks according to them, I was induced. My ds was born, had issues and had to be transported to a hospital downtown to a nicu, while I stayed at the hospital I delivered at. If they would have listened to me, I could have avoided that mess and been induced at a hospital with a nicu.

my case is RARE, extremely RARE.

I would really only be concerned if they were looking at an earlier induction, chances are you;ll go into labor on your own before 41/42 weeks.

biblionerd · October 2010

I'm leaving my OB because they're @ssholes, but they argued with my due date also. I had 4 u/s at the RE and they told me I was due 4/24 and gave me the baby's age/size based on 3 of the u/s that had measurements all to the same day. The first one was 3 days behind. It doesn't matter since they're so close, but the OB flat out told me I was wrong and that "you always go by the first u/s no matter what this other dr. told you".

littlebubba07 · October 2010

other pp seem to think that a different OB would use your u/s dates... so, I would just talk to them about your concerns--- with DD I had my last scheduled appointment on my due date-- a tuesday... they scheduled me for an u/s to check my amniotic fluid levels 7 days later. It never happened because I went into labor before that on Saturday. I am hoping that if my fluid levels were good they would have let me wait it out. but if need be I would have been induced for DD's sake (and gave up the med-free thing). So, in the end, you may just have to see what happens and do what is best for LO. (and hopefully you won't even have to worry about it at all! GL!)

KylieNic · October 2010

It's actually your legal right to refuse any treatment or drugs when you're giving birth. Anywhere you go, you can just refuse to be induced.

Bluescarf · October 2010

Thanks for all your replies, it soes seem I have more options than I felt they were giving me. It's scary when they use phrases like "We will be doing" or "that's the standard procedure", etc. It kind of makes me feel like I have no choice. I think I will just call them and tell them my concerns, I just want to do what's best for my LO and myself, not just what they tell me to do.

Bluescarf · October 2010

penguin-kisses:

What PP said. Not to mention the reason they go by the size of the baby in your early u/s to determine when you are due at all, and why they consider it accurate, is because it's a pretty standard measurement with everyone. This is literally bare bones fetal development so fatty tissues and other things that develop in the second half of your pregnancy and most towards the end don't even come into play as far as the weight. If your baby is measuring 9 days ahead, it's because they really ARE 9 days ahead.

I was told by my u/s tech at my amnio that regardless of how far ahead or behind your baby "measures" later in the pregnancy your due date will generally not change and will always be calculated based on your early dating u/s over your own dates.

The only concern I have with this is that it is simply not true in all cases. I know of two women who were told when they conceived etc. when their husbands were not even there to make that happen and they certainly were not messing around. One of the women went on to have her baby closer to the original due date. Even my nidwife told me this happens, but still won't budge. Confusing....

Even with charting and temperatures and all that, judging when you ovulate is still just a guess so I would take what came up in the ultrasound over your own calculations. Just because counting back puts you ovulating so soon after your LMP, doesn't mean it can't happen because you really can ovulate any time.

Whazzatk · October 2010

You might want to block out your real name from your ultrasound pic. Just an fyi.

jasabakytach+1 · October 2010

A good documentary that I think all women should watch is "The Business of Being Born", produced by Riki Lake. The point of the movie is to inform women of their birthing options. The movie strongly emphasizes the use of midwives over OBs, and home birth over hospital birth. If you want a hospital birth the movie can be a bit scary, but it is possible to have a natural child birth in the hospital. Having a midwife or a dula can be extremely helpful, they will remind you that you have rights and options and can refuse medication. Most hospitals will have standard procedures like putting an IV line in you as a 'just in case'.

If you are already considering a midwife I though you might enjoy this movie.

Bluescarf · October 2010

4+Grapefriut:

A good documentary that I think all women should watch is "The Business of Being Born", produced by Riki Lake. The point of the movie is to inform women of their birthing options. The movie strongly emphasizes the use of midwives over OBs, and home birth over hospital birth. If you want a hospital birth the movie can be a bit scary, but it is possible to have a natural child birth in the hospital. Having a midwife or a dula can be extremely helpful, they will remind you that you have rights and options and can refuse medication. Most hospitals will have standard procedures like putting an IV line in you as a 'just in case'.

If you are already considering a midwife I though you might enjoy this movie.

I'm actually at a midwife center with a birthing center and everything. I'm also doing Hypnobirthing. You're right, that movie is amazing! It's what changed my mind in the beginning from the "normal" birthing environment we usually have here in the U.S. to a natural birth. I think that's what threw me with all of this. They seem to be treating me the same as an OB would.

Bluescarf · October 2010

penguin-kisses:

What PP said. Not to mention the reason they go by the size of the baby in your early u/s to determine when you are due at all, and why they consider it accurate, is because it's a pretty standard measurement with everyone. This is literally bare bones fetal development so fatty tissues and other things that develop in the second half of your pregnancy and most towards the end don't even come into play as far as the weight. If your baby is measuring 9 days ahead, it's because they really ARE 9 days ahead.

I was told by my u/s tech at my amnio that regardless of how far ahead or behind your baby "measures" later in the pregnancy your due date will generally not change and will always be calculated based on your early dating u/s over your own dates.

For some reason my reply to this didn't show up. My concern with the dating of the u/s is that it isn't always accurate. Even my midwife admitted this. I know of two women who were told how far along they were, and their conception date. Only thing is that they didn't even have sex anywhere near the dates they were given, and one woman's husband wasn't even in town. She had to convince her husband that she wasn't messing around on him because the doctors acted like this was 100% accurate. Confusing all around.

Even with charting and temperatures and all that, judging when you ovulate is still just a guess so I would take what came up in the ultrasound over your own calculations. Just because counting back puts you ovulating so soon after your LMP, doesn't mean it can't happen because you really can ovulate any time.

Bluescarf · October 2010

Not sure why it won't let me post under people's quotes, weird. I was trying to say that I know a woman who was told a due date and conception date based on her u/s. She hadn't even had sex even near the time they gave her, and it actually caused problems between her husband and her because they made it seem like it was 100% accurate. It wasn't.

ncbelle · October 2010

Do you still have your charts? I'm really surprised that a midwife wouldn't be receptive to a charting due date. Both my OB and midwife with my first pregnancy were 100% on board with my charting date - I had long cycles so my LMP date would have put me due two weeks earlier (I didn't have an early u/s). An u/s at 9 weeks can be off too - just takes a tiny mis-measurement as the differences in age aren't as noticeable at that point as they are a few weeks earlier.

I would discuss my concerns with them - you have a right as a patient to feel that your concerns are being addressed; if that doesn't happen, I might consider looking around for another provider.

Also, remember that no one can force you to induce - even though they can bring on the pressure! If the NST looks good and you have your charting "evidence" of conception, there's no need to feel like you have to go in for what they are considering 42 weeks.

Hopefully, you won't get to that point and have to deal with it - but definitely have the conversation now in case you do.

Kat_Bride · October 2010

How could they place your conception date a day after your LMP? They're obviously wrong.

As a side note, it's confusing to me how so many women don't seem to know their own due date and have to rely on these ultrasounds in the first place (which aren't all that accurate). Don't these women have a general idea as to when they ovulated? And even if they don't, don't they remember when their last AF was? Odd.

MallratsMom · October 2010

Not sure if you have other birthing center options where you live, but we only have 1 free standing one here in colorado so I wouldn't have many options. With that said my midwife went off the ovulation date I told her since I don't ovulate on CD 14 it's more like CD 16/17. I also didn't have an U/S to date the pregnancy so that is all they could go off of. After my 20 week U/S I was measuring 6 days ahead of my original due date. I'm more worried about delivering before 37 weeks, but they said they could us either date when it came to if I had to transfer to an OB or not (they can't deliver anything before 37 weeks at the birth center). Maybe that would be an option if you were to hit 42 weeks then they could go off your chart dates to give you some extra time.

biblionerd · October 2010

Kat_Bride:

As a side note, it's confusing to me how so many women don't seem to know their own due date and have to rely on these ultrasounds in the first place (which aren't all that accurate). Don't these women have a general idea as to when they ovulated? And even if they don't, don't they remember when their last AF was? Odd.

You just can't always go by last AF and I'm not sure how one would know a general idea as to when they ovulate. Not everyone ovulates CD 12-14 which is what you're doing basing it on LMP. Based on my LMP I should be 16 weeks. I don't ovulate and wasn't supposed to get pg, so how on earth would I know what my due date was or when I conceived without an u/s? I just randomly ovulated once a month after AF started.

JimsBride08 · October 2010

I dumped my OB, and one of the reasons was her refusal to change my due date(after she said she would) based on my u/s AND my chart, which matched. I'm a VBAC-er, so it's very important with the OB to have the baby BY my due date. Are you seeing an OB or midwife? I'm sort of confused by the fact that you were talking to your midwife, but then she said "they" will induce you. I think a new practitioner would probably go by the early u/s. They are supposed to be very accurate, so it would depend on the person you are seeing I guess. GL whatever you do.

Bluescarf · October 2010

I'm seeing a midwife, but it is in a practice of four midwives, so I see them all. I'm assuming that's what the midwife meant when she said we. I guess what I wondered about going to a new practice is if they have to see those early u/s. Couldn't they just look at my 19 week u/s? If I had never had that early u/s this wouldn't be happening at all.

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What to do? Switch midwife/ob? Sorta long...sorry.

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