Would you lie about your EDD to your mw/gp/ob?

[tk1999]

I felt I had to fight to get my GP to believe me when I said I knew my EDD - he went from LMP but that put me due early August as I have long cycles due to PCOS. I knew when I had ovulated as I had been charting, temping etc but they wouldn't believe it - they go from LMP. I requested a dating scan and what would you know it came back as one day after my predicted EDD. My obs never questioned me as he knew I had PCOS (he was managing it) and with my history had a chuckle at the EDD my GP gave - he said a date from LMP for me would have caused all sorts of arguements about being overdue when bub would not have been anywhere near finished baking.

I have spoken to my Obs and he has said we will talk about it more later but he is happy for me to go over the EDD - not sure by how much just yet - provided that there are no apparent risk factors etc.

For me lying was never an option - I was truthful to get them to believe me that I knew my cycle

[maz]

I have to ask now as we are evolving into it (well sort of) is an u/s able to pick up calcifications and complications other then blood flow to it?

Makes one's mind boggle to doesnt it..........what the hell did we do in the 'old days' before technology

[Isadora]

Maz, thank god for technology thats all I can say.

With my DD I wasnt 100% on my dates, but I did have a fair idea when my LMP etc was, so I figured I would be due Sept 20. However the dating scan came up 6 Oct as my due date. I knew deep down this was wrong, I knew that date wasnt possible. However I went with the flow. A scan further down the track picked up that yes my edd was more around 22 Sept, however for some reason my doc still wanted to run with 6 Oct. I was so worried about this knowing that placentas wear out, so I changed doctors at 30 weeks & she went by 22 Sept & told my hospital to change all my dates. DD was born 5 days late & she was a porky bess. So I knew then that I was right on my dates. I know its not a huge diff between 22nd Sept & 6th Oct but it could have just been enough iykwim? Go with your instinct ladies.

[Trillian]

Maz it will show up calcification on the u/s as white spots I think? It does show up on it. and depending on the quality of the u/s machine, they can do a view of the blood flow through the heart and the umbilical cord. I guess back then you just had to take that chance that everything would be alright. I think it's a tough call though to refuse medical care during pg like some women do - you really need to have a strong resolve to be able to deal with any consequences of not having a scan or care. I don't begrudge any woman the right to refuse care or a scan if she wants to do that, but I know I could never live with the guilt of having something happen if it could have been remedied by a simple u/s. Even up to 25 years ago women were only having scans done if there was cause for concern or if you were a high risk pg. I think out of all of us Mum only had 1 scan for 5 pg's - and that was only done because she had some pretty heavy bleeding at 7mths with her 3rd pg. The first u/s machines were so rudimentary that they wouldn't have picked up much anyway.

When I had Alister I made a point of getting them to show me the placenta in detail as I had never really seen it with the first three and I knew it was my last chance. There were a few gritty areas in it, which was possibly due more to the sheer size of him, as he was only 4 days past dates (and I knew exactly when I o'd and conceived him). I don't know what that would have meant if I had of gone further past that date though. I have some pics of his placenta that I might post later, but I don't think they show the gritty areas all that well.

[Marlene]

Makes one's mind boggle to doesnt it..........what the hell did we do in the 'old days' before technology

I think a lot more mummas and bubbas didn't make it

[Midwife Melissa]

Just wondering, after reading LimeSlice's post about EDDs, how many people would lie about their EDD?

By that I mean, if you knew when your LMP was, and knew what your 40 week EDD would be... would you lie and tell them you were due a week later? To save the hassle of inductions etc when you hit smack on 40 weeks?

What would be the risks of saying you are due later? Do you think you'd get the "oh you're big for x weeks" and push for inductions anyway?

Just wondering...

I think if you're thinking of lying about your EDD, maybe you need to find a care provider you trust ...

[Inanna]

Maz - in answer to your placenta question... It is difficult to predict the state of a placenta by u/s alone. The best predictor of placental health is growth. Dopplers can be done to show blood flow - another good predictor. PAPP-A being low is also a possible predictor of poor placental health. Movements that a strong, forceful and regular are one of the best and non tech methods too!

Whilst my situation is different - just for some awareness.... As you know I was hospitalised at 26+4 weeks with an autoimmune response. I was transpported to a tertiary hospital. I was u/s frequently. Imogen's movements during her last 3 days inutero were undetectable to the point that I really thought she was dead. I had convinced myself she was gone. No movements in more than 24 hours.

Anyway - dopplers had been fine and the placenta looked fine. When she was born she was significantly smaller than u/s predicted and the placenta literally fell into threads. The surgeon showed me - knowing I was a nurse... No u/s had detected the dreadful state of my placenta. Immy was on borrowed time.

Placentas can show up some calcification and still be fine - placnta s are a large organ and adept at sustaining life. U/s though is a poor predictor of placental health (though of course helpful) - from the words of the top dog in Fetal Med at RBWH

T

[Just Me]

I wouldn't lie about my EDD. I have considered lying about my LMP though, but didn't in the end. I have had to chart to fall pg everytime because my cycles are so irregular and as this is my third baby, I know the drill and the stunned looks I get from medical professionals that my LMP could be that far out from my dating scan. In some ways, I think it would be easier to lie about my LMP and avoid the fuss, lecture and concern on behalf of the medical profession that should know that LMPs are not ALWAYS 28 days precisely, especially when the woman is breastfeeding. Argh! Anyway, vent over . . .

As for lying about EDD, if your baby is small for dates and you lie and say that your EDD is a week later, it will take them a lot longer to pick up that baby is not growing the way s/he should - not worth the risk in my opinion. Probably better to plough through having to explain yourself and your situation over and over again with the truth than having to fight your way out of a lie when the time comes.

Interesting thread though

[BekZ]

I haven't lied to my doctor or the hospital about my dates but I have insisted that they use my own EDD instead of my LMP date. I have long cycles and I don't O until day 21, which makes my EDD and the date going by my LMP a week apart.

My doctor insisted on using my LMP date but my first dating scan showed an edd of 16 July (which is my date). However my 12wk scan gave me a edd of 10 July (my lmp date) and then the 20wk scan suggested that my edd was 16 July.

I took all these states to my midwife and she agreed that my EDD would be closer to the 16th of July. She has been monitoring my fundal height and I always seem to be right for dates going by my edd.

I really want to avoid induction so I felt it necessary to insist on using the later EDD

[*Beema*]

Personally I would not lie about my EDD.

At my first appointment the MW put be a few days further back, (based on one cycle that went a couple fo days longer than normal. But when I had the dating scan, it went back to the date based on my LMP.

Having had a prem first time round and having a 50% chance it will happen again there would be no way I would consider lying about dates. Due to fast pregressing labour (7-8cm by the time I got to hosy), it was too late for steroids for bubs to develop her lungs prior to delivery. If it happens again and we can get there quick enough to stop labour progressing I would be much happier for bubs to have received the steroids than not IYKWIM.

It may also change the course of care for bubs when delivered.

[twoangelboys]

I have seen many placentas of prem babies or babies at term with pale, calcified, fatty placentas not all do last.

Do we get to the point of saying you are not overdue enought keep going placenta will be ok and then end up with a stillborn?

Actually if you look at actual figures and don't sucumb to scaremongering you find that the vast majority of stillbirths occur between 38-40 weeks gestation (partially because once you hit the 41 week mark you are subject to a lot of monitoring unless you refuse).

Should we attempt to avoid those by inducing early?

As for whether I would lie. No, I wouldn't. I wouldn't be with a care-provider that didn't share my views on pregnancy and birth to begin with.

[maz]

FC - honey thank you so much for sharing that info with us......im totally blown away , a placenta falling into threads..OMG

I know we were u/s to check blood flow ( which was very slow at the time) but that was I was fobbed off and told to wait until my scheduled c/s date.

Sorry to go off track....

Ive been reading peoples post's in here. Its so good to see that woman are taking a stand and listening to their inner mum before their babies are actually born

[edaj84]

I wouldn't lie but having said that, I deliverred a baby at "37 weeks" who was most definitely a little bit prem and i delivered my daughter at "43 weeks" who was most certainly not post dates so i would keep in mind that for me personally a 40 week pregnancy doesn't seem to work.

[Tanya]

Yu know leash, most independand midwives will not pressure you once you hit your edd

[koru]

I'm in a similar position to TK199.
With PCOS and long cycles my EDD based on the dating scan is a whole two weeks later than if I went on my LMP. I'm so glad I had the dating scan cos otherwise I'd be faced with inducing and 'undercooked' baby
How many women have long cycles for whatever reason anyway? They'll all be going 'past due' and facing unecessary inductions. They really should scrap the 28-day LMP method and replace it with you usual cycle length and/or dating scan (I know that's not entirely accurate also but a helluva a lot better than the current method!)