QuestionQUESTION: I had an ultrasound at 7 weeks. The doctor said he could tell which ovary I ovulated out of(the left one). He told me why b/c of the follicle it leaves behind which you can see on early ultrasounds. He also told me I ovulated on day 17. He didn't tell me why he knew that. Was it because at the time I went in for the ultrasound I thought I was a few days ahead of 7 weeks by the date of last period? I had a previous miscarriage a few months before this and I knew I ovulated late. We never even had sex the week before or around day 14. I was wondering how my doctor knew what day I ovulated or was he just guessing?
ANSWER: I believe your doctor was giving you his opinion based on the follicle he saw (the Corpus luteum) and the measurements taken on the ultrasound. In addition, your thoughts that you thought you were a few days ahead could also have helped bring him to this conclusion.
Please let me know if I can help you further or with anything else.
Best wishes,
Helen =)
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: So unless doctors do some sort of blood test to check hormone levels they cannot tell 100% from an ultrasound what day exactly I ovulated? Is it just an estimated guess?
AnswerEven with a blood test, it is difficult to tell 100% when you ovulated as every woman's body is different. However, using several different tests done early in the pregnancy, the doctor can make an educated guess that has a very high probability of the ovulation date. These include hCG level tests and ultrasounds. Normally, however, the exact ovulation date is not needed because a general time frame of ovulation is close enough. Because due dates vary not only from woman to woman but from pregnancy to pregnancy, and because every baby grows slightly differently, even with an exact ovulation date it would be impossible to give an exact "on this date your baby WILL be born" date. As for a question of fertilization, once again this isn't 100% accurate because even if your doctor is very sure of the ovulation date, a sexual encounter from up to 5 days previous could be the one that gets you pregnant. Because every woman is different, conception isn't an exact science. However, various technologies and techniques can give medical caregivers a very good educated estimation. =)
Please let me know if I can help you further or with anything else.
Best wishes,
Helen =)
