QuestionWell i have a question that I'm afraid wont be able to be answered till the baby is born... But my fiance is now pregnant, she had a ultrasound done on October 14th, was on the belly not vaginal... they said she was over 10 weeks along in order to see it through belly, after measuring baby through ultrasound they said she was 11 weeks 2 days... They gave her a due date of May 10th 2009...
The question and concern of mine is that she split up and went back to her ex boyfriend from August 10 through August 20th..
When I go back to how far along they said she is, it goes back to before she split up for 10 days an would be my baby, but when you look it up and it tells you a conception date it falls into the days she was with him...
Her last period, which was very little, basically spotty the first part of August an nothing ever since, she never really was regular and couldn't count on when it would come..
Can you give me any help to settle my or our concerns down on who the best bet of the father would be.. She is so stressed out and I want some help to settle stress for the baby..
Thanks for you time,
A concerned hope to be father..
AnswerDear Concerned,
Early ultrasounds are quite accurate in dating pregnancies. As time has passed and we have been able to visualize more and more pregnancies through the years, we have come to know that pregnancies develop at pretty constant rates for the first 12 weeks. We know that at a certain week, the measurement of the gestational sac and/or embryo should be at a certain point to within a few cms. We also know that at a certain point we should be able to visualize certain things. For instance, at 5 weeks we should be able to see a yolk sac and a 6-7 weeks we can typically see heart activity. Now, after the 1st trimester, babies can begin to grow at different rates due to varying factors - maternal health or lifestyle, uterine conditions, etc,... And as long as the CRL can be visualized and measured clearly and accurately - it does not matter that it was an abdominal scan.
Now, with her having irregular cycles, we really have to rely on the ultrasound dating even more than usual. In calculating the conception date using the ultrasound dating, it does indicate an estimated conception of 8/10. Now - that really does not answer your question with the information that I personally have. Here's why:
This estimated conception date means that that is the likely date that she ovulated. When she ovulates, there is a 24 hour window only for sperm cells to fertilize that viable egg. When you realize that, it's a wonder anyone gets pregnant, right? Well - here's why it happens so often - sperm cells can survive up to five days once past the cervix. They just swim around, searching and searching for a viable egg until they die (again, up to five days later). So, a woman can have unprotected sex for up to 4-5 days before she actually releases that egg and still get pregnant.
Therefore... the scenario you've shared tells me that her window of potential conception was actually as early as August 7th through the 10th. So it may be a situation where a paternity test will end up being necessary. Or not - depending upon your feelings about it after all. You sound like a great guy. In the end what matters the most to a child is whether they are raised with a man who can show them what a loving father is and always makes them feel they are loved and wanted.
I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.
Brenda
