Does your niece trust her doctor in other ways? Is this the only person that ever checks her, or are there several doctors or nurse practitioners in the practice? When a woman is this far along (into the 3rd trimester) into her pregnancy, the health care professionals use many other means to determine EDD (estimated due date)...which tells us how far along in the pregnancy your niece is. One of the important ways is by ultrasound, measuring the baby, measuring the mom's belly, etc. Is she receiving these important prenatal exams and tests?
If she would answer yes to these: good, trustworthy doctors; good prenatal care...then I would also trust the doctors have a pretty good idea of how far along her pregnancy is. The four weeks that you are concerned about (November 15th or December 15th as being her LMP) would be a known factor this late in her pregnancy. There is a big difference in the size of the baby, development of the baby, as well as how big the mom's belly is (and many, many other factors), that the doctors would know about how far along she is. Has she been progressing through the pregnancy normally, with the predicted milestones? Did she hear the heartbeat at a certain week? Did she feel movement around a certain week?
I think what is even more important now to learn is: what does it mean for her and her baby if she delivers the baby now, or is on bedrest. It is possible to be 33 weeks pregnant, lose her mucus plug, and have contractions. Has her water broke yet? Do the doctors know how big the baby is (approx.)? Is she on bed rest?
Just to let you know---when I read your question, I thought I was reading my own story! I started strong contractions, lost the mucous plug, water broke (even though I was dilated)...all at just 33 weeks. The birthing education classes (has your niece gone to any of these? How old is she, by the way?) tell you that you may experience contractions called Braxton Hicks that should go away ("false labor"). Unfortunately, my contractions were real, and I did deliver my baby at 33 weeks gestation. Fortunately, though, he was in the NICU for just 2 weeks and was perfectly healthy. The doctors say that, for many woman, 32 weeks is the magic week they want woman to get past in their pregnancy if they are going to deliver a pre-term baby (although, full-term is ideal, obviously).
Again, if your niece's doctors, lab technicians, nurses...if they have all been providing excellent prenatal care, please trust them with the number of weeks gestation. If you have been questioning their care all along, is there another doctor in the practice that she can seek help from? Are you just worried because of her new condition, and now questioning everything..or, have you been questioning this from the start (and asking the doctors to clarify, too)?
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Does your niece trust her doctor in other ways? Is this the only person that ever checks her, or are there several doctors or nurse practitioners in the practice? When a woman is this far along (into the 3rd trimester) into her pregnancy, the health care professionals use many other means to determine EDD (estimated due date)...which tells us how far along in the pregnancy your niece is. One of the important ways is by ultrasound, measuring the baby, measuring the mom's belly, etc. Is she receiving these important prenatal exams and tests?
If she would answer yes to these: good, trustworthy doctors; good prenatal care...then I would also trust the doctors have a pretty good idea of how far along her pregnancy is. The four weeks that you are concerned about (November 15th or December 15th as being her LMP) would be a known factor this late in her pregnancy. There is a big difference in the size of the baby, development of the baby, as well as how big the mom's belly is (and many, many other factors), that the doctors would know about how far along she is. Has she been progressing through the pregnancy normally, with the predicted milestones? Did she hear the heartbeat at a certain week? Did she feel movement around a certain week?
I think what is even more important now to learn is: what does it mean for her and her baby if she delivers the baby now, or is on bedrest. It is possible to be 33 weeks pregnant, lose her mucus plug, and have contractions. Has her water broke yet? Do the doctors know how big the baby is (approx.)? Is she on bed rest?
Just to let you know---when I read your question, I thought I was reading my own story! I started strong contractions, lost the mucous plug, water broke (even though I was dilated)...all at just 33 weeks. The birthing education classes (has your niece gone to any of these? How old is she, by the way?) tell you that you may experience contractions called Braxton Hicks that should go away ("false labor"). Unfortunately, my contractions were real, and I did deliver my baby at 33 weeks gestation. Fortunately, though, he was in the NICU for just 2 weeks and was perfectly healthy. The doctors say that, for many woman, 32 weeks is the magic week they want woman to get past in their pregnancy if they are going to deliver a pre-term baby (although, full-term is ideal, obviously).
Again, if your niece's doctors, lab technicians, nurses...if they have all been providing excellent prenatal care, please trust them with the number of weeks gestation. If you have been questioning their care all along, is there another doctor in the practice that she can seek help from? Are you just worried because of her new condition, and now questioning everything..or, have you been questioning this from the start (and asking the doctors to clarify, too)?
August 6, 2009 - 12:04pmThis Comment
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