How can I explain this to my boyfriend?

Question

I went to the doctor for the first time yesterday & they said that I am 5 weeks and 2 days pregnant, But that I actually got pregnant 3 weeks ago. What is a good way to explain to my boyfriend that the doctors start counting on the first day of my last period and not the conception date? He thinks that I cheated on him, which I didn't. Please help!

Answer 1

Your expected delivery date (EDD) is 40 weeks from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP). If you deliver on your EDD, your baby is actually only about 38 weeks old — that's because your egg didn't become fertilized until about 2 weeks after the start of your last menstrual period.

Show him the websites of how the doctors count weeks being pregnant:

http://www.justmommies.com/duedate.shtml
or
http://www.intmed.mcw.edu/clincalc/pregnancy.html
or
http://pregnancytoday.com/resource/theweeks.htm

Answer 2

This shouldn't be difficult. Just google info on it. Most people have no idea how due dates are figured. They assume it's from the day you conceived, but not so. It's based on the idea that the from the first day of your period to rougly 14 days after, you will ovulate. This is the time you will most like conceive. There's truly only a 24-48 hour window during the 14 days that you can actually get pregnant! A person may ovulate anywhere from 7-14 days passed their period, but 14 days is used in the calculation no matter what. Pretty remarkable how it works, but can get confusing. This is why the baby's actual birth date is up in the air.

Just encourage him to read up on it. There's no reason to assume you cheated.

Answer 3

Tell him that when they say 5 weeks and 2 days pregnant, they actually mean 5 weeks 2 days since the first day of your last period; that's how weeks of pregnancy are counted: forward from the first day of your last period.

Answer 4

Take him to the doctor with you on your next appointment. Just explain to him that they date the conception date back to the first day of your last period. But like I said if he has a problem with it just tell him he needs to come to the doctor with you to hear it straight from him, of maybe you could call your doctors office and have the doctor nurse explain to him how they date things. That is my best advice.

Answer 5

its something hard for almost anyone to understand at times. once you are able to have a sonogram done, they can tell you how far developed the baby is and that should actually put you into the ball park of conception time. hopefully that'll help him to understand. sometimes men don't want to hear that they are going to be a dad. depending on age, financial, & level of the relationship - it can be hard to swallow those words. its sometimes easier for some to say "it ain't mine". if that continues to be the case - you can always have a paternity test done after the baby is 6 wks i believe it is.

tell him like you stated here and explain that once a sonogram is done - the 'due date' can be changed based on the development of the baby. right now they are just estimating a date. you'll know more with sonograms and check ups with the OB-GYN measuring you and all that fun stuff. give him time to adjust to things and hopefully by the time this all happens - he'll be a little more open to accepting it's his baby. he's scared right now, that's all.

actually what's also kinda odd about a pregnancy - they say its 9 mos... well complete full-term is actually 40 weeks! (its 10 lunar months or something like that, i don't remember) so it really is a little confusing for some.

good luck with your baby and congrats to you

Answer 6

U dont have to explain it to him, let the doc explain it, and whats the difference in a couple weeks that doesnt mean u cheated. lets say u cheated on him 2 weeks ago, what is the odds that u got pregnant from jus that 1 encounter,2 wks before you actually got pregnant? that is not likely, ur bf need to grow up

Answer 7

I keep coming up with just a bunch of smartass responses, and I'm really trying to avoid that. I guess that you'll just have to take him onto as many pregnancy sites as possible to show him that's the way its done. Try www.babycenter.com/pregnancy and then click on the pregnancy calendar. There you can input the date of your last period and it will show you that you are 5 weeks pregnant, then if you go back to the 2 week page it will say which days you were probably ovulating. While you're there you can sign up for weekly emails throughout your pregnancy.

Answer 8

This is kind of strange to hear but I was reading in a book called your pregnancy week by week. It says that you are actually two weeks before conception, Its really hard to explain. Heres an idea, if you dont want to buy the book go to a bookstore look it up in the book "your pregnancy week by week" It will help you to better understand, and he will see that you didnt cheat on him..

Answer 9

Tell your boyfriend he's an idiot ;)

Tell him that this is how doctors count pregnancy weeks. That in a 'five weeks' pregnancy the fetus is really only three weeks old. Give him a pregnancy book to read - open to the page where it explains this. Give him your doctor's phone number.

On the other hand, do you really want to be with someone so untrusting and unable to be reasonable?

(michael p, 'sweetheart', do some reading yourself please.)

Answer 10

I know a jerk who was the same exact way. Have him go to an appointment with you and the doctor can explain. If he refuses, rethink this relationship and the impact he will have on your child as a father. Best of luck to you. I hope your relationship with him doesn't consist of him constantly thinkign you're cheating on him.