
Ultrasound measurements for estimating the age of a fetus are more accurate during the early stages of pregnancy. However, it’s not uncommon for a doctor to perform an ultrasound in the third trimester if they’re thinking about changing your date.Ī repeat ultrasound provides valuable information about the growth of the fetus and may reassure you and your doctor that the change in due date is reasonable. Estimates based on an ultrasound can be off by as much as three weeks, so doctors rarely adjust dates during the third trimester. The third trimester is the least accurate time to date a pregnancy.


In the second trimester, an ultrasound is less accurate and your doctor probably won’t adjust your date unless the estimates vary by more than two weeks. This is most likely to occur in the first trimester, especially if the date estimated by the ultrasound differs by more than one week from the date estimated by your doctor based on your LMP. Your doctor may change your due date based on the ultrasound measurement. Generally, your doctor orders an ultrasound to determine the gestational age of your baby when there’s a history of irregular periods, when the date of your LMP is uncertain, or when conception occurred despite oral contraceptive use.Īn ultrasound allows your doctor to measure the crown-rump length (CRL) - the length of the fetus from one end to the other.ĭuring the first trimester, this measurement provides the most accurate estimation for the age of the baby. Your doctor may change your due date if your fetus is significantly smaller or larger than the average fetus at your particular stage of pregnancy. What does it mean if my doctor changes my due date? Some pregnancy wheels may allow you to enter the date of conception - which occurs within 72 hours of ovulation - instead of the date of your LMP.

If you have regular 28-day menstrual cycles, there are two ways to calculate your due date.
